Cathrin Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Hi, we have created a series of editable symbols (symbols that have a record format attached) and then started using them on our drawings, but they keep disappearing, both from the Design Layers as well as the Resource Browser. It happens suddenly and not related to any specific action. All Classes are visible, it's definitely not a class visibility issue. If it helps, there also seems to be a Name conflict when importing the symbols. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment
michaelk Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Just a shot in the dark: Are the symbols 3D only? If so, then adding text linked to a record would make them seem to vanish. (What is actually happening is the 3D symbol becomes hybrid, but with no 2D element except for the text. -if the record format has no default values, then the symbol "vanishes") If you try to reimport them and VW tells you there is already a symbol with that name in the resource browser, that may be what's happening. Or if you've called your symbol "Door" or "Window", etc., then VW gets a little upset. Can you post an example of one of your symbols? mk Quote Link to comment
Cathrin Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 Hi, thanks for quick reply! I've attached one of the symbols. They were meant to only be 2D, not sure if some 3D-ness sneaked in somewhere, unintentionally, but I don't think so. And what do you mean by VW is unhappy with symbols being named 'Door' or 'Window'? Thanks again! Quote Link to comment
michaelk Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 VW reserves some titles like "Door" and "Window" for objects that it creates. The example most often seen in these fora is someone creates a class called "door" and then tries to create a door object. VW doesn't allow two objects - in this case a record format and a class - to have the same name. The example you posted is a Sheet Border/Title Block object (a plug-in object, rather than a straight symbol). Which may be complicating things more than necessary. I'm not sure what VW thinks of having multiple sheet borders on one layer. Or what happens if they are placed in the annotation space of a viewport.... I would try using just a symbol with linked text. hth mk Quote Link to comment
Cathrin Posted July 12, 2012 Author Share Posted July 12, 2012 OK, thanks I will try that. Quote Link to comment
Cathrin Posted July 12, 2012 Author Share Posted July 12, 2012 I just remembered though why I made them sheet border items in first place (other than it's great to be able to just double-click on them to insert the relevant value) - that way one can scale them, which is hugely helpful. Is there another way of making symbols scalable? Thanks again! Quote Link to comment
Cathrin Posted July 12, 2012 Author Share Posted July 12, 2012 We are also having various other trouble with our file, which was the first one to use a set of template symbols I created. Here's how Lesley describes the problem: 1. Whilst working on a new architectural drawing with 2no. Layers, existing and proposed, I have been creating classes for various levels of information for use on different sheet layers. The class I have most recently been working in has vanished and all information in that class has been reassigned to another class. This happens between the drawing being saved and closed, then reopened again. When I try to recreate the vanished class vwx tells me the name is already in use by another object. There is no class in the list with the name, so I cannot see how this has happened. Purging the document of unused classes does not appear to help. 2. Working on the same project, we have been using ?sheet border? items for floor finish, wall finish, ceiling finish markers etc. A similar problem has been happening with these, in that the symbol within the sheet border item has vanished and no longer appears in the symbol resource browser. Although the sheet border/symbol still appears in the annotations, when I double click on it or try to duplicate it, it disappears. When I try and paste it back into the drawing from another file the dialogue box tells me the name, record formats etc are in use (sometimes by a 'group'). Again, purging doesn?t help, I also tried to custom select the group with the name and nothing is selected. Quote Link to comment
michaelk Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Very clever use of sheet borders! In 2012 all symbols are scalable. I don't think that was a feature of 2010. As for the other questions: Are you using referenced viewports? Is more than one drawing open when the behavior occurs? Is there one particular class name that vanishes? Are there symbols or groups of one class that are made up of components of other classes? Quote Link to comment
pistachet1 Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Hello, I am struggling with same issue. I am working on VW2013. I deleted most of my classes in order to tidy up, keeping only 'dimension class' and 'none class'. Now when I open the file, a few symbols are missing. The text boxes for the sheet layers are not there either. But when I move my mouse on top, the box shows as dashed so they could be hidden. But all layers & classes are on! Could it be that those symbols are linked to classes that no longer exist? Any suggestions? Thanks Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee PVA - Admin Posted January 6, 2014 Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted January 6, 2014 Hello, I am struggling with same issue. I am working on VW2013. I deleted most of my classes in order to tidy up, keeping only 'dimension class' and 'none class'. Now when I open the file, a few symbols are missing. The text boxes for the sheet layers are not there either. But when I move my mouse on top, the box shows as dashed so they could be hidden. But all layers & classes are on! Could it be that those symbols are linked to classes that no longer exist? Any suggestions? Thanks If you can no longer even see the symbols in the resource browser, then most likely the geometry was in the deleted classes. It is possible for objects within symbols to be in classes separate from the main symbol itself. If you do see them in the resource browser, edit the symbols and make sure the geometry you are expecting is still inside the symbol. If not, it may have been deleted. However if all of this is happening in Viewports, make sure the viewport has those classes turned on (done via the Object info Palette, "Classes" button) in addition to simply turning them on via the Organization dialogue/Navigation palette. Quote Link to comment
pistachet1 Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Thanks for your reply JimW. I understand what you mean but the symbols were not within any viewport. They may have been deleted but when I try to paste them again from a different file, it says that they already exist in the file. Thanks Quote Link to comment
bcd Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Be sure the Resource Browser is pointing at your current file. Quote Link to comment
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