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Counting symbols


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I have the attached flagstone path which was created by Duplicate Along Path.  I want to capture the individual pieces into a worksheet so I can estimate the amount of pieces I will need.  Is there a way to do it?  Somehow I see they are 3d symbols I must have created them like that.  I'm not sure if that's an issue.  LMK.  Thanks.

Screenshot (19).png

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Hi @Landartma,
 

I would suggest creating custom record formats—they're great! Check out this webinar (Hardscape & Data Tags) and fastforward to 42:03. I talk about how to create custom records, attach them to ANY object, and later can be pulled into Data Tags and/or Worksheets (at the end). Please let me know if you have any questions still after seeing it. 

 

Best,

Tony

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Tony is correct that a record format will work, but if these are different symbols then you don't really need the record.

 

Create a worksheet. Right Click in a Row Header (1, 2, 3, etc. I usually start in 3 so I can add data above more easily). Select Database.

 

From the Criteria dialog box create criteria  to limit the items returned. If you can put all of the flagstone in a single (or a small number) of class(es), they that might be a good way. Another option is to draw a rectangle (or poly) around the area in Top/Plan and give it a name at the bottom of the OIP. You can then use the LOCation criteria to only return the items with the poly/rectangle.

 

In the database header row (ie 3, not 3.1, 3.2, etc) in column A enter a formula of =SN to get the symbol name. In column B enter a formula of =Count.

 

Click on the disclosure triangle in column A and choose SUMmarize items. This will combine all of the items with the same name into a single subrow. The Count will give you the total number of that symbol.

 

Ask again if not clear.

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Let's try a simple worksheet example and see if this helps.

 

1. Make sure you have an easy way to identify all of the different flagstone symbols. Maybe make them all the same class. Or move them to their own layer. Or assign a custom record format to them.

 

2. Create a worksheet. Right click on the Row 3 header and choose Database. The Criteria dialog box will open. Set the criteria to match the way to identify the flagstone you have specified above. As you add criteria it will tell you how many object match that criteria so you can have some idea if you have the criteria too loose or to tight. Click OK.

 

3. In cell A3 enter a formula of =SymbolName. In cell B3 enter a formula of =Count.  You should now have a long list of the name of every symbol in column A and a 1 in every row of column B.

 

4. Click on the disclosure triangle in cell A3 and click the Summarize Items check box and click OK. You should now have 1 subrow for each symbol name and column B should be the number of instances of that symbol in the criteria you specified.

 

That is the basics of getting the count. You can add other features and make it prettier as you need.

 

HTH.

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  • 2 years later...

Worksheets are Resources. Your create them from the Resource Manager. Click on the New Resource button at the bottom left and then choose Worksheet from the list of possible resources to create.

 

Or alternately, the Reports command from the Tool menu will create a worksheet with a database already in it, but you will also have to choose which fields in the creation dialog box. If you want things that are not offered by the dialog box you will have to manually edit the worksheet as I said in steps 3 and 4 above. I don't think Count is one of the options from the Report dialog box.

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This simply doesn't work. When I try to type in cell B3 it just continues to type "B3." It will NOT let me type anything in the b3 field. Why is this so difficult? All I want to do is have VW count how many I have of six or seven different symbols. I've worked in Excell for years, and I can't figure out the VW version. It is not at all simple and I'm on a deadline.

MHBrown

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Thank you for your reply. What I want is a cell that has the cell name of the symbol and in the cell adjoining, the quantity of that symbol. I assume there is a simple =COUNT command or something like that, but iI'm not seeing it. By the way, if you define a worksheet as a "resource," that's fine, but you need to have a "Create New" under the Tools/Worksheets main menu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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FIrst, I am a volunteer here and have nothing to do with the decision that Worksheets are a resource and VW has never seen the need to have a menu command to create one.


Second, I am trying to help you.

 

Third, I do not understand your comment about "continues to type B3"

 

If you have created the database (Step2), you should have Row 3, and then a bunch of subrows (3.1, 3.2, etc) with one subrow for each object that meets the criteria of the database.

 

If you have that, then you have to enter the formulas into Row 3 (NOT 3.1, 3.2, etc) the database header row. If you don't see the header row, check the Worksheet View menu and make sure there is a check next to Database Headers.

 

image.png.6bc92757e043967998d8c9614076109a.png

 

The formula in Cell A3 should be.     =SymbolName

 

The formula in Cell B3 should be.    =Count

 

At this point you should have every symbol on its own row with a count of 1.

 

Click the disclosure triangle in cell A3 and check the Summarize Items check box in the popup window.

 

image.png.30b4d44769ed14184eda4eac9269be2d.png

 

You should now have one row  for each symbol name and the count in Column B will be the number of objects that have that specific Symbol Name.

 

HTH

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On 8/12/2020 at 6:38 AM, Pat Stanford said:

2. Create a worksheet. Right click on the Row 3 header and choose Database.

 

16 minutes ago, Pat Stanford said:

If you have created the database (Step2), you should have Row 3, and then a bunch of subrows (3.1, 3.2, etc) with one subrow for each object that meets the criteria of the database.

 

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As @Pat Stanford explains there are two types of Worksheets: database reports + criteria reports. You have created the second type. You need to add a database as per Pat's instructions:

 

On 8/12/2020 at 6:38 AM, Pat Stanford said:

Right click on the Row 3 header and choose Database. The Criteria dialog box will open. Set the criteria to match the way to identify the flagstone you have specified above. As you add criteria it will tell you how many object match that criteria so you can have some idea if you have the criteria too loose or to tight. Click OK.

 

Or start again + create a database report from scratch, also described by Pat:

 

1 hour ago, Pat Stanford said:

alternately, the Reports command from the Tool menu will create a worksheet with a database already in it, but you will also have to choose which fields in the creation dialog box. If you want things that are not offered by the dialog box you will have to manually edit the worksheet as I said in steps 3 and 4 above. I don't think Count is one of the options from the Report dialog box.

 

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I'm finding it hard to believe that there isn't a way to enter a symbol's name and generate how many instances of that symbol are on that layer in a worksheet. I can get the numbers by doing a "Custom Selection" where it gives me the total of a single symbol on a certain design layer. This is what I'm doing. I'm writing down the numbers on a sheet a paper and entering it into my "worksheet." I think I might make a request for better worksheet system for VW. Thanks for the tips, but I don't really have the time to muddle through this. It is far more complicated than I thought it would be.

MHBrown

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Thanks, Pat, but that doesn't work. It puts every symbol in its own cell with a quantity of 1. In other words., I have 90 or so "Object A" symbols. So instead of seeing a total of 90 in a single cell I have 90 cells with "Object A" and a quantity of 1.  See attached.

I appreciate the help, but this is not at all what I'm looking for.

Thanks,

MHBrown209533510_worksheetfullofduplicates.JPG.15118404f7b41b5b622fca81b0d97217.JPG

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If you want to manually type in all the symbol names you can use a formula like:

 

=Count(((S='Symbol-1'))

 

What I was trying to do was to make it so you didn't have to type all the symbol names.

 

And it looks like based on your symbol names having single and double quotes are part of the name (feet marks and inches marks) that you will have trouble typing them in manually as you need to surround the symbol name with single quotes. If there is a single quote in the name you have to do fancy "escaping" to make it work right.

 

 

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The worksheet way to delete the symbols you don't want counted is to change the criteria so they are not included in the database.

 

You can do this by right clicking on the database row header ( 3, not 3.1, etc.) and choosing Edit Criteria.

 

From there find something about the symbols you do want to count that applies to only them. This could be Layer(s), Class(es), Symbol Name Begins with 'BeMatrix' or something else.

 

Or if there are just a few you need to exclude you could do it with a Symbol Name is Not 'Symbol I don't want'. (I hope you realize that you have to replace that with a real symbol name).

 

You can add as many criteria rows as necessary. The logic can get complicated, but by using etc All Criteria in this Set and Any Criteria in this Set rows you can make very complicated criteria that will get you where you need to be.

 

 

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