Instrument refresh problem

[LightGuy145]

VectorWorks seems determined to be a pain today, I'm having a problem with all of my instruments on one particular electric. All of the unit numbers on the electric are mixed up, so I select them all and renumber them from right to left. If I export my instrument data at this point the unit numbers appear in the exported file in the newly renumbered order. I then deselect all instruments and go to refresh instruments. When the refresh takes place all of the unit numbers on that one electric snap back to the same exact mixed up order that they were in before I renumbered. This snap back only takes place if I do a refresh when I don't have any instruments are selected. Does anyone have any idea why this would happen?

[markdd]

This happened to me a while back. This was after some major revisions to a plot. Somehow I got the feeling that the file where all the data is placed (see how un-technical I am) had got corrupted. I spent ages trying to solve it and gave up. I ended up deleting the instruments completely and re-drawing the lights again. Actually would have spent less time if I had done that in the first place.

So not an answer to your problem, but just a few words to let you know that you are not alone in thinking that Vectorworks can from time to time be a little petulant!!

If anybody does know the answer to this problem it would be great to have the answer! It is worth also mentioning that the drawing that this happened to also gave some very weird (totally inaccurate) inventory reports as well.

Mark

[Steve B.]

Any chance the position has Auto Number checked marked ?. It's possible this got toggled for only that position.

Select the position, right click and select Properties. There's an Auto Number check box, make sure it's off.

Steve B.

[Jon Harper]

Actually the reason this usually happens is that you've moved lights from another position. Highlight all the lights on that position and type in "2e" or "2nd Electric" or whatever the position name is, making sure that it's the same as the position that you're hanging lights on.

It could also be that the position is trying to number from top to bottom instead of right to left, or whatever you want it to be. To check that, select the position and look at the object info pane.

[LightGuy145]

I finally had a chance to go back and look into this problem. Looks like you were right Steve B. It seems the auto numbering for that position was turned on. I didn't even think to check this since I never use the auto numbering feature. I turned it off and refreshed and the problem went away.

Edited January 3, 2008 by Smatticus