Resource palette: open files

[TiTaNiuM sAMuRai]

Can I not enter an open drawing through the Resource palette? I need to steal some symbols from a drawing somebody else has open (network situation, the file is on a file server).

[Matthew Giampapa]

No, VectorWorks wants exclusive access to the file. This way the contents can't be changed while it is reading information.

Matthew GiampapaNNA Technical Support

[TiTaNiuM sAMuRai]

Good point; good logic. But why not give restricted access as is the case for ANY OTHER drawing that is not the active one? If I have several drawings open, I can edit a symbol in only the ACTIVE one only but can still pull information from the non-active drawings. Why therefore put a blanket no-access to dwgs open by others?

[TiTaNiuM sAMuRai]

nonono, Matt. The second user canNOT make changes to the drawing. Carrying forward what I mentioned, the drawing in question is NOT opened by the second user, and therefore cannot be the active drawing. However, it can show up in the Resources palette, as any other non-active drawing, and would point to the last saved state of that drawing. You can 'Import', 'Find...', or 'New...' for local opened drawings (don't know why 'new' is active) while other options are greyed out. Grey out the 'New...' button and voila, you have read-only access to the file.

Read-only access of open files ain't a big problem on a PC. On a Mac, I don't know.

[Matthew Giampapa]

I know that isn't how it works, that is the hypothetical reason why VectorWorks requires exclusive access to the file.

I should have been more clear, when you pull in a resource from a file you have open... Your copy of VectorWorks knows that it has it open. When this is the case it takes it from the open version of the file, not the one on the disk.

Matthew GiampapaNNA Technical Support

[TiTaNiuM sAMuRai]

Now I understand. Your clarification was appreciated.

Bummer.

[Matthew Giampapa]

Because, if you do it that way you can lose information.

A user open a file... make changes and switch to another file without saving. Another user could then open the file and make another change. Since the original user's copy has no idea this has happened, whoever saves last will keep their copy and the other changes will be permanently lost.

Matthew GiampapaNNA Technical Support