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Plant tag text color


Benson Shaw

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Where is control for color of text and the tag line/shoulder?  2d plant outline color & fill can be edited via Resource Browser symbol edit.  But I can't find controls for the text color or the line color.

 

Elements can be edited if ungroup the symbol after it's placed on the drawing. But, then it's just a bunch of dumb geometry, not a plant symbol/smart object.

 

-B

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

The tags are not stored as part of the plant style. They are generated by instance based on the settings in the Plant Tool Preferences.

Click the Plant Tool Preferences and assign a class to the tags that is separate to the main plant class.

Edit the chosen class to have the desired lineweight, colour, text style, and ensure it set to Use at Creation.

Click OK.

The tags will adopt the properties of the class.

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  • 1 year later...
On 7/19/2020 at 2:53 PM, Louisa van den Berg said:

Can't seem to find a way to have shoulder/leader lines in a different colour to the text in plant tags?  I'm trying to do this in plant class - component - tags?  

OK so I've been trying to do this for 3 days now.  Can anyone help?  It is for a client that needs blue lines and black text on all plant tags!

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Hi Louisa

You can't separate the colour on the Plant Tags using the automatically generated tag.

But, you CAN do it with the far more sophisticated options available in the Data Tag tool. Turn off your Plant Tags, and apply Data Tags instead. The beauty of these is that you can choose exactly what you want in the tag and how you want it to display. They can also be applied in Viewport annotations, so much more efficient than having to set them up all over the design layer.

The Data Tag tool has a library of preset styles on the Resource Manager that can be edited as you wish.

I've just tested, and yes, you can have blue lines and black text, no problem. Can you let me know which fields you would like to include in the tag and I'll make you a quick example?

Meanwhile, you can learn about Data Tags here. There are tags for Hardscapes, Walls, Plants, Landscape Areas etc, and they offer MUCH greater flexibility. Definitely the future of tagging in Vectorworks!

https://university.vectorworks.net/mod/page/view.php?id=158

http://app-help.vectorworks.net/2020/eng/index.htm#t=VW2020_Guide%2FAnnotation%2FUsing_data_tags.htm&rhsearch=data tag&rhsyns=

 

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Hi Louisa, just select all the plants (in one selection) and on the Object Info palette, change Tag Display to None.

That will turn off all the automatic plant tags. Then replace them with a Data Tag.

I have made an example, but I need to know exactly which fields from the Plant Record you would like included in the text - Qty, Latin Name, Spread, Scheduled Size, anything else? Once I've made the example, you'll be able to copy it into your file and use it.

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

OK, as I've not heard from you on the fields you would like in the tag, I decided to keep it simple and use Qty and Latin Name only.

My file is attached. If you open it, you will find a Data Tag attached to a plant. Copy this Data Tag into your file and then use the Data Tag tool to insert more instances in your plan. If you use the Select Eligible Objects mode of the tool, you'll be able to tag all the plant with just two clicks.

 

Plant Data Tag Example.vwx

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

OK - go to the Dims/Notes palette and click Data Tag.

On the Tool bar at the top left, there is a pop-up for you to choose the style - pick the one that's in your file. 

Then choose the mode I described above and choose whether you want to click on the objects first or the drawing first. Then tag your plants! Then, you can use the Modify > Align > Align and Distribute Leader lines command just as you would for Plant tags to organise them as you wish.

 

You can do all of the above in the annotation space of a viewport too, and it will tag all plants visible in the viewport. Also useful for tagging plants in a 3D view.

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Think I need to do a web course on this - it's all new territory!  If I select all plants I only get option to select class.  Only if I select each individual plant or group can I change Tag Display to select NONE so that original plant name and lines don't appear.  When i did this to test if I could do this I put in the leader line but no plant name appears.  The object info knows which plant I am tagging but the Tag doesn't seem to.  I'm obviously doing something wrong. 

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

In your selection, if you can only see the class, it means you have selected things other than plants as well. If you only have plants selected, the Object Info palette will display xxx Plant Objects at the top, and all the parameters will be listed on the Object Info palette. Change only Tag Display to None. 

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OK so I've worked out that I needed the Tag example to appear in the Active Tag Def box so I've made some progress.  I then selected all my plants and removed existing plant tags.  I then selected eligible objects - all went red and I applied the tag!!!  Labels appeared.  However all now are heading off Left.  I note that Auto is selected in alignment field but seems to go left everytime.   Couldn't get the Align to work . I have tried manipulating them all manually but not as easy to do this as in normal plant tags - shoulders and lines don't extend?  I was able to change the style to remove circle with number in them as takes up too much room. I also changed font to Helvatica 65 which is the studio's house font but somehow this has reverted back.  I have also seen how to change lines to be blue - although individually through Attributes.  So NEARLY there....!  

 

Will have another go tomorrow. 

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Great progress. So, the next thing to edit in the style is to change the different parameters to By Instance. That will enable you to change them on a plant by plant basis. 
By Style parameters are fixed to whatever is set in the style itself. By Instance uses the settings in the style as a default, but you can override them.

Styles are amazing.

Learn about styles here and empower yourself!:
https://university.vectorworks.net/mod/scorm/player.php?a=142&currentorg=articulate_rise&scoid=284

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Hi Tamsin,

sorry I've been out all day.  Now having a go at this.  I just can't find the option to set the style to By Style or By Instance?  I've looked in all parts of the style drop down once I ask to Edit Style.  I've been through the link you sent but still no clue.  Sorry I'm just not seeing this.  I've got most of tomorrow to try to sort this.  Will try again in the morning...

Thanks so far.

 

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Here's a screenshot from the first part of the Object Styles course I sent you:
image.png

To the left of each parameter, there is a toggle button which either displays an arrow or a slider. The arrow denotes that this parameter will always be determined by the setting in the style, and when used on the drawing, you will not be able to change it. The slider denotes that it is By Instance, and will use the value in the style as the default, but that you will be able to change it for each instance on the drawing, should you need to.

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