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Fixed Data Fields in Record Formats


Tim Harland

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I would like to be able to fix all or some of the data fields in a Record Format - essentially so I can allocate specific data to all instances of a symbol and be able to update it from a central point. For instance for a particular element of furniture I woud like to be able to give it an ID number and a description (which I can display using the new data tags) and be able to update this information in only one location. At the moment the data fields are independent for every instance of the symbol which is sometimes useful (for a window or door number for instance) but not always and can be dangerous when someone edits the fields without understanding the implications. 

 

Is there any way to have fixed data assigned to a symbol that is readable by the data tag?

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Are you familiar with worksheets? If you set up a database worksheet with the record format as the search criteria you can list all the fields for every instance of the record format in your file. You can summarise them and do global editing from the worksheet. There is a lot of info on this forum about using worksheets if you do a search. I hope that is helpful.

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The record instance attached to each object in the drawing is unique. That means that you can change any field of any record without effecting other objects in the drawing.

 

You can select multiple object and and change the data of all of them at once, but this will not prevent you from adjusting a different value to a single instance afterwards.

 

If you have not already done so, I recommend you edit your workspace and add the Custom Selection tool. This will allow you to select every instance of objects with a specific record attached. You can then go to the data pane of the Object Info Palette (OIP) and change and field to the value you desire.

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Hi Boh Hi Pat,

 

Thanks yes I understand how worksheets and custom selections work, but not all our staff do and it is too dangerous when people can edit individual instances of a symbol, and ideally we can push changes from a library to multiple files without having to open them indiviually and changing each instance there. It is not only me, after I posted the wishlist I found this old post with the same request:

The end of that post has a work around that I am going to explore using IFC data instead of Records.

 

Thanks for your feedback!

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Another possibility would be to have multiple records and make the one with fixed data invisible. Those in the know would either be able to show the record to edit the data or use a worksheet to make the edits. This would still allow the possibility of a user accidentally modifying data in a worksheet.

 

Or attache the fixed data to a locus point that is inside the symbol. Then you would have to be in Symbol Edit mode to be able to change the record in the OIP.

 

Just a couple more ideas.

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Hi Pat,

 

How do you make records invisible? That could work although still has the issue that the data cant be updated in a central library.

 

I have used the data attached to an object inside the smbol as a worksaround before, it works well for scheduling, it is just that the new data tag tool, (which is great and had so many uses BTW) then can't access this data as far as I can tell?

 

I have tested out ifc too - when you change ifc data for a symbol in the resource manager it updates all instances of the symbol in the file where the symbol is located, unfortunately it doesn't push that across to symbols in referenced files as far as I can tell.

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Sorry for the delay. You set records invisible with a one line vectorscript.

 

SetObjectVariableBoolean(GetObject('Your Record Name'),900, False);

To make it visible again, change the False to True.

 

Or you can make it toggle between Visible and Invisible:

 

SetObjectVariableBoolean(GetObject('Your Record Name'),900, Not(GetObjectVariableBoolean(GetObject('Your Record Name'),900)));

 

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