Search and Replace partial text in field

[Lee Rose]

OK all;

Here's a good one. I would appreciate anyone who can come up with a solution for this one.

I have a lighting plot where the focus points are rows of tables in the audience, starting at the stage with A-1 stage left going to A-9 stage right. The next row is B-1 > B-9, etc., etc., etc.

The lighting per row is the same. What I would love to be able to do is do a search and replace for the Focus field. That way I could just copy each row and update the focus positions.

Anyone got any ideas?

[michaelk]

I just had a very similar issue this morning.

This worked out really slick:

1. Duplicate all the instruments.

2. Draw a rectangle around the first group you want to change and name it something.

3. Create a worksheet. Create a database w/ the criteria Type is Lighting Device and Location is (whatever name you used). Include the focus field and sort by that column.

4. Enter the new values in the worksheet.

5. Move the rectangle to the next group you need to change.

6. Recalculate the worksheet. Rinse and repeat.

hth

michaelk

[Lee Rose]

That seems like almost more work than doing it by hand.

[Pat Stanford]

If you combine Michael's worksheet idea with a script to find and replace in worksheets:

http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=121895&Searchpage=1&Main=25528&Words=find&Search=true#Post121895

You might have the best solution.

[michaelk]

Wow, Pat- That's a cool script.

With Pat's script it's lightning fast.

But, even without it, my pedestrian method is probably faster than clicking on each one or using the edit button on groups.

[Lee Rose]

Thanks. I'll look at the script and the worksheet in-out.

Appreciate the help and support.