Using the plant database

[Gavin Lingo]

I'm new Vectorworks 2017 and can get around pretty good.  However, I have not figured out how to easily get a plant in VW plant database onto a design.  So far...this is what I do in VW Landmark Plant Database:

-Select plant

-Click Vectorworks tab

-Click Use current selected record

 

it tells me its been sent to VW's.... but I have no idea where.

 

I have searched the knowledgebase, Tutorials, Google & Bing videos, etc and cant find a thing.  I don't understand why you can't choose a number of specific plants you use in the database and import them into your own VW library? Currently, I can choose a non specific plant, go into the 'plant tool preference', go to 'get plant data', fill out the required fields, find it  and import it, but this takes a lot of time.  Thinking how top notch VW's is, there's got to be a better way...Please tell me there is a better way.

 

[nca777]

workflows. please. 

 

we need real world workflow tutorials with realistic, relatable projects.

[Jonathan Pickup]

Start by using your plant definition in Vectorworks.

Click on the button to Get Plant Data…

( this should take you to the VW plants database)

Locate the plant that you want to copy the data from.

Go to the Vectorworks menu and choose Use Currently Selected Record.

(this will send the data from the database to the Vectorworks plant definition)

When you return back to Vectorworks you will find that your plant definition has been updated with the information from the database.

 

 

 

 

 

[Gavin Lingo]

Thank you!  Apparently, I'm doing the right steps just a little out of order.  I appreciate you going to this extent to help!

 

Doug

[rowbear97]

Gavin, I started with VW Landmark 2010 and was starting from scratch. I was on my own and had no prior experience with Vectorworks, let alone Landmark. I bought the training materials form Jonathan and it really helped. Now some 7 years on I do training and speaking on best practices. For do it yourself instruction materials I think what Jonathan produces is the best, even though he's a Kiwi . Sounds like a plug for Jonathan but I can honestly say it was worth it.

[Bryan G.]

Here, here! great material and he's always so nice! Seriously though online material and manuals you can't go wrong.

[nca777]

I don't know what kind of site everyone here is working on or if any of you are actually using the 3D/BIM collaborative capabilty, but I'm finding the software absolutely time-suckingly useless other than for the fact that it makes some pretty graphics with ALOT of time expense.

 

The planting tools are kind of neat, but most landscape architects, I would bet, dont create a plant list THEN create a planting plan. Thats just weird. I would guess, most (and I feel I've learned from some very, very good LA's) create plant massing first, then assign species, etc. VW makes this workflow challenging and the plant graphics themselves are fairly atrocious. As far as BIM collaboration--I would be embarrassed to send a consultant plants and trees with 2D 'billboard' symbols, if they're even able to be shred, which I dont think they are.

 

In reality, we need simple, 2d or 2.5d low-poly, basic mass representations--groundcover, perennial, grass, shrub, columnar, spreading, etc...

[thoblyn]

Jonathan, thanks for this useful information. I would like to find a way of having a standard database linked to symbols that I can use for every project i.e. I can build up my own database of preferred plants to use for every new project. The way mentioned here means having to start from scratch with assigning the database info to a plant symbol.

many thanks

 

Tom

[J. Wallace]

@thoblynI have built my own file which I called office standards. It sits on my desktop and is placed as one of my favorite files within the resource browser. You have to initially assign the plant data to each individual symbol you create but once your there you can store it for later use. Learned this trick on one of the Landmark podcasts a couple of years ago. Works for me.

[verdancedesign]

I'm looking for best practices and would love your perspective… I'm creating a single "master" file of preferred plants (planning to organize them by type similar to @J. Wallace's system). The 2D symbols will be simple circles. In my workflow I use separate classes for Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, etc. — primarily differentiated by line weight (trees = thick line, perennials = thin line, etc.). In your opinion/experience, should I create the 2D geometry using these classes and their default attributes (e.g. the circle representing Acer palmatum would be class Tree with thick line, the circle for Rudbeckia fulgida would be class Perennial with thin line) so that the class attributes always "follow" the symbol? Or, should I make the geometry generic (e.g. class 0), and assign classes to the symbols when I place them in the plan? The former method looks like a lot more upfront work, but if it has long-term benefits I'll spend the time… I just don't want to do this again. Thanks for your opinions!

[Jeff Prince]

14 hours ago, verdancedesign said:

I'm looking for best practices and would love your perspective… I'm creating a single "master" file of preferred plants (planning to organize them by type similar to @J. Wallace's system). The 2D symbols will be simple circles. In my workflow I use separate classes for Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, etc. — primarily differentiated by line weight (trees = thick line, perennials = thin line, etc.). In your opinion/experience, should I create the 2D geometry using these classes and their default attributes (e.g. the circle representing Acer palmatum would be class Tree with thick line, the circle for Rudbeckia fulgida would be class Perennial with thin line) so that the class attributes always "follow" the symbol? Or, should I make the geometry generic (e.g. class 0), and assign classes to the symbols when I place them in the plan? The former method looks like a lot more upfront work, but if it has long-term benefits I'll spend the time… I just don't want to do this again. Thanks for your opinions!

 

Im curious how people are handling this as well.  In other layer based CAD software, our symbols were composed of multiple layers for graphic purposes using AIA layering convention.  We then placed the block/symbol on layers based upon there master class/layer (L-PLNT-TREE) for instance.  Sometimes a project would have phases of planting, so we would place the block/symbol on an appended layer indicating that.  Problems would occur with our approach if you wanted graphic differentiation between the phases using the same symbol/block,  leading to further classifications to differentiate.  Wasn't a big challenge because it was an infrequent requirement.