Spotlight Numbering

[MattG]

Is there some way to change the format for say unit number or channel number after it becomes a lighting device? I hate that it is in a text format. I want it in numeric format.

I don't label cyc or strip lights in 1a 1b 1c format ever and in my mid that is the only good for it.

I don't like to use the the vectorworks generated paperwork because I don't like the way it is formatted. I want when I run a report to see fixtures 1,2,3,4,5, and so forth. Not 1, 101, 102, 1001, 1002, 2, 201. I have been prefexing my numbers for a while with 001 or 0002 but now some shows I am working on it would just take me way to long. Please help.

[michaelk]

Matt

There is a numeric channel field. It's called Alt Chan.

The Alt Chan field content is filled in automatically when you enter a channel number in the Channel field.

If you add the Alt Chan field to your report/database and then sort by Alt Chan, your channel fields will be sorted numerically.

Warning: Don't change the Alt Chan fields! Let VW do what it wants with them. I've tried doing that. It causes sadness.

The biggest drag is that you need to carry an extra field (alt chan) in your report/database that you will not want to be displayed.

btw the same is true with alt dim and alt circuit.

HTH

Michael

[MattG]

I actually went into the vector script plug-in editor and changed the lighting device parameters on Unit number, channel number, circuit number, and user field 1(which I changed all together to fixture number) to be integer types. The important part is that I make the default something, 0 is very nice I am finding. Then when I make my custom reports the things that I am trying to sort by that have yet to be assigned a number appear at the top when I sort ascending and make it super easy to see what lights are missing information.

I am guessing this will not play well with lightwright, because I know it uses text fields, but to tell you the truth I am not a lightwright fan. I am thinking I can make all the necessary schedules in my reports.