I hate VW worksheets

[Mickey]

All I want to do is count the symbols on a given layer.

I want a list summarized by symbol type. Is that too much to ask?

Yes I can create a report that will list all symbols, and summarize them by name, but it gives me all symbols for all layers in no particular order. Once in the worksheet there's an option under "paste criteria" to List objects whose ... layer is xxx, but it doesn't do anything.

Why is it so hard to count symbols?

I find myself searching through the forums, help section, online manual ect just to count symbols. :mad:

Is there any easier way?

[Guest]

In the criteria box, choose the first level of criteria - Type is Symbol

Click on the More Choices button

In the next level of criteria specify the additional information - Layer is XXX

Also make sure there's an equals sign before the "Count" in the formula.

If that doesn't do it, post what you have for the formula so far.

This is what I have:

=COUNT((((L='Layer 2') & (T=SYMBOL))))

[Mickey]

OK that gave me a count of 820 symbols on the layer "lights"

But I need a list of what those symbols are.

[Guest]

So you need a comprehensive list of symbol names on a given layer and the total count of each symbol on that layer?

[Mickey]

So you need a comprehensive list of symbol names on a given layer and the total count of each symbol on that layer?

Ideally.

That would be the best possible world.

[David Ormsby]

Create a new Worksheet in the Resource Browser and Open it. Create as many columns and rows as you think you may want. Mine has 2 columns, Symbol Name and Quantity.

Right Click on a row number and select Database. The Criteria requestor pops up - in the first row select

Layer - is - "layer name"

Click more choices. In the second row selecr

Type - is - Symbol

Continue creating rows for each layer you want to count.

Now left click/highlite your new database row. You will see the Sort and Sum icons have become active. Click and drag the Sum icon onto the "A" Column; this will summarize all symbols with the same name into 1 row. If you wish you can also drag one of the Sort icons onto the "A" column. Repeat this step for each Database Row.

As a finishing touch, I entered text in the empty row above each database row with a name like "Lighting Layer"

What I've done is created this worksheet in my template file. This file as all my default layers in it, and the worksheet will count everything on each of those layers. Even though it took a little while to set up, I only had to do it once, and everytime I start a new project these tools are available.

Note that if you rename a layer, you will need to Edit Criteria for that row to get it to work.

HTH

Edited May 30, 2007 by David Ormsby

[Mickey]

Create a new Worksheet in the Resource Browser and Open it. Create as many columns and rows as you think you may want. Mine has 2 columns, Symbol Name and Quantity.

Right Click on a row number and select Database. The Criteria requestor pops up - in the first row select

Layer - is - "layer name"

Click more choices. In the second row selecr

Type - is - Symbol

Continue creating rows for each layer you want to count.

Now left click/highlite your new database row. You will see the Sort and Sum icons have become active. Click and drag the Sum icon onto the "A" Column; this will summarize all symbols with the same name into 1 row. If you wish you can also drag one of the Sort icons onto the "A" column. Repeat this step for each Database Row.

As a finishing touch, I entered text in the empty row above each database row with a name like "Lighting Layer"

What I've done is created this worksheet in my template file. This file as all my default layers in it, and the worksheet will count everything on each of those layers. Even though it took a little while to set up, I only had to do it once, and everytime I start a new project these tools are available.

Note that if you rename a layer, you will need to Edit Criteria for that row to get it to work.

This seems strangely simple.

However I don't see any data in my worksheet.

Now that I've got a new blank worksheet with the database criteria set up how do I import the data, or is it just supposed to count automatically, and I'm doing it wrong?

[ccroft]

You probably won't see anything until you hit 'ReCalculate' under the triangle near the top left.

[Benson Shaw]

In my experience, objects need to have a name or other record data to be "seen" by database worksheet. Select an object, click the DATA tab in the OIP. If top field for object name is blank, then key in a name and add other info. Unfortunately, assigning record data to one iteration of a symbol already on the drawing does not assign any record info to other iterations of that symbol. A record format could help you here. Check this out in the VW on-screen help. It may be helpful to create a test drawing with a few symbols and a test worksheet before you try this on your drawing in progress.

-B

[gScott]

mickey

david's description has one step missing,

which is why you aren't getting anything

displayed in your database.

immediately before the line beginning:

"Now left click/highlight your new database row...."

in the first cell of the database header row type in:

=S

in the second cell of the database row type in:

=COUNT

and then continue with,

"Now left click/highlite your new database row...."

=S means "symbol name", which will be displayed

in that column

=COUNT will give a total for each item, which

when you drag the [sum] button onto the =S column

will give you a total of all symbols of that name.

the 'database header row' is the row with the little

diamond to the left of the row number, but 'show

database headers' must be ticked in the worksheet

menu button for this row to appear. normally, for

aesthetic reasons i have this 'hidden'

hth

[Robert Anderson]

When you create the database row, each sub-row represents an individual object (in this case, a symbol instance) in your drawing. So the first step, which is establishing the CRITERIA for your database, determines exactly which objects "belong" to your database. The second step is determining what you want "reported on" in your listing. Instead of using =S (which will return the symbol name) and =count, I would use =S and the number 1. Then I would summarize the worksheet based on the symbol name (S) column, which will give you the count.

[gScott]

robert

is using "1" more efficient than "=count",

because the result is the same?

[David Ormsby]

Gideon -

Thanks, been so long I set this up I forgot that step.

[Jim Smith]

The bottom line is (pardon the pun) the worksheet resource, while helpful, is (let me say this politely) - week. I where is LOTUS 1-2-3 when you need it? Seriously, the present worksheet should be scrapped and replaced with something newer, better, something from the last decade of the 20th century would be ok.

[Cris with no H]

Allow me to get out my Old Man soapbox here... "I remember when a CAD program didn't even HAVE database capabilities..." yadda yadda yadda. I have faith that worksheet capabilities will get better and better, since Nemetschek is really pushing this product into a Building Information Model mode of working. Sure, worksheets aren't exactly Excel right now, but they were never meant to be, either.

I wouldn't call them weak, either... it takes some digging through the help files, but you can set up some pretty powerful worksheets to track objects and count stuff up. It goes hand in hand with being competent in setting up good symbols and data records. It would be nice if users who are adept at worksheets would start submitting worksheets to sites like vectordepot.com so that the rest of us can examine them and see how they work and learn from that.

Cris Dopher