ODBC Connectivity

[Tim Schultz]

Is there any way to link (forward or backward) the data in a vectorworks worksheet with a filemaker database or MS Excel spreadsheet?

I would like to be able to draw in vectorworks and customize reporting in a database platform.

[Guest]

You cannot connect Vw to another database application at the current time.

This is something that is in our wishlist. Please see the postings under the WishList forum section.

You can import a worksheet from another application into VW and you can export your VW worksheet to another application. Please see the VW user's guide for more information on the topic.

[jnr]

Tim:

Welcome to one of two achillies heels of this program. The database capabilities of the program are juvenile at best and for some reason, NNA does not see fit to make it a priority to either improve it or pay Bill Gates for the permission to link it to his software.

I'm an architect and desperately would like to make use of a database of specifications that I can customize for each project. Unfortunately the database capabilities of the program are so unstable and unreliable that besides the ODBC support it should have, make it impossible to trust. On top of that you can't edit schedules.

[Petri]

Hello, jnr!

While I am definitely frustrated with the lack of built-in ODBC support (and even more so with the fact that the 3rd party solutions only support Windows), I can't really relate to your comments about the unreliability of the database component of VW.

Besides, if your database structure would actually be ODBC-compliant (containig a unique ID), with a couple of relatively simple scripts, you could generate fully editable reports.

I don't want to let NNA off the hook - it would be lovely to be able to edit data in a standard report. However, unique object names should still be required. The UI for these could be improved - as I understand, objects do not have an intrinsic, permanent object ID. This may be a serious shortcoming in VW.

[ccroft]

I just wanted to say I agree with Petri. I run a millwork shop and rely on the database features to produce hardware lists, complete cabinet parts lists sorted by size, material take-offs and estimates. On some jobs this can be 3,000 or more pieces. I have found this info to be completely reliable. If it wasn't we would be out of business.

Most of this is done with the built in functions. I did have to learn v-script to get some of the sorting that I require, and that represents a large investment of time to somebody like me with no programming experience. So I agree that the database could be better.

I'm just speaking to the reliability.