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Adding data to multiple symbol definitions


Marc Davies

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Is there a quick method of adding default (sticky) data to symbols en masse, without having to edit each Resource Browser item one by one? I don't mean editing per file after the symbol is imported, (I can achieve this via ODBC to Filemaker), I mean at root definition level so that on import the data is already attached.

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You can do this if you have symbols in some sort of category folders and then use  the Tools > Records > Change all fields command. I'm guessing that what you would like to do is select a buch of symbols and change one or some of the fields in one operation. As far as I know, the Change all Fields command is the closest you can get....

 

 

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Do each of the symbol definitions have the same record(s) attached?

Do you want the data for a specific record to be the same for all symbol definitions?

Do you want to change the data for all symbol definitions with that record attached? To the same value?

Do you want to change the data attached to the symbol definition? Or do you want to change the default values for the record? They are different.

 

Editing data attached to a symbol definition is pretty easy using a script. But if you want to do individual data for different definitions it is a harder problem to determine by script (instead of using wetware) which definition should get what value.

 

A long time ago (VW2012) I worked on a script to transfer back data from a symbol instance to either the symbol definition or the record defaults. But I don't think I ever got it to work completely. Maybe this is my chance.

 

The way this would probably work for you is to put an instance of every symbol you need to edit on a layer and then use a worksheet to display and edit the data for each instance. Run the script and it would take the values from the instances and store them back to the proper symbol definition.

 

How big of a problem is this for you?   If this is 3 fields in 10 definitions 1 time, it is probably not worth my time. If this is 10 fields in 100 definitions every week, I will consider it.

 

And you do realize that changing the value in the symbol definition does not change the values in the already placed instances in the drawing? There have been several discussions that a field type that would track with the definition would be a good addition, but it has not happened yet.

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5 minutes ago, Pat Stanford said:

The way this would probably work for you is to put an instance of every symbol you need to edit on a layer and then use a worksheet to display and edit the data for each instance. Run the script and it would take the values from the instances and store them back to the proper symbol definition.

I would definitely use this. I don't know why this isn't already built into the program.

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  • 2 months later...

Hi Both, missed your recent replies sorry.

I have followed your advice @markdd and used the change all fields for those items where I could which has helped get me a long way forward. So many thanks as I had missed that option.

 

For the questions you posed @Pat Stanford, it is something of a combination.

  1. Do each of the symbol definitions have the same record(s) attached? - Yes.

  2. Do you want the data for a specific record to be the same for all symbol definitions? - Some fields yes, for Category/Group fields others need to be individual, e.g. cat refs and dimensions.

  3. Do you want to change the data for all symbol definitions with that record attached? To the same value? - No.

  4. Do you want to change the data attached to the symbol definition? Or do you want to change the default values for the record? They are different. - Probably the latter (b. below) if I understand the difference correctly. a) = changing the record format attached to the symbol. b) = changing default field values within the record format. Is that what you mean?

The script sounds interesting. It is not something I do each week, probably every other month, but can apply to many, say 50 or so, symbols. It would be really useful to add these via copy and pasteable data into worksheets to attache to  unique cat referenced objects of similar types. i.e. All repeating data for say "Chairs" plus individual dimensional details and finishes references which will differ by Chair "Range".

 

I have tried to extract dimensional data from the symbol images as x and y width and height parameters, but I have not got these to stick in the data fields yet.

 

Edited by DaviesTheChair
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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi @PatStanfordOk I understand the difference between A) “default” values for Record Fields -as defined during Field creation and B) the data added to fields when editing a Symbol definition which has a record attached in an unselected state. These are very esoteric differences but I see that they are different although for new users they are very confusing and I’m still not certain about hierarchy of precedence when reading the data in a worksheet, I will have to experiment further.

 

If your script writes data from Symbol instances back to Symbol definitions, then I can either look up external data, attach it to instances or add the data in a Worksheet of my symbol instances and then use the script to post the new data back to the Symbol Definition. That would help enormously.

 

Any progress with the script?

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