New wall/slab style

[scheven_architect]

How do I create and save new wall/slab styles so that I can use them later on in other projects?

[Kizza]

In your VW library you will have a wall styles and a slab styles file. You can create your custom slab/wall styles in these files, resave (and re-open VW) and whenever you use the wall/slab tool the wall/slab styles will be there.

Alternatively, you can create a copy of the wall/slab styles files and place them in your user library (with just the custom wall/slab styles in the files). Using this approach protects you from losing your custom content when updating VW in the future.

P.s. The attached pic shows the default application library location, not your user library.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Kizza

[gester]

kizza,

you mean the .vwx file of the newly created wall styles?

is there no other, simpler way to store a wall style for further use? i mean directly from the wall styles library. my old styles are not there, even if i save and reopen the app. i am forced to reuse old projects as templates.

thx,

rob

Edited October 1, 2014 by gester

[PVA - Admin]

If you add wall styles resources to this file:

C:\Program Files\Vectorworks2015\Libraries\Defaults\Walls~Slabs\(The folder and default file you use, there are metric, imperial and localized versions)

Then after saving and restarting Vectorworks, those defaults will appear in the wall styles list without the need for templates.

You can also remove the defaults you don't ever want to use if you wish, leaving only the wall styles you use regularly. However if you do this, I recommend making a backup of the original resource file just in case.

[gester]

jim,

i enclose files with wall styles from two different projects and the defaults folder files' image: nothing gets written down (my v2014 installation is from june 2014) and no wall style is common for any two projects.

i use the v2014 version. am i missing something?

thx,

rob

[PVA - Admin]

Well the wall styles at the top of that list are the styles that have been used in the document already, you may want to check the list in a new blank file to see if the new wall styles you added then save din the library files you are using showed the new styles after restarting Vectorworks.

[Kizza]

kizza,

you mean the .vwx file of the newly created wall styles?

rob

If you create a new file and create a new wall style then that wall style will not be available in a subsequent new file unless it is:

1) Created and saved in your template file

2) Exported from the working file to your template file via the resource browser. (right click on the wall style then export to your library file)

Off topic

Personally, I find the existence of two sets of library files counter intuitive.

Edited October 1, 2014 by Kizza

[gester]

jim,

there is nothing changed in the wall styles. neither is anything new above the standard styles listing, nor is anything changed in the default styles file in the vw directory. the files retain their size and modification date.

not a trace of any previous wall style creation, no matter how many times i restart the application.

rob

Edited October 1, 2014 by gester

[gester]

@kizza

that may make sense. i'll check your suggestion.

rob

[mike m oz]

not a trace of any previous wall style creation, no matter how many times i restart the application.

Gester, if you want to use the Vw 2014 Wall Styles instead of the Vw 2015 Wall Styles then you will need to convert that Wall Styles file to a Vw 2015 file and then place it into your User Folder in the location shown in the image below.

After restart those Wall Styles will show as default content as long as you have that option check marked on the Session tab of Vectorworks Preferences.

[mike m oz]

Gester, you can also use the Resource Browser Export function to export custom resources to Library files. See images below.

Select the Resources you want to export and then right click and choose Export from the contextual menu.

[zoomer]

After restart those Wall Styles will show as default content as long as you have that option check marked on the Session tab of Vectorworks Preferences.

Didn't know that.

Does that mean that this option on the other side can hide

all default content and libraries that you will see only your

custom libraries ?

Even for the f.e. Wall Tool etc., that there are no more of

the default Wall Styles, just the user content ?

Edith :

Yes ! Works great ....

Edited October 2, 2014 by zoomer

[gester]

mike,

yeah, i've figured it out, exactly the export function, and it worked.

and thanks for the preferences' tip.

besides, i still own a v2014. is v2015 different in this case?

rob

[mike m oz]

The Export Resource capability is in Vw 2014.

The default behaviour is to your User folder. There is a Browse button in the bottom LH corner so if you want to you could put it in the Application's Library files. If you choose to do that make sure you back these up elsewhere just in case they are overwritten in a Service Pack update.

[scheven_architect]

Sounds a bit redundant.