Vectorworks, Inc Employee Tamsin Slatter Posted May 15, 2007 Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted May 15, 2007 Hi Can anyone help? I am trying to use Excel to modify my plant data rather than using the form in VectorWorks. This is because I already have a long plant list in excel I would like to include... 1) I copied PlantReferenceData.txt first (thank goodness). 2) Then, I opened it using Excel 2003. It recognised that this is tab delimited data and I opened the file using all the defaults. 3) I typed a new plant name at the bottom of the file - and Perennials in the column where all the other plants have their type. 4) I saved the file, ensuring I Save As tab-delimited text. 5) When I then open VectorWorks and try to view my new plant, I am unable to open the plant database (either from the New Plant button or from AEC/Plant Reference Data. I get a VectorWorks script error. 6) I restored my original PlantReferenceData file and all is well (phew). What am I doing wrong? Does excel add something funny to the file when it opens/saves it? Any hints would be gratefully received as ever. Quote Link to comment
Jonathan Pickup Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 you are heading in to difficult territory here and you need to tread very carefully. If you are going to add one or two plants at a time, don?t bother using Excel to do it, use the plant data dialog box, and you will save yourself a lot of trouble. If you want to add a lot of plants, then be careful, as a badly placed tab in the excel file will cause VectorWorks to misbehave, a missed field will cause VectorWorks to misbehave and so on. Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee Tamsin Slatter Posted May 15, 2007 Author Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted May 15, 2007 It may be dangerous, but I am a very very brave girl... Perhaps you could elaborate (please)? I do have LOTS of plants to add - not just a couple. Are you saying that when I tab from one column in excel to the next I could screw things up? If not - is there anything mysterious that excel could be adding to the file? Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee Tamsin Slatter Posted May 15, 2007 Author Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted May 15, 2007 If I just add the plant names and their categories, will that cause problems? I was hoping I could load in all the plant names quickly through excel, adding the information I have in the correct column, leaving others blank to complete later via the dialogue box. But your last statement about missed fields maybe implies that I can't do this? Could you confirm that VW DOES expect a row count at the top of the list as I see this when I first import open the file in excel. Is there any detailed documentation on this anywhere?? Thanks Brave Tazza Quote Link to comment
Jonathan Pickup Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 yes, the row count is essential put a - in blank columns Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee Tamsin Slatter Posted May 16, 2007 Author Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted May 16, 2007 Thanks Jonathan You're a star. One last (tiny) question - do I need to update the row count or will excel update that when it saves the file after my additions? Cheers Tamsin Quote Link to comment
Jonathan Pickup Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 thank you, and my manuals are pretty good too! You have to do all the work, excel will not do the work for you Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee Tamsin Slatter Posted May 16, 2007 Author Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted May 16, 2007 I'm sure they are... Are they DETAILED with lovely techy stuff like this though? If so - I'm tempted... Quote Link to comment
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