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Planting Plans..


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Hi Guys,

 

I want to create a traditional planting plan that adheres to a few guidelines, not using the really bad plant symbols VW currently uses. From what I have seen I have to draw a circle,  then make it a plant/edit contents, then find it in the resource browser, then use that plant, then modify any labels....

 

Is there a way of choosing a plant from the main database and planting it on a drawing...as a normal black circle and a label?

 

Many thanks 

 

SW

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Stu

If you use the standard plant symbols, (and there are MANY styles to choose from - explore the Resource Manager), just pick a circular symbol. When you place it on the drawing, look at the Classes. You'll see many Plants-Component... classes. Turn off Plants-Component-Color Fill, Plants-Component-Bloom, Plants-Component-Interior Linework and Plants-Component-Canopy. Then you will be left with just the geometry in the Plants-Component-Outline class visible. This will give you the effect you need. 

I suggest also that before placing the plants, you click Plant Tool Preferences on the tool bar (having selected the Plant tool). Choose to have the Plant Tags inserted in the Plants-Component-Tags class. This will mean you can also independently turn the tags on and off in different viewports as desired.

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Yes, either create the symbols to be black and white or when you create a view port with your planting plan just select the VP and in the OIP scroll to the bottom to Advanced Properties then at the bottom of that window select Black and White Only. This will turn all color in the VP to B&W you are looking for.

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Stu, if you follow my instructions, but choose a standard symbol from the library that is circular, you will get exactly what you want. If you want the centres connected, use the Polygon Display option set to centers-solid.

You will probably find this Site Design free training useful:

https://www.vectorworks.net/training/2019/getting-started-guides/site-design

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Hey Stu, We struggled with this for awhile but its pretty straightforward. Draw a circle, Under the landmark dropdown menu select create plant style from selection, Next a dialog will appear and near the top you willl see a get plant data button, use this to attach the planting record from the built-in database. Right below the get plant data button is a spot to set the plant ID which is the plant label. Hope that helps.

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Think I have it sorted with that method Uglycat... thanks

 

How do I change the font and font style for the plant tags/labels so they sit with the current RHS nomenclature standards...

 

E.g:  Acer japonicum 'Kings Copse'   Achillea millefolium 'Rougham Cream'

 

Please say this is possible as it also throws the font for the entire drawing out too...

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

I'm afraid that is not possible Stu.

Using the Uglycat method will work well for you, but just from experience, be careful about which class you use to draw your circles. I have seen many plans where plants mysteriously disappear and it is because the circles have been drawn in a random class!


Good luck with your plan.

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Stu, Tamsin is correct in that you have to be careful on the class used. However it can work very well. As for the label, try using the Data Tag Tool. this will allow you to program your font color style and over all graphic look while pulling the information exactly as you need it. 

 

Reach out to me if you have any questions regarding the Data Tag Tool.

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Another fast way to create plants (if you want to use the same symbol for all, and if they are all the same size, a bunch of perennials for example...) is to first create the circle symbol, and then choose Landmark > Create Plant Style from Catalog. You can select a number of plants on the left of the dialog, then on the right select all the parameters that will be common to all of them, and click OK. That will create all the selected plants in one go. It's a huge time-saver!

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22 hours ago, Stu Wilson said:

Think I have it sorted with that method Uglycat... thanks

 

How do I change the font and font style for the plant tags/labels so they sit with the current RHS nomenclature standards...

 

E.g:  Acer japonicum 'Kings Copse'   Achillea millefolium 'Rougham Cream'

 

Please say this is possible as it also throws the font for the entire drawing out too...

Maybe I am misunderstanding the tag question here but why cant you put the plant tag on a class with an assigned text style that fits the requested standard?

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  • 1 year later...

I have been trying to find a simplified way of creating plants from circles and have been inputting data for each plant I create. the above sounds a much easier solution to extract the existing plant data from the database. 

 

However, once I have created the circle and used 'create plant plant style from selection', I get the dialogue box but can't seem to see the 'get plant data' option mentioned? 

 

Have I missed something?  I'm using 2020.

 

Many thanks in advance for any help you can provide to save me some time!

 

Richard

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On 5/15/2019 at 7:48 AM, uglycat said:

...Draw a circle, Under the landmark dropdown menu select create plant style from selection, Next a dialog will appear and near the top you willl see a get plant data button, use this to attach the planting record from the built-in database...

We've built a fairly large plant data base using this method.

We've also created a file called 'plant library' (Not fully trusting/understanding the built in library functions)and favorited it and drag all our custom plants there for access from any new file.

 

The library seems skewed very far from the drought tolerant / native CA plant palette we use anyway,  so even if it weren't for the unprofessional skeuomorphic plant icons we would have had to make our own.

 

 

@Stu Wilson  I wish we had more control of the tags too.

We used parentheses around the plant number - i.e. (2)CHR instead of 2 CHR  for two Ceanothus 'Ray Hartman' - and it does bug me looking at our new planting plans to not have that option.

 

 

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Similar to what I have found works, with an edit of a circle or black and white entourage plant and develop your own library..!!

 

Planting plans are only ever circles (to scale for each plant)  or shapes inside a bed layout with a number of plants per m2 for that area, anything else would be rejected by every local planning authority, tender package or educational authority in the UK

 

I would be inclined to set a drawing standard for VW to follow, and also have a traditional colour palette for drawings as the current settings have zero finesse.

 

 

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