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Callout tool class


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How can I change the callout tools default insertion class i.e. the entities ?content class? to something other than "none"? The callout tools PIO properties don?t seem to have a default class option. Is there a work-around? It seems logical to me that the text and leader of the callout tool should be assigned to the active class and be able to adopt the colour and line weight of the active class. I know one can simply change the text and leader by changing its ?container class? but the ?content class? remains as "none". I use the ?none class? for other objects which are auto-classed with a preset pen weight and colour, unfortunately the callout tool is inheriting these ?none class? attributes, this problem should be able to be avoided but how?

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When creating a callout tool, the object belongs to a specific class by sub items belong to the none class as most PIO's work.

If you have an attribute set for the none class, the objects that have this type of behavior - PIO's including the callout tool, will use the attributes of the none class.

It is not suggested to set the none class to use a class attribute because of the behavior of the PIOs.

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Hence the need for a new default text class for text related PIO's or the ability to set the default class for text related PIO's. This is very important for speedy 2D drafting. For example, one should simply be able to auto-class the text (colour) and leader (line weight) and arrow head (angle and length) in one action i.e. use the auto-class attributes preference. The only logical place to do this is to setup these attributes in the ?none class? but as you have rightly pointed out this will affect other PIOs on the drawings. What is needed is a way to note up a drawing without having to change the "container class" of the PIO each time. Why? Say one was noting up a building services drawings where each individual service line style is auto-classed (line style, line weight and colour), the notes relating to the particular service should be able to be placed upon the active service class but not automatically be allowed to adopt the attributes of the active class if the sub objects of that PIO were placed in a new default text class this could be accomplished.

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

MBuck, you said:

"I use the ?none class? for other objects which are auto-classed with a preset pen weight and colour, unfortunately the callout tool is inheriting these 'none class' attributes, this problem should be able to be avoided but how?"

--We don't recommend setting "Attribute by class" for the None class. As you have discovered, the graphical contents of plug-in objects (including the Callout) are in the None class, and they will inherit these attributes. There may be other unforeseen problems with this approach, and that is why we don't recommend it.

--Having said this, however, there is a "switch" buried in VectorWorks that will change the graphical contents of PIOs from the None class to the class of the PIO "shell". It requires that you be on a Mac and have the ability to edit Mac resources. Assuming this, there is a file:

VW folder/Plug-ins/IP Resources.rsrc

for which you can change the STR# resource number 11002 to TRUE (instead of its default FALSE). Once you do this, graphical contents of plug-in objects will be assigned the same class as their containers. HOWEVER, be advised: if you are sharing VectorWorks files with other users, your documents may not appear the same as theirs, and vice versa.

--For your problem, however, why use attributes-by-class? Why not just set your default attributes to what you want? It's not clear to me what advantage your approach provides.

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Robert; thank you for your reply,

Maybe I did not explain my intent with sufficient clarity, so I will try again by giving you a specific example. In building services engineering, each type of reticulated piping system has its particular line style required by Standard. For example; the Standard may require that a reticulated fire sprinkler piping be drawn with line attributes having the colour: red, dash style: continuous and the pen weight: 0.7 mm. To take another example, cold water supply may require the attributes of colour blue, a dash style of ?dash dot dash? and 0.5 pen weight. In order to make the drawing process efficient, before I begin drafting, I usually set up a series of user defined classes each with its particular graphic attributes. In other words, the class definitions hold the line style legend, which is required for each particular type of piping system. In addition, the class dialog tick box is set to "use at creation". Obviously, one can then simply select the correct ?piping system class? and begin drawing a line to represent that system, the attributes of which are set according to Standard legend. This is where VW auto-classing power comes into play and all would agree this is a very efficient way of doing that particular task. The problem of inefficiency arrises; however, when I try to add notes to the particular piping system. Logically those notes pertain to the particular piping system and must therefore be assigned to the same ?piping system class? as those lines and text describe that particular piping system reticulation. The inefficiency becomes apparent when I try to add the text notes. For example add text to say the "SprinklerPipe Class" obviously the text is auto-classed so as to be set to red but I want the text to be set to yellow. No problem I hear you say; each time you put down some text, use the attributes pallet to change the text colour to yellow, i.e. override the auto-class attribute. Unfortunately this process is very inefficient, but maybe if I have to, I could live with that particular inefficiency.. The real inefficiency occurs; however, when using the callout tool. In the particular example that I describe both the text and the leader lines would be auto-classed to a red colour and the leader line set 0.7 mm which is the active class setting. However, 0.7 mm leader line is too thick, no problem you say, just select the text and leader line change to the colour to yellow and then set the leader line weight to 0.25 mm - the required thickness of leader line. If one does, for every time one invokes the callout tool, must reasonable people would agree that this is a very inefficient way of doing things. You suggestion of setting the default attributes won?t overcome this inefficiency as text or the callout tool attributes and leader lines are auto-classing by particular user defined ?piping system class? i.e. the active class. My current work around was to set the ?none class? to be yellow with line weight of 0.25 pen. This strategy overcomes the problem to some degree because the callout tool?s sub-objects are assigned to the ?none class? and thus auto-classed according to the ?none class? attributes. But as you previously pointed out, this then also affects all PIO?s which may be an unwanted artefact of this approach. Hence my request for NNA to incorporate a default text class, in this new regime the standard classes would be none, dimension and text. The text and callout tools would adopt the attributes of the text class by default. An even more powerful way of doing this, in my opinion, would be for NNA to incorporate a new feature whereby each class could have a default text colour, font, size and style and leader line weight these settings would be all part of the class setting dialog. This I believe would give users the ultimate flexibility in this regard.

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  • 17 years later...

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