The need for a 'parent' style, to rule over sub-styles

[shorter]

In the 'other' BIM software, there are objects that are the 'descendants' of a common 'ancestor', such that if you change properties in the common ancestor or 'parent' those properties change in all descendants.

 

For example:

 

Door Type A, comes in 5 sizes, and different leaf arrangements, i.e. single, double, leaf and a half, and different fire ratings, leading to a number or Door Styles.

 

A number of properties of Door Types are identical in all 5 size variants.  Same material, same frame size.  They only vary in size, leaf, and fire rating.  These parameters are locked down to stop non-variant sizes being used and under the current behaviour, this means we have many Door Styles.

 

So what we want, is for Vectorworks to introduce a 'Parent' style, for all 'Descendant' styles so that when there are many descendant styles based on the parent style, changing someting in the parent style changes the parameters of the descendent styles, rather than us having to go into each descendant style and change it manually.

 

This is what happens in the 'other' software using 'parents' and 'children' in it's organisational grouping of objects.

Edited September 16, 2024 by shorter

[line-weight]

This would be rather useful for wall styles too, covering the common scenario where there is a basic wall core type that has different internal and external finishes in different places.

[Tom W.]

So would there be a single 'parent' style in the Resource Manager + the 'descendants' would be found as options within that style? Is that how it works in the other software? 

 

I would find this a much better way of organising my resources than is currently the case.

 

Not only Walls but Slabs, Roofs + Hardscapes too.

[shorter]

28 minutes ago, line-weight said:

This would be rather useful for wall styles too, covering the common scenario where there is a basic wall core type that has different internal and external finishes in different places.

 

Yes.  In effect any 'root' or parent should be able to manage it's offspring.  This is the basis of good data management.  Change it once, and it changes everywhere.  Too many instances of change it once, change it again, and again.

[shorter]

I think a hierarchical RM would be great, and the parent wold reveal the contigent desecendants upon clicking on an arrow, totally unlike the current implication of the symbol or resource folder which doesn't although the favorites do!

 

Sort of wished the folders would open up like this, with an arrow to the left.

 

[Amanda McDermott]

this would be good for plants as well!

[Matt Overton]

It would be good if parent classes had the same ability.