eas Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 Okay, I have rtfm (well no I haven?t but I have looked at it pretty thoroughly) and I get a sense that this is possible but need help. I would like to make an editable tag. A symbol with text that can be edited separately in each insertion. VW has all sorts of lovely automated things but I want to make my own tag. How does one go about this? Are there simple instructions somewhere? Or is this something that VW doesn't handle? Quote Link to comment
P Retondo Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 eas, the simplest thing to do is to attach records to the symbol. 1) Create a shape, make it a symbol 2) Create some records that correspond to the info you want to be unique to each symbol instance. 3) Place your symbol somewhere on the screen. 4) Create some text fields formatted and located the way you want. 5) One by one atttach those as records to the symbol. Once you've done all that, select any inserted symbol and edit the information in the OIP data tab. For more detailed instructions on the above steps, see help or your manual. Quote Link to comment
CipesDesign Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 (edited) If you want it to behave like a Plug-in-Object [PIO] (ie: text & other elements editable in Object Info Palette fields) then you may need to write some VectorScript code - unfortunately not one of my talents, but, if all you're wanting is a repeated graphic symbol with a text block that you can modify you could do it pretty easily as follows: 1) Create the graphic portion, and then, 2) with all of it selected go to MODIFY>CREATE SYMBOL. Follow the prompts in the dialog, giving it a name, etc... 3) Insert one of the new SYMBOLS into your drawing, 4) Create the TEXT in it's proper location in relation to the SYMBOL (but not *in* the symbol), 5) Select both the SYMBOL and the TEXT and go to MODIFY>GROUP (or command-G). Now you can duplicate the first GROUP and then DOUBLE CLICK to enter the GROUP, then click into the TEXT portion and modify as desired, then EXIT GROUP (upper right). This is not nearly as elegant as a PIO, but perhaps will suit your needs... Note: of course you could also do the same thing leaving out step 2 (above), in which case you'd just be using a GROUP, as opposed to a SYMBOL+TEXT=GROUP. The value of creating the graphics as a symbol is in case the graphics need to change, in which case you could change one instance of the SYMBOL and all others would change too, leaving each TEXT instance intact within its respective GROUP. I take it all back. Use RECORDS like Pete suggests above. A much better solution. Always more than one way to skin a VectorCat ;-) Edited April 4, 2007 by CipesDesign Quote Link to comment
eas Posted April 4, 2007 Author Share Posted April 4, 2007 Oh, thanks Pete I vaguely remember trying this during my brief attempt at making a custom drawing border (am using a symbol now, works dandy). I will follow up. And the grouping idea is also very practical. Quote Link to comment
Jonathan Pickup Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 Just in case anyone else wants to do this, this topic is covered in my Essential Tutorial manual, in the section on worksheets. i would use the symbol and record format method. That way things stay a symbol and if you need to update the symbol graphics it?s easy. It won?t be easy if you use groups Quote Link to comment
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