tmichealsmith Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Here's the goal: Create an "on drawing" schedule that will live on a sheet layer with the viewport of a lighting position this schedule will contain all the pertinent records for the units on that position: type/ch/ckt/dim etc. This schedule would of course need to update as changes occur. I have a large theatre with many positions and it's easier to send electricians away with a piece of paper to hang a position and recieve it back with the dimmer/ckt info written in. currently it's a very long excel/text edit/cut and paste project. any ideas on automation? Quote Link to comment
michaelk Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Easy... In VW 2008. Make a database and insert it on the drawing. Double clicking on the database lets you edit the data which updates live to the drawing. You could create a database for each position and place it in the design layer or in the viewport or just on the sheet layer. The data base would live in the resource browser and you could just pop it into drawings at will. Especially if you are in the same space all the time. I don't remember how it works in 12.5. But I think you can still create a database that will work in one direction: changes in the plot will show up in the database. But the editable worksheet is the only method for going the other way. HTH Michael Quote Link to comment
tmichealsmith Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 Okay. I've made a database. How do I populate it? Sorry but the help files are not particularly forthcoming. I think I understand the formula for retrieving record data. but vw plug-in instruments seem to have no record. I'm sure this elementary, I'm just a little out of my element. Quote Link to comment
tmichealsmith Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 Now this is just turning into an internal monologue. Solution: ='Device Type'.'record of choice' Now, the new problem is that it seems to sort like so: 1 10 11 2 3 and so forth. how do i fix this without adding a 0 to all instruments 1-9. it seems a little weird to me. Quote Link to comment
rDesign Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Have you tried sorting your worksheets? Search for "Ascending Sort Icon" in the VW help. HTH. Tim Quote Link to comment
tmichealsmith Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 Yes, I've tried that. That's why I'm so confused. It doesn't seem to be a reasonable way to sort things. Quote Link to comment
MattG Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 This is similar to what I have been doing. Look at the post I just put up and I put in there how to change the field you want from a text field to a number field. Then go to your tools-Report-create report. Choose items with record lighting device. Put the things you want to see in there. Then look over your database operations in the help menu with that and your summary and sort order you can basically make fairly generic paperwork. The nice part is it is all in vectorworks. I do a lot of drafting for a big rock and roll company and everyone has their own little excel paperwork which is a pain because it doesn't talk to each other. Very few of them seem to use lightwright and I myself am not a fan. Mainly because you have to constantly import/export and you still do not get some things necessary in what I do at least. So I am finding when I make the drawing if I set up these worksheets and name them nice. Create a sheet layer with the plot and possibly drag the specific worksheets over the sheet layer you want. Or make a sheet layer that is just your instrument count. The only bad part with the worksheets in my mind is you have to click recalculate on them for them to update. Which is better then recreating a report for an instrument schedule or what have you. I am thinking I can make a script to update them all at once. Sorry to go on a rant. Quote Link to comment
tmichealsmith Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 Apparently the solution is instead of using the unit number field the alt-unit field should be used. Quote Link to comment
MattG Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Not when you are doing shows when you are using 300 or 400 moving lights plus about the same in leds and you want to use the number instrument tool so you can manually click on what goes in order and save yourself hours in numbering. Quote Link to comment
tmichealsmith Posted October 3, 2008 Author Share Posted October 3, 2008 Matt, The alt-unit is mirrored as the unit number. it just sorts differently. it basically already does what you've changed your regular unit number field to do. i read that recalculating one spreadsheet recalculates them all, even if they're not open. do you find that's not the case? Quote Link to comment
MattG Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Correct me if i am wrong, but if I hit recalculate on a worksheet I do not recalculate all my worksheets in that file. Is that the question/statement? Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee klinzey Posted October 9, 2008 Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted October 9, 2008 You just recalculate that one worksheet. Quote Link to comment
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