JoeF Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 I'm trying to access the data included in a wall in a worksheet. Namely the description field in the wall data. I can access door data, but all the information in the walls seems to be inaccessible. Can anyone point me to a tutorial or to the page in the manual where this process is explained. Seems a waste to have all these neat data fields in a wall and then have to manually type wall descriptions in a worksheet. Thanks in advance for any help. Quote Link to comment
Petri Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 There's a report template in the wall style library file - a good start for you own reporting needs. The formula you need is =(__NNA_Wall_Style_Format.Description) Quote Link to comment
JoeF Posted February 10, 2007 Author Share Posted February 10, 2007 Thanks! I'll start there! Quote Link to comment
JoeF Posted February 11, 2007 Author Share Posted February 11, 2007 Okay, I have given up. When I enter the formula it simply repeats itself in the column and does not return data. The template would be helpful if I could find a way to unhide the row that contains the formulas. Why is it that when you use Tools-Create Report, it will only allow you to create a report for objects that have records, but the the default wall styles report schedules objects that do not have records? Does not make any sense. The description cell does not display all the text in the description box even when word wrap is turned on. There is no way to have the cells word wrap when the report is in the drawing.I.E Open the report set it to wrap and close the report, the text does not show up. Extremely frustrating. The other aspect that bothers me is that the schedule is dead. I cannot change a window by selecting it in the schedule and changing the type. There is no real link between the object in the model and the data. It is simply a report that was correct at the time it was made and cannot really be trusted. Not BIM at its best. Quote Link to comment
ccroft Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 To see the formulas, click 'Database Headers' under the downward pointing rectangle at the top of the first column. Then click in the other columns accross from the empty triangles on the left to see formulas. To see the criteria that sets which objects will be listed, highlite the database header and go to 'Edit Criteria' under the downward triangle. To refresh the list choose 'Recalculate'. If your formulas aren't returning data it's because there's something wrong with the syntax of the formula. Field names are very literal. I personally think the best way to get a handle on database worksheets is to start from scratch and make a couple of simple ones. Seems to me that a lot of people go with 'Create Report' and then don't know where to go from there. Hope that helps Charles Quote Link to comment
JoeF Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 Thanks Charles, that'll get me part way there. I created a new worksheet, set the row up as database and pasted the formula from the default wall styles template so there would be no mistake in syntax. Still will not return data. I know I am missing something very small, but cannot figure it out. Also cannot figure out how to get the word wrap to show all the characters. I appreciate your help! Quote Link to comment
ccroft Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Joe While you may have the correct syntax for the formula, it still has to match the criteria. So if your criteria lists all objects with record name 'Info' and your formulas are looking for record fields that don't exist, you'll get no data. I'm afraid I can't be of much help with wall data specifically, cause I'm not an architect and don't use walls. I do, however, depend on worksheets for a ton of other things. Just keep applying boneheaded determination, and they will bend to your needs. Worksheets are hugely powerful in my world. BTW...looks like we're neighbours! Charles Quote Link to comment
Petri Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Joe, Does the report template work in your document? Quote Link to comment
Petri Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 There is no real link between the object in the model and the data. It is simply a report that was correct at the time it was made and cannot really be trusted. Not BIM at its best. There is a real link FROM the object TO the report. Recalculation brings in the latest data. This is actually a very complex issue. What aspects of an object does one really want to change in a text-only list view? The height or length of a wall? The size of a window? Overall, the only context where decisions like this can be made is the "drawing". Notwithstanding, I'd love to change something now and then, but in the balance of things, the current scheme has a justification. Quote Link to comment
JoeF Posted February 13, 2007 Author Share Posted February 13, 2007 The worksheet that I created uses the same criteria as the default wall styles worksheet that comes with VW. It uses the same syntax (i pasted it). Yet the worksheet I created will not extract the data the same as the default.(the default report works fine) I am at a dead end. Maybe I'll send the file to NNA. Quote Link to comment
Petri Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 If you import the report sample, does it work? Quote Link to comment
JoeF Posted February 14, 2007 Author Share Posted February 14, 2007 I'm not sure what you mean by import, but the wall sample report that ships with VW works just fine. Reports the data from the wall elements in my file like it is supposed to. I simply cannot replicate it. Perhaps I am meant to edit this file to suit my needs, and not try to create my own from scratch. Quote Link to comment
Petri Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 You can import the sample worksheet, modify it (eg delete redundant columns) and then use the modified version in all files by importing it to those. There is no need to start from scratch every time. Quote Link to comment
panthony Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 Joe, Have you been inserting the following text into a new worksheet header =__NNA_Wall_Style_Format.'Wall Function' The single quote characters at Wall Function are Unicode Control Characters which you cannot enter with the keyboard...best to just copy paste the formula from the template worksheet. Unless there is someone out there who has found a way to reproduce the special unicode character. Quote Link to comment
Daryl Wood Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 Joe, are you looking for wall style data or wall data that is found in the OIP? Those are two different things. The wall style report that others have mentioned is only going to report data on wall styles. Quote Link to comment
JoeF Posted February 15, 2007 Author Share Posted February 15, 2007 I'm looking for the data in the OIP I guess. The data that is reported in the wall. There are several built in fields such as description, mark, manufacturer, etc. I was trying to build my own, but it is not possible. You can only get these fields to report if you modify the wall styles report that is built in. If you try and make your own worksheet and paste the formula into it from the default it does not work. Go ahead and try it! Even pasting it in does not work. Quote Link to comment
Petri Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 The wall style report that others have mentioned is only going to report data on wall styles. No, you can include any data of the objects in question, too. Quote Link to comment
Petri Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 Go ahead and try it! Even pasting it in does not work. So it seems. How peculiar! Quote Link to comment
Daryl Wood Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 Joe, I share your frustrations. If I could help you, I could help myself as I'm looking for the same answers. It seems that we can get and report data from just about everything else, just not walls. If so, someone would have had the answer by now. That leaves me to believe no one has a clue. I'll let you know if I stumble into something. Quote Link to comment
Petri Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 I can report data from walls - with a customised version of the report template. Excluding Wall Style data, with any worksheet. In both cases I get incorrect quantity data. Quote Link to comment
Daryl Wood Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 Good for you! Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee Darick@Vectorworks Posted February 15, 2007 Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted February 15, 2007 Joe - We would like to know why the wall worksheet functions are not working for you. Could you please forward the file to tech support so that we can take a look at it. tech@nemetschek.net Thanks, Darick Quote Link to comment
Petri Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 Darick, They are not working here, either. And in my case, it is not a question of any assumed lack of skills - or file. If I just edit a letter in the formula (like replace an "a" with another "a"), the formula dies. Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee Darick@Vectorworks Posted February 16, 2007 Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted February 16, 2007 Ok to get the wall style functions to work use a formula like this: =('__NNA_Wall_Style_Format'.'Wall Function') Note the single quotes around both the record name and field name. There's a bug where the quote string is being stripped out after its entered but it needs to be there. Quote Link to comment
JoeF Posted February 17, 2007 Author Share Posted February 17, 2007 Okay,I got it to work by pasting your text. Thank You! Now for the hard part: How do I get the cells to word wrap when I paste them into the drawing? And the second part of that: What is the character limit for the cells, as it appears a lot of the text gets cut off in the description field. Thanks! Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.