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Symbol placement


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When placing symbols (Mac) the selected symbol is outlined with the dotty line while moving to the desired location to place it. The first mouseClick offers a rotation option, the second mouseClick places the symbol.

Is there any way of turning off the rotation preference so that the symbol is placed at the desired point on the first mouseClick, thus not having to click twicw for each symbol placement? This will assist me in avoiding all those accidentally rotated sybols!

Chuck

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Thanks Klinsey.

For all those NON-click-drag people out there who would still like to place symbols, etc. without the 2 doubleClicks for each symbol - is there any specific relief for us, or is the only resolution still a global preference setting forcing us to click-drag everything else?

Chuck

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Psst... it's really just two single clicks per symbol, or one double click if you prefer.

There's no 'disable rotation while inserting symbols' preference or mode. However, after you place the first instance of a symbol, you could always just drag copies of the first symbol into new locations. Using the 2D Cursor tool, hold down the option key and drag an instance of a symbol into a new location. Instead of dragging the original, you'll find you've dragged a copy. (This works in most programs, not just VectorWorks.) You can copy as many symbols this way as you like, and you'll never have to click to set their rotation.

Caleb Strockbine

caleb@nemetschek.net

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Yeah thanks Caleb.

Not much joy there.

I take back my doubleClick reference - it is just two mouseClicks - but it is still two clicks not one!

My point actually was that if you steam through the symbol placement process putting the same symbol in numerous nonspecific locations (typically trees in a park setting - we are landscape architects) then you tend to get a percentage of the placed symbols rotated due to the speed of placement being just above snail's pace, and nowhere near keeping up with the operator.

The option-drag is a second-best work-around if we must use it.

Oh, and Psst.... I am not a computer/CAD dummy, but thanks anyway for your response.

Chuck

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Hello Chuck

I made a plugin tool which inserts the active

symbol with just one mouseclick.

You can set the rotation angle at the tool parameter button.

It's free for everyone.

You can download it at http://members.aon.at/tischlerei.lackner/free%20Plugins.htm

------------------

***********************

Hannes Lackner

Joinery++Tyrol/Austria

cabinet door-Plugin please look at:

http://members.aon.at/tischlerei.lackner/services.htm

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quote:

Originally posted by Chuck:

Oh, and Psst.... I am not a computer/CAD dummy, but thanks anyway for your response.


Sorry about that... didn't mean to imply that you were.

Anyway, yet another option is to simply switch to click-drag mode when you're going to do a lot of symbol placement. It'd be a pain to go and change it manually in the preferences all the time, so here's a quick script that toggles that preference.

code:

procedure toggleClickDrag;

{ Toggles the state click-drag mode. }

var

clickDragState : boolean;

begin

{ the constant for the click-drag preference is 0 }

clickDragState := GetPref(0);

SetPref(0, not clickDragState);

{ give the user a little feedback }

Message('Click-drag mode is ', not clickDragState, '.');

end;

run(toggleClickDrag);

Caleb Strockbine

caleb@nemetschek.net

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Chuck-

One other thing you might consider - is to press the Shift key when inserting the symbol. You would still have to double-click, but it would keep it constrained to vertical, horizontal or 30/45 degrees.This way the odds of having it rotated upon insertion are much less & I usually find I have one hand near the Shift or Option key anyway so it is not too muh trouble.

------------------

Janis Kent, AIA

author WorksTutorial & WorksManual

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