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Creating a User Library VW 2019


MaltbyDesign

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I'm a bit confused about where to create a User Library to store various 2D and #d objects/symbols that I've collected along the way. I want to have a folder that won't be overwritten each time I update to the latest version of VW. From what I've read it goes into the Libraries folder but all I see are the default object folders that I see in the Resource Manager. If a add a folder here, won't it disappear when I install VW 2020?

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Each release has it's own user library so when you install vw2020 it will create a seperate user folder for that release - it won't touch previously release user libraries.

 

It should however give you the option to migrate your previous release libraries and preferences to the new release. So if you go with this any new folder's you created in a previous release should be copied through to the new release location (as well as updating any vw files in them to the new release versions).

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The default location for me (on windows) is:

C:\Users\bo\AppData\Roaming\Nemetschek\Vectorworks\2019\

 

There is a default "Libraries" folder in that location that is the top folder of the User Libraries.

 

Being on a mac yours will be slightly different but similar.

 

You can also find/select it by going to tools>options>vectorworks preferences and going to the User Folders tab.

 

image.thumb.png.842c3acdced77df0c4f42358ecd3eb3b.png

 

You can create your own custom location (rather than the default which is slightly hard to find) and then specify it in the above dialogue.

 

Note the top folder in the user folder needs to be called "Libraries". When you "Choose..." the User folder in the dialogue you navigate to the folder that the "Libraries" folder is in - not into the Libraries folder itself.

image.thumb.png.424eea97947f95d67e36fb49d18c16f1.png

 

 

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Thanks, Boh. I found that and my files loaded on startup. However when I click on one of my objects in this file, all I see are the textures and not the model itself. So I have no way of bringing the model into my drawing like on the standard VW menus. I notice the standard VW menus have multiple objects in a sing VW file. Should I be doing this and if so, how do I do this?

Screen Shot 2019-09-30 at 9.21.49 AM.png

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“However when I click on one of my objects in this file, all I see are the textures and not the model itself.”

 

Do you mean when you click on one of the files in this folder in the RM?

 

You can’t bring in the “model” per se via the RM. You should be able to bring in any resources contained in that file however.

 

The RM will only display resources I.e. hatches, textures wall styles , symbols. 

 

For the objects in the file to display they would have to be symbols.

 

From what I see on your screenshot the only resources the baskets file has are textures. Which seems odd as typically there would at least be a linetype or two as well.

 

Can you confirm the file does indeed have other resources?

 

Try refreshing your libraries (from gear icon in RM).

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All of the files in my 'Furniture" folder are 3D objects that I had converted from SketchUp at some time. So if I open each file I'll see the model of the particular piece of furniture. So should I convert the models to symbols? Is there a way to get these to shop up in the manner that the regular objects appear in the RM? For example if I click on the Kitchen Appliances and Accessories in the Objects - Building Equip_Appliances folder in the Vectorworks Library, I see multiple symbols with the textures in a separate folder. If I convert my furniture models into symbols will I be able to do something similar?

Screen Shot 2019-09-30 at 1.48.45 PM.png

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Yes if you convert the objects in your furniture files into symbols they should show up in the RM as symbols. If you have a lot of symbols you will want to get a good naming protocol so that they list in such a way that you can quickly find them. Also within the RM you can create your own custom folder structure to organise your resources.  image.thumb.png.c4ca97dfd89926149508795641b8d6db.png

E.g. you can put all chairs into a "Chairs" folder etc. In this way you can build up an organised library of resources.

 

 Note that RM folders can only have one kind of resource in them - you can't have symbols and hatches in the same folder.

Also you can choose what type of resources you want to see in the RM. At the moment you have "All Resources" selected. image.thumb.png.25f2265657a63d885fed884cfc77de72.png

You can also choose which projection and render mode you want to view symbols in the resource browser. Right click on some symbols in the RM to see the options. image.thumb.png.dea999116e37154c1b3817a77a9c6985.png  

 

Hope that is helpful!

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@Boh I worked through your instructions and managed to get things working properly. What I discovered was that I could rename one of the models "Furniture" and once in that VW file, convert the model into a symbol and define its view and render works style. This file showed up in my User Library in the RM. I then opened each individual model, converted it into a symbol and, once I set the view and rendering style, I could drag it into my "Furniture" VW drawing in my User Library where the new thumbnail became viewable. I did this for each of my furniture models and all worked as expected. Thanks again for taking the time to explain the process.

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