VW Plant Database Not Locating My Favorites with Pictures

[stmlandplan]

Over the years I have painstakingly built up "my favorites" plant lists (i.e. trees, perennials, shrubs, etc.)in VW Plants Database. I have these (.txt) files saved in several locations but when I try to use search>favorite>shrubs in VW Plants...it says it no records match and gives me an option to modify search. This used to be the function I used the most to flip through all my favorite plants with photos.

However, if I'm in VW on a design layer and editing a plant (edit definition>get plant data) I can pull up my various favorites lists ok but I don't have the benefit fo the VW Plants>Plant Data with my photos.

I don't think I have a very good handle on what files hold the pictures I attached and what folder needs to be referenced. Can anyone help? and please tell me my data isn't lost.

Thanks in advance

Vector Works 2008 SP3 (Build 88670)ck in touch - Landmark, Renderworks

Windows XP Pro - SP3

NVIDIA Quadro FX 2700M

Intel ® Core 2 Duo CPU

2.53 GHz, 2.99 GB RAM

Edited March 31, 2012 by stmlandplan

[Tamsin Slatter]

Hi

Your data with photos can only be viewed using the Vectorworks Plant Database, which is separate application within Filemaker.

When you create a text list from the Vectorworks Plant Database, Vectorworks Landmark can read that text file and use it to attach the data to your plant symbols. But not the images you have stored in the database. The text files hold just that - text.

Hope that helps.

[stmlandplan]

Thanks for the reply.

How do I direct VW Plant Database to find my referenced files and the referenced photos? Are the photos stored in the USR File or are they just referenced?

If referenced why would it have lost the reference and any ideas on how to re-reference them?

[Tamsin Slatter]

Your data is stored in a file called VW Plants.USR.

However, you won't find it under c:\Program Files\Vectorworks 2008. This is the original file, as installed. When you make changes to it, the modified file is stored in the following folder:

C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Nemetschek\VectorWorks\2008\Plant Database\VW Plants.

I don't know why your database would lose this data... but presumably you have a recent backup that you can restore if it really is lost?

All the best

[stmlandplan]

Thanks so much.

I have many copies (probably too many) but am not sure how to tell VW Plants Database how to reference the particular USR file. Sorry to wear you out on this but I can't seem to understand what is probably very obvious.

Edited March 31, 2012 by stmlandplan

[Tamsin Slatter]

As far as I know, it will use the file that has the name I mentioned above, as long as it is in the correct place (below the path I described above).

[stmlandplan]

I don't have anything at this address C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Nemetschek....

I do have C:\Program Files\VectorWorks 2008\Plant Database\VW Plants\...

So I created the location you defined and copied my latest USR file into it and then directed it under "Choose VW Plants" to go to that location. Even though it shows it pulling in my favorites (as it scrolls when opening VW Plant Database) it still doesn't seem to have any of my plants with pictures.

It must have cooupted or lost something. Can I re-install VW Plants Database without re-installing the whole program or would this even help?

BTW my USR file is 84MB so I know the info is in there.