Worksheet Questions

[JohnMacDonaldArchitect]

I am fairly new to worksheets and have not found any good tutorials so I have some questions.

1. How can you get a list of all the functions available to you for all the possible objects in VW. Example. The door ID tag, what is the worksheet function code to insert it into the database heading?

2. Can you have a database heading with a column that has no overall function and then insert custom manual information for each object in the database list. Example: I have a window schedule and I want to indicate what elevation the window is on, without using the user field data line. Can I manually input N,S,E,W in the column below the database header. I cannot seem to custom insert anything for any objects contained in a database.

3. Can you write an IF statement to assist with the above window problem. Example: I can return the ANGLE of the window and that angle can tell me N,S,E,or W. But Can I make a statement that says something like "=if ANGLE=90, VALUE=North"

4. I tried using the "within view" criteria for a database header, but it results in zero objects, yet I know there are doors and windows in the elevation that should come up. What am I doing wrong. I set the criteria to "location" "is within" "west elevation" (a saved view and viewport). Nothing comes up?

Thanks

JmacArch

VW 2013

Mac 10.8.4

[michaelk]

1. There are two ways:

i. there is a script created by Pat Stanford that returns all the possible record formats and fields attached to a parametric object or symbol.

ii. In the architect workspace (It's different in some other workspaces) Tools > Reports > Create Report... Set the criteria to List objects with record ___ Door

Move all the available fields to the right side and hit ok.

this will give you a worksheet with a database that shows every possible field. Then you can copy and past what you need.

2. No. But you can attach a new record format with a direction field to each window. There is no limit (that I've ever found) to the number of record formats that can be attached to an object.

3. Almost. You can use =ANGLE to get an angle. But I'm not sure if it differentiates between 0 and 180. You can write IF/THEN/ELSE statements and you can nest them. It's pretty cool.

4. It's probably the "On Schedule" button. The default schedule uses a field called On Schedule as one of the criteria. Either check that button in the OIP of the windows or remove that criterion from the database.

I did a webinar for VW on worksheets recently. I can't find it at the moment on the VW website. But you can watch it here http://verysmallgroup.com/santa-barbara-vectorworks/movies-and-stuff/worksheet-webinar.html

hth

mk

[JohnMacDonaldArchitect]

Thanks for some answers. I am just learning about worksheets and seeing if they can be implemented in our office effectively or not.

regarding question/answer...

2. This is a bit of a deal breaker for me. We have a lot of information in our door and window schedules that is manual and would be painful to put into the model as a record. especially when it came time for deadline and only one person could be modifying door and window information within the model (along with the million other items). As an alternate solution, rather than a database header to yield all doors or windows, could you individually collect the doors and windows per on a per cell basis, rather than a header basis? Example: Can I call up window P01a in cell A, then call up window P01a's dimensions in cell B, and do this individually for each cell for each window?

3. As my understanding is very low, could you write out what this code sentence would look like?

Thanks,

John MacDonald Architect

VW2013

MAC 10.8.4

[Hippocode]

2. This is a bit of a deal breaker for me. We have a lot of information in our door and window schedules that is manual and would be painful to put into the model as a record. especially when it came time for deadline and only one person could be modifying door and window information within the model (along with the million other items). As an alternate solution, rather than a database header to yield all doors or windows, could you individually collect the doors and windows per on a per cell basis, rather than a header basis? Example: Can I call up window P01a in cell A, then call up window P01a's dimensions in cell B, and do this individually for each cell for each window?

When using a databaserow you define criteria to load certain items. For instance all windows and doors.

In each column of this databaserow you can choose the information that needs to be displayed.

Cell A: Area,

Cell B: Perimeter,

Cell C: windowtype

and so on, only if its a parameter of the object, or a recordfield of an attached record.

Edited July 5, 2013 by hippothamus

[Guest Wes Gardner]

Hi John,

Additional data like Location, cost, etc. can be added to a window or door via the UserFields at the bottom of all the field values in the Door/Window Settings pane. Although you cannot rename those fields there in the pane, you CAN rename them in the worksheet/window schedule and then, for example, create an Office Standard that ALWAYS uses UserField 1 as the COST field.

Use Pat Stanford's script to show all the values and then create an additional column and insert the appropriate value.

Wes

[JohnMacDonaldArchitect]

Another question has come up.

How do you reorder the objects order that VW brings them in at? Say you wanted to order by ID, or Type, etc?

Thanks,

[Guest Wes Gardner]

You can "Sort by..." by entering the Database Header row and dropping a "sort" icon on any of the column headers

[Pat Stanford]

Dragging the Sort Acending (rising bar graph) or Sort Descending (decreasing bar graph) "tiles" to the header row is how to sort.

You can actually have any row in the database area selected, it does not have to be the header row.

The SUM tiles work similarly. If you put a single SUM tile it will condense all of the items with the same value (say door tag number), but the summerized row will then total the numeric values such as the door widths. Just drag another SUM tile to those columns to undo the totaling.

[michaelk]

Here's a couple ways of handling window direction...

1. Use location.

You have to create some 2D location geometry and name it. (Look in the OIP, data tab). Then you can use the name of that geometry as a location criterion.

You cannot, however, go the other way. i.e., you can make a list of all the windows on the south side, but you can't make a list of all the windows and then ask them what side they are on. When done this way, the location isn't a property of the window.

Be sure to go to a Top/Plan view before updating the worksheet.

__

2. Use a record format.

The attached example uses a record format called WindowDirection that has exactly one field: Direction. You call this from the database header row just like any other field.

You can enter the data by typing or copying and pasting into the worksheet or by selecting groups of windows and entering the direction directly into the OIP data tab.

The Select Similar Tool can make this a relatively trivial process.

__

3. If/Then/Else and ANGLE

I take back what I said before. This might be possible. You'll want to adapt this for walls that are in a range of angles rather than only exactly the four cardinal points. But in this trivial example it works....

mk

[michaelk]

The If/Then/Else needs another logical test.

A window on the south wall can have an angle of 0 or -180. Depends on which way the window opens...

There must be a field for that....

mk

[bcd]

I did a webinar for VW on worksheets recently. I can't find it at the moment on the VW website. But you can watch it here http://verysmallgroup.com/santa-barbara-vectorworks/movies-and-stuff/worksheet-webinar.html

hth

mk

Excellent job Michael, thanks for sharing.

[TKA]

I have created schedules and all of them respond to Sort Acending, however, one of the schedules is not.  In all cases I have to numbers first for the floor, second for the door or window on that floor (two different columns).  All schedules go by the first column but the one of them goes by the second column which makes the whole schedule unusable.  I have deleted it and recreated it.  It happens when I change the criteria to include a different class of doors.

When selecting database header for one row only it grays out the Sort Acending tool.