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Drawing register from multiple files


panta rhei

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Does anyone have a mechanism or a workable procedure for generating a drawing register from multiple files? (No, it is not possible to use only one VW file.)

In the good old days, before sheet layers, this was possible (not convenient nor particularly automatic, but nevertheless.) Since we can't (why, if I may ask?) reference sheet layers, data of title blocks (of symbol type) on those cannot be reported. At least I can't do it.

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  • 3 weeks later...
I could, but in large organisations with mere mortals as users this just does not work. If they'd be on the Mac platform, I could use FileMaker Pro to pull the data, but they're usually on the Dark Side.

I would be very interested in knowing how to use filemaker to pull the data from multiple files. We use filemaker pro Archioffice but I don't think anyone here really knows how to use it fully. I am eager to learn.

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It's not quite that simple... But the key point is that FileMaker Pro can send the DO SCRIPT AppleEvent to VectorWorks. This means that one can run a VectorScript that resides in a FMP database.

Also a folder can, via AppleScript, tell FMP to run a script (which runs a script and so on.)

I run all my utility, development, auditing and housekeeping scripts from FMP, even some obscure production scripts which I don't want to install in users' systems & workspaces. (Some can do serious damage if tried at home.)

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Thanks,

We would like to be able to use Archioffice to interact with vectorworks and log drawings and data associated with a project that is already in archioffice. Am I right to assume that it takes some custom programming to do this and not just built in functions of Filemaker pro?

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I always feel insecure when I have to deal with cowboys who carry weapons.

As you should be.

Why on earth should I give you, of all people, any more free advice?

I have yet to see any advice from you at all on this board. I am beginning to doubt you know the first thing about what you claim. You act some l33t script kiddie who wasn't loved enough.

Go troll somewhere else punk

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I always feel insecure when I have to deal with cowboys who carry weapons.

As you should be.

Why on earth should I give you, of all people, any more free advice?

I have yet to see any advice from you at all on this board. I am beginning to doubt you know the first thing about what you claim. You act some l33t script kiddie who wasn't loved enough.

Go troll somewhere else punk

Such fine folks, these Texans.

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ODBC is another one of those technologies that it's easy to leverage on the Windows platform, like OLE, visual basic and .net.

Implimenting ODBC is probably not easy for a lay person (then again that's the case with databases and programming in general).

From ADT version 2005 on, title blocks can draw fields the .xml files used by the project navigator/browser...so with that tool there's really no need to go to ODBC.

In my opinion, data sets and and table sizes for most architectural title blocks are probably appropriate .xml rather than a relational or flat database...provided that a reasonable interface is available to cut out schema management by a typical user.

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Yes, the way the sheetsets work with ADT project manager is great. I have always used attributed title blocks and I really liked how creating a new sheet from a template pulls the project information automatically. The way the title blocks are set up in Vectorworks is similar as far as defining fields but its not very friendly for communicating between files like the xml is.

It would be nice if the record could be on a central file and referenced from other files. What I wound up doing on large multi file projects is I created a file with just the title blocks and borders for each sheet so I could manage project issue and revision data in one place. I then layer linked the borders to each sheet file. It works well enough.

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ODBC is another one of those technologies that it's easy to leverage on the Windows platform, like OLE, visual basic and .net.

Just for your information: ODBC has nothing to do with the operating system.

In my opinion, data sets and and table sizes for most architectural title blocks are probably appropriate .xml rather than a relational or flat database...provided that a reasonable interface is available to cut out schema management by a typical user.

If a relational database is not required, then there is no need for a drawing register database at all. In a small firm doing houses and similar small jobs to private clients there are few benefits.

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I know that technically ODBC has nothing to do with operating system...since the "O" is for "open."

On the other hand, since Microsoft was one of the creators of ODBC...and Microsoft makes it easy to incorporate ODBC into applications for the Windows platform by providing ODBC support to developers both through their tools and through employee participation...from a practical point of view Microsoft has a lot to do with ODBC applications on the desktop.

You can incorporate ODBC into an OSX application, but you'll be rolling your own, porting from Unix, or buying a library.

In my opinion, since Apple isn't really in the Database business in a serious way, there's really not a vested interest in developing the developer tools. They make too much money from ipods to be bothered.

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In my opinion, even on larger projects the drawing index can probably be handled with .xml. Though I'll admit that things in Finland may be far more complicated than I can imagine.

But note that I've qualified both my statements to drawing indexes. In general, even an architectural project of modest scale can benefit from a relational database for items other than the sheet index.

Indeed, it makes sense to store all the drawing data in a relational database.

Edited by brudgers
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