Vectorworks, Inc Employee Tamsin Slatter Posted October 18, 2007 Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted October 18, 2007 I can't get the plant database to open - I follow the instructions in the manual to access it, but although it seems to recompile the text files for me, I'm not getting the filemaker pro bit. Just nothing happens. no error messages. Any suggestions? Cheers Tamsin Quote Link to comment
Ozzie Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 How are you trying to open it? Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee Tamsin Slatter Posted October 20, 2007 Author Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted October 20, 2007 Hi From the Landmark menu, choosing VW Plant Database. I get the dialogue box which asks me where i want to store the resulting VW data and I choose the first option. Then click OK, then nothing happens. No error message, no crashing. VW keeps running, but no database appears. Any ideas? Thanks Tamsin Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee Tamsin Slatter Posted October 20, 2007 Author Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted October 20, 2007 PS, this is on Windows XP. Quote Link to comment
Jonathan Pickup Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 what are you trying to achieve? Quote Link to comment
Petri Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 Then click OK, then nothing happens. No error message, no crashing. VW keeps running, but no database appears. This is exactly as it should be. Sorry, I meant to say "as it is". There is a database, but the Plant Database does not actually access the database. It just creates a bunch of text files they call "the database". The entire system is a sorry excuse for a database. You can open the "actual" database, too, and edit it. Unless you tell VW to regenerate the text files, the plant tool has no idea of your editing efforts. (Mind you, it is very easy to end up with any number of versions of the said text files, but without any idea which version the tool actually uses. My last count was 8 data sets in different locations.) A total dud. Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee Tamsin Slatter Posted October 20, 2007 Author Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted October 20, 2007 Hi Guys Thanks for responses. Jonathan - I just wanted to look at the Filemaker Pro database, but it wasn't opening. Petri - I understand your frustrations, but the whole thing is still a HUGE LOAD better than it was. And better than hand drawing which is what my clients are used to. Yes filemaker pro is a relational database - whilst VW still has to access data through its text files. But at least it is now easy to create subsets of that data which makes the whole plant selection process much easier. I know the difference between a database and a text file (I spent many years working for Oracle as a database specialist). Anyway, before I get carried away down that route, in case anyone else is looking on the forum for a solution to a similar problem, the system was NOT working "as is". My filemaker pro database was failing to open - that was the problem. When choosing Open VW Plant Database from the Landmark menu, Filemaker Pro should have been starting up, but it wasn't. However, that universal fully tried and tested method of "re-install" fixed the problem and all is now working fine. Cheers T Quote Link to comment
Ozzie Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 Then click OK, then nothing happens. No error message, no crashing. VW keeps running, but no database appears. This is exactly as it should be. Sorry, I meant to say "as it is". There is a database, but the Plant Database does not actually access the database. It just creates a bunch of text files they call "the database". The entire system is a sorry excuse for a database. You can open the "actual" database, too, and edit it. Unless you tell VW to regenerate the text files, the plant tool has no idea of your editing efforts. (Mind you, it is very easy to end up with any number of versions of the said text files, but without any idea which version the tool actually uses. My last count was 8 data sets in different locations.) A total dud. Landmark>VW Plants Database gets us to the database The Text files are defined within the Database under GENERAL INFORMATION - Broad Catagory and here you can create your own, or add to the existing Having done that File>Create Vectorworks Plant List creates the new Text File and you can name it again It then lives in your User Folder - in the Plant Database Folder I am still playing with it. Confusing though as within VW with the Plant Tool one can utilise the Text Files and use that info to create new plant definitions or create new plants there that have no relationship to the database via the OIP which are stored elswhere Quote Link to comment
Ozzie Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 Perhaps a wish list item - an option should be when defining a new plant in VW itself with the OIP - a choice to be able to send that information back to the File Maker Pro database The plant tool in VW 11 was poor - 12.5 better by leaps and bounds - 2008 - for me I have to use it for awhile to see how it interacts with my work flow. The database itself as a stand alone tool - I do Arborist Reports and see potential to utilise information from it for that purpose. Would need though my own copy of File Maker Pro. Makes one wonder about VW and its abilities to interact with external databases as such So what is the go there? Quote Link to comment
Petri Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 Makes one wonder about VW and its abilities to interact with external databases as such So what is the go there? Good question. Some 10 years ago the Benelux-distributor Design Express wrote an SQL-extension to MiniCAD, but I gather it was not considered as useful at Diehl Graphsoft. At present, there is no mechanism for accessing external databases. Quote Link to comment
Ozzie Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 Well that is either dumb - huh!! Or WHY? Quote Link to comment
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