Marionette Object > Symbol

[MultipleWays]

Is there a way to create a symbol from a Marionette Object and retain object info window options?  

I've turned my network into a object node, but when I create a symbol it wipes out the options.  I can kill the symbol and the options return, but I would like to avoid that step.  Thanks

[Marissa Farrell]

You can *sort of* do this. When you create your symbol, check "Convert to Plug In Object" in the Symbol Options dialog.

 

Right now there are some issues when importing these symbols into different documents, and this also would kind of eliminate the symbol aspect as it would insert as a different object each time, possibly increasing filesize, but these are known issues and are being investigated. If you want to bring the symbol into another document, I would suggest copy-pasting an instance and then create a new symbol with the Plug In Object option checked in your new document.

 

You can always give it a try and see how it goes for you.

[Pat Stanford]

When you create the symbol, make sure you Convert to Plugin Object option is set. If you forgot to do this you can Edit Symbol Option on the object by right clicking on the symbol in the Resource Manager.

 

With this option set, the Marionette Object will be contained in a symbol so it can be seen in the resource manager, but when placed in the drawing it will revert to a Marionette Object.

 

There is not way to have different instances of a symbol use different Marionette settings. If it is a symbol, you can edit the symbol and make changes, but it will effect all instances.

 

 

[Kevin McAllister]

You could make it into a RED symbol. When the symbol is inserted, it will be inserted as a Plug In Object so in your example it would insert the Marionette Object in its original form. Choose the "Convert to Plug In Object" checkbox in the symbol creation dialog when creating your symbol.

 

Kevin

 

[MultipleWays]

Using the 'Plugin Object' setting on symbol conversion worked.  

Marissa, you are right though.  Trying to use the symbol in another document didn't work.  It came up with multiple errors.

Thanks for the responses.

[Marissa Farrell]

Does your object insert other symbols? If so, move those symbols into the new document first.

[Art V]

On 11/15/2017 at 4:41 PM, Pat Stanford said:

There is not way to have different instances of a symbol use different Marionette settings. If it is a symbol, you can edit the symbol and make changes, but it will effect all instances.

Not sure if I understand this correctly...

 

Suppose I have a marionette objected converted to plugin object with a defined width and height of e.g 5 and 10.

If I want to use another instance that same plugin object but with a width and height of e.g. 7 and 19 then this is not possible?

 

The reason I am asking is that I do have some old (VW2009) custom plugin objects for parametric symbols that may need to be updated in case they do cause geometry issues in VW2018 when rendering. Creating marionette objects for these might be an option, but only if I can update the e.g width/height afterwards, or insert another instance of the same plugin object with different values than an already inserted instance.

If that is not possible it will be a futile exercise to create marionette objects for those things.

[Marissa Farrell]

8 minutes ago, Art V said:

Suppose I have a marionette objected converted to plugin object with a defined width and height of e.g 5 and 10.

If I want to use another instance that same plugin object but with a width and height of e.g. 7 and 19 then this is not possible?

 

As long as you are inserting a red symbol that contains your Marionette Object, each instance will be independent from the rest. You can insert as many as you want and change their parameters independently in that case.

[Art V]

3 minutes ago, Marissa Farrell said:

 

As long as you are inserting a red symbol that contains your Marionette Object, each instance will be independent from the rest. You can insert as many as you want and change their parameters independently in that case.

Thanks Marissa, that is really good to hear. 

[Pat Stanford]

If you have a Marionette Object inside a symbol and it has parameters of 5 x 10, when you insert the symbol it will depend on what type of symbol you have.

 

If you have a "Black" symbol (name in the Resource Manager is in Black text), it is a normal symbol and every instance of the symbol will be identical. If you Edit the symbol and change the Marionette parameters to 7 and 19, every instance of the symbol will change to have dimensions of 7 and 19.

 

If you have a "Red" symbol (name in the Resource Manager is in Red text, you have a symbol that is set to convert to a Plugin Object (Marionette Object) when you insert it. Each time you insert one of these symbols it will use the symbol definition and insert a Marionette Object with parameters of 5 and 10. If you change the parameters for an instance to 7 and 19, only that one instance changes. If you go into the Resource Manager and edit the Symbol Definition and change the settings to 7 and 19, existing objects do not change, new objects that are placed after the change will use the new parameters.

 

There are cases where each option is better. Depends on what you are trying to do.

[Art V]

10 minutes ago, Pat Stanford said:

If you have a "Red" symbol (name in the Resource Manager is in Red text, you have a symbol that is set to convert to a Plugin Object (Marionette Object) when you insert it. Each time you insert one of these symbols it will use the symbol definition and insert a Marionette Object with parameters of 5 and 10. If you change the parameters for an instance to 7 and 19, only that one instance changes. If you go into the Resource Manager and edit the Symbol Definition and change the settings to 7 and 19, existing objects do not change, new objects that are placed after the change will use the new parameters.

 

There are cases where each option is better. Depends on what you are trying to do.

This is what I would need.

 

An example, I have some types of equipment that are all of the same type and general shape but the dimensions vary by instance, e.g. vessels all have the same basic shape but some are larger and some are smaller. It would be a nuisance to model a vessel for each size, so a parametric symbol is the way to go as that is also easier to adjust when necessary.

 

So based on Marissa's and your answers it is possible to do that, so I'm happy for now. Thanks for the clarification of black and red symbols, then I don't have to look that up.

[arquitextonica]

This thread is fairly old but I guess the process still stands and I can´t seem to replicate it.
I create a Network that produces the desired geometry ✔️
I convert it to a wrapper and this wrapper to a Marionette Object ✔️
When I try to convert this Object to an Intelligent Symbol, the option is grey!! 😭😭
Am I doing something wrong here??

 

[SBarrettWalker]

I am not sure what is going wrong here based on the image. Can you send the file?

[arquitextonica]

Thanks! I already solved it. I had to uncheck the "use story height" (I think is the translation from german).

[Gregi]

On 11/15/2017 at 4:41 PM, Marissa Farrell said:

Right now there are some issues when importing these symbols into different documents, and this also would kind of eliminate the symbol aspect as it would insert as a different object each time, possibly increasing filesize, but these are known issues and are being investigated. If you want to bring the symbol into another document, I would suggest copy-pasting an instance and then create a new symbol with the Plug In Object option checked in your new document.

 

Is this issue solved? Or is there a way to put the marionette-symbols (red) in the workgroup-files to import the ones i need in the projects? Sometimes its working, but most of the times i get several problems.

[arquitextonica]

Sorry to reopen this old thread but I´m having problems converting my Marionette Node Objects into Intelligent Symbols. When I do it, they appear in the Palette, but they remain "editable" as marionette networks... Am I missing something?

[Pat Stanford]

I don't believe there is any way to "Lock" Marionette objects. If you have Wrapped and Converted to Object Node, the end user will always be able to go back and edit the Marionette network.

 

Is that your question?

[arquitextonica]

Mainly yes... 😁

[Pat Stanford]

I am relatively certain that the ability to lock/protect Marionette networks has been asked for but if this is important to you an addition to the Wish List forum would be a good idea.

[Marissa Farrell]

1 hour ago, Pat Stanford said:

I am relatively certain that the ability to lock/protect Marionette networks has been asked for but if this is important to you an addition to the Wish List forum would be a good idea.

Correct - this has been asked for in the past. Last time I recall discussing it we wanted to keep Marionette open source.

[arquitextonica]

But there is an important difference between keeping Marionette OSS, and keeping "the tools built with Marionette" OSS. The first does not imply the second.