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Symbol become square?


Chris Chen

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Hi there. I’m facing this strange situation today. After an unknown reason crush of vectorworks, when I active new lighting symbols from resources bowser to my 2D plan, strange things happen.

 

At first, everything act normal. But when I double click the lighting instrument and add some informations like dimmer or focus point. The symbol become a white square. And if I adjust the view of camera into 3D, it shows that it’s a white 2D square.

 

If I deleted it and add an new instrument, it become normal again. A normal ETC source-4 19 degree with normal 3D model. Change the object info again? Boom! It became a beautiful white square.

 

Did anyone knows how to fix it? The resource I used is VW’s default resource of lighting instrument. I tried downloaded it again but same problem. Please help me to fix it. 

 

Many appericate to anyone who read this question and answer.

 

Edited by Chris Chen
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9 answers to this question

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

When the lighting device turns into a rectangle it indicates that the symbol can not be found in the local document.

Try manually importing the symbol into your document and choosing the symbol from the active document.

What is the symbol name?

 

Also try refreshing the libraries in the Resource Manager.

In the Resource Manager, click the gear icon and select "Refresh Libraries"

 

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7 hours ago, klinzey said:

When the lighting device turns into a rectangle it indicates that the symbol can not be found in the local document.

Try manually importing the symbol into your document and choosing the symbol from the active document.

What is the symbol name?

 

Also try refreshing the libraries in the Resource Manager.

In the Resource Manager, click the gear icon and select "Refresh Libraries"

 

 

Thanks for your reply.

I will try your advice, the symbol resource name is “lighting- instrument” in default folder. I used this resource for a whole year. It never become this. Also I made a copy of it into my favorite folder. They both(both default folder and favorite folder’s resource file) turned into square when I add object information.

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Can you attach your working file where you're experiencing the issue? It'd be easier to trouble shoot with that file, rather than the resource file from which you pulled the symbols.


As you probably know, once you insert an instrument from a resource file into your drawing, it actually imports the symbol definition directly into your file, and is no longer related to the symbol definition in the resource file (unless you're referencing symbols which I assume not). So the resource file is in some ways irrelevant.

 

In the Resource Browser if you click the Home icon you'll see the symbols that exist within your file, and that's where you want to make sure the symbol's name matches the OIP Symbol Name precisely.

 

Perhaps you've already checked this and you're actually experiencing a bug, but it's good to run down through all the steps of what might be causing your issue :)

 

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9 hours ago, Andy Broomell said:

Can you attach your working file where you're experiencing the issue? It'd be easier to trouble shoot with that file, rather than the resource file from which you pulled the symbols.


As you probably know, once you insert an instrument from a resource file into your drawing, it actually imports the symbol definition directly into your file, and is no longer related to the symbol definition in the resource file (unless you're referencing symbols which I assume not). So the resource file is in some ways irrelevant.

 

In the Resource Browser if you click the Home icon you'll see the symbols that exist within your file, and that's where you want to make sure the symbol's name matches the OIP Symbol Name precisely.

 

Perhaps you've already checked this and you're actually experiencing a bug, but it's good to run down through all the steps of what might be causing your issue :)

 

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

Here's what I already done before it happened.

 

1.I copy the resource file in default folder and put it into favorite folder before I used it. At first, it worked very well. 

2.While I'm drawing a cad and try rendering it into fast render for showing my coworkers, somehow the software no respond and crushed.

3.After I reopened the software, I open the file which losing a part of drawing which I done before crush.

4.I try to insert the symbols from favorite folder again and found that after I edit the focus point, the symbol became white rectangle like this picture(https://i.imgur.com/nQlxnDJ.jpg).

5.I try to test it with opened the resource file in default folder and inserted the symbol from default folder's resource. It shows the same problem.

6.I opened a new blank file with every empty for testing. Before insert any symbol I make sure it's all empty in my file resource browser. Inserted symbols from default folder and favorite folder and setup the focus point. It shows the same problem.  

 

Because I couldn't fix it but I still got plan to draw, today I download a new resource files from others and found that symbols were fine and never get into this situation.

So I guess the default resource file were damaged during the unknown crush, and maybe losing the rendering data or something. That why if I edit the focus information, the system couldn't understand it's model so turn it into a while rectangle?

And here's another strange thing happened today.

While I'm using snap to grid, I double click it into the SmartCursor setting. After I set the grid information and click ok button. I found that I couldn't leave SmartCursor setting and it takes me to Angle setting. Shows that Angle from Axes setting had some problem so I couldn't click ok button. If fix when I type any numbers for Angle from Axes but show up everytime when I get into SmartCursor setting. Even I pressed reset button it's the same. 

You can check the video I uploaded.

 

Super wired, why do these things happened to me LOL. 

Untitled.mp4

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Hey all,

 

I am having the same issue but didn't want to create a new post for it. I am trying to add some Chauvet Maverick Mk.3s and Martin RBGW Rush Par 2s with no luck. I was tasked with updating an old house plot so that we have something current we can use here at work. It has not been done since 2016. 

 

The Mk.3s are currently on my plot @ my 0.5 lighting position above the apron. I have 7 rush pars on my 1st electric. 

 

There is still a lot of work that needs to be done. I'm just trying to figure this out before go to deep. 

 

I am using VW Educational.

 

Thank you for the help,

 

Victor Amaya

Fullerton College

Campus Theatre Rep Plot 2018 v2.vwx

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Victor

 

This happens when you don't have the symbol as a resource in the current document.

 

If you import from another drawing or copy/paste from another drawing and then select the units that show up as rectangles, Spotlight > Replace Instrument and choose the instrument you want it to be.

 

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15 minutes ago, michaelk said:

Victor

 

This happens when you don't have the symbol as a resource in the current document.

 

If you import from another drawing or copy/paste from another drawing and then select the units that show up as rectangles, Spotlight > Replace Instrument and choose the instrument you want it to be.

 

Thanks Michael!

 

I figured it out. I did not have the units assigned to a class that I had visible. They defaulted to something I have invisible. 😅

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