Keeping format on imported Word specs

[Don@Black Dog]

I am importing specs written in Word into Text boxes, but it looses the formating. Is it possible to import it as a linked object so changes to the original Word file are reflected?

Or just keep the original formatting?

[Travis]

Regretfully, Don, you'll need to keep wishing. Hot links out don't exist right now, to my knowledge.

However, you can format text in Word that can be directly read by the General Notes as a database. If the manual and help seem a little arcane (they are actually complete and guided me through the first time), you might try searching this board and/or repost and we'll see if we can't help.

You will still have to establish the formatting via the General Notes dialogs, however.

Good luck,

[Christiaan]

Or just keep the original formatting?

You could save your Word document as RTF files first and then copy & paste. This method keeps some formatting.

P.S. is it just me or does everyone seem to spell loses incorrectly? I think it'll eventually evolve actually and dictionaries will just start listing looses as an alternative spelling.

Edited June 22, 2006 by Christiaan

[Robert Anderson]

Christiaan, It's just you

Seriously, online spelling (and punctuation!) is a mess. I continually gnash my teeth.

[Itchy]

maybe this should be moved into the wishlist fourm if it is not yet possible? When i move specs from word to Vectorworks i have to make sure i have them perfect, as it will copy the formatting across right, but if i try to edit the text box in vectorworks it destroys all my hard work of formatting in Word. My only suggestion is that you try make sure that they are perfect before you transfer them across, ether that or push VW to put it into the next release.

[Christiaan]

maybe this should be moved into the wishlist fourm if it is not yet possible?

Agreed, guess it's not there already because it's such an obvious needed improvement.

Added:

http://techboard.nemetschek.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=UBB20&Number=62285

Edited June 23, 2006 by Christiaan

[jnr]

Ah yes, one of my pet peeves with this software. No outside linking,immature text capabilities, and an archaic spreadsheet(w/its per cell 256k character limit). I have resorted to exporting sheet title blocks as dxf to Adobe Illustrator, then pasting in my specifications text. At least then format is retained and is editable. This stinks since one is left to employ two programs where one should do it. Going the other way, pasting from excel or word drops a non-editable bitmap into Vectorworks and bloats file size-if you want to retain format that is. For larger firms and jobs, the specs are in book form. For residential, if you actually want the contractor to look at them instead of burying them on the dashboard of their truck, you have to put them in the set. Since this software is aimed at smaller firms, one would think this capability might be a priority.

[Don@Black Dog]

Thanks for all your replies, and as an english major, I should remember about loses/looses, allthough in this case the formatting is cut loose...bad pun.

I think I will move it to the wish column. Years ago, we used Cadvance (pre-ACAD v14) which had interactive capabilities with Word and Excel, i.e. the text or spreadsheets were linked to live Word/Excel documents. That is what would be nice, especially since many specs are already written, or come from other sources and takes a lot of time to type them into VW.

Thanks again.

[jnr]

Don:

When I looked at Archicad a few years ago (when I was ready to chuck version 9), it already had the capability to link to DXF, excel and word files. It is the main cross-platform competitor to Vectorworks. I have never understood why NNA did not include this capability in the softward to stay competitive with Archicad. God knows they seem to be looking over each others shoulders, the difference is that Graphisoft charges a boat load more for their software. If Adobe (who seems to hate Microsoft) can add this capability to programs like InDesign, I don't see what prevents NNA from doing the same.

[Andrew Coombes]

I gave up and use Pat McConnell's "Set URL/Goto URL" plug-ins. You can set a URL against any VW object and open up the linked file, either a word document or HTML or PDF, etc. We save most things in PDF. If you put it on a web server then you can also use PDF bookmarks, e.g. linking a VW window to the right clause in a specification. have a look at VectorDepot Plug-ins

[Eoin R]

We have just arrived at the exact same hurdle. We are working on a protected (listed) structure and need to add lots of survey and condition notes onto the drawings. These have been set up in excel and was hoping to link the spreadsheets directly in Vectorworks worksheets. No such luck!!! What I can't believe but have found out is that the VW worksheets are limited to 256 characters. Does anybody have any workaround to get over this.

Thanks

John Ryan

Camilleri-Preziosi Ryan Architects

Dublin

VW 12.01

[P Retondo]

John, what I would do is one of two things: 1) output your vw drawings as pdfs and append pdfs of the excel spreadsheets, or 2) convert the spreadsheets to pdfs and paste snapshots of the material you want onto vw sheets. The snapshots will come in as bitmaps (be sure to set the snapshot resolution to something printable like 300 dpi), and your file size might get a little big - but, what else to do?? You could try converting the excel sheets to rtf files, and pasting the text into a text object, but that might give you real formatting headaches.

Maybe someone else has a better answer - if so, I'd love to know!

[Don@Black Dog]

I know! We can spend hours and hours re-typing pages of existing spec notes into little text boxes. Where's my free intern...

Back to using the separate spec book, I quess.

[islandmon]

One way to get around the CAD software vs Publishing software limitations is to use a publishing program like Quark or Pagemaker to compile the project images, PDF, excel, & word documents then output from there to printers, plotters, & PDF. As publishing applications they have the fine-tuned ability to do all those things VW is just not designed to do efficiently or effectively like import formatted Excel & Word files. For complex projects Pagemaker is remarkably efficient and automatically updates the pages via links manager.