STORIES/LEVELS - default name override

[drelARCH]

Hello,

Could someone direct me in which file I can rename default naming for stories/levels structure?

Will new names work with symbols/walls/slabs/roof that are bound to stories? That is crucial part.

Thanks.

 

[Guest Wes Gardner]

@drelARCH, you can rename the Default Levels by going to Tools > Organization > Stories > Default Story Levels.  The name of any component that is then bound must match a Level's name.

This is covered pretty thoroughly in "Model Set-Up"

 

Wes

 

 

[drelARCH]

Thanks Wes,

I am aware of organization dialogue and stories tab and renaming there.

However I was thinking about renaming (to my native language) level type names deeper in application structure so I can override english naming and it will stay that way for future use...any idea?

[Guest Wes Gardner]

@drelARCH, I believe you could rename items and save the file as a template file

 

Wes

[drelARCH]

Well it only works when strictly using my own resources...whenever I bring in some external resource (for example symbol that is bound to 'Finish Floor') it will not recognise my custom naming for finish floor.

I hope there is a way to map level type names with custom names in application structure....

[zoomer]

That is exactly what I will do today.

After a few years of migrating my Template Files,

I want to (re-)create new Templates from scratch.

 

And as it is so annoying that Story settings aren't exportable

I also searched and yesterday found at least that

Default Story Data.xml

which I will edit and copy into my Workgroup Folder.

 

1 hour ago, drelARCH said:

Well it only works when strictly using my own resources...whenever I bring in some external resource (for example symbol that is bound to 'Finish Floor') it will not recognise my custom naming for finish floor.

 

Yes, the next annoyance.

So far I have the luxury to be able to only use my own custom Styles.

 

 

But when I think of the German or other localized VW Release ....

I never checked so far if that would cause problems when importing

a PIO from them into my US version.

 

But my hope is, and as far as I remember there was a video for localization,

that there is some kind of tables for localization, that will show translated

names in VW for users, but VW knows and will use its en_US commands

instead.

Similar to Autocads localization where you will add a prefix "_" in front of

the command to tell the App it is an international command (or vice versa)

 

That this might be a way for VW to read Default(?) Story Levels in both ways,

for localized PIOs in US or vice versa.

[drelARCH]

Thanks @zoomer for your post.

I have tried now edit default story data file and have placed this file firstly to workgroup folder then moved it to application support folder and finally to application folder itself but none of these is working for me. I am talking about one file that i moved from place to place while other folders (Story Support folders) were empty. Whenever I open Stories tab in Organisation dialogue same default level types occur...?

Have you got more luck with this thing?

[_c_]

The default data file is not supported by a workgroup folder. It is plain ignored.

There is no full vectorscript access either, so even that is not secure.

I have a command for transferring storeys and levels through xml files and see all strange things happen.

 

I believe that levels and their storage should be re-done entirely in a way that is comprehensible for us. At the moment it isn't.

 

[zoomer]

Hmmh, did not manage to edit mine so far.

(so many decisions to make, so tedious UI interface, XML in text editor 🙂 )

So I haven't even tried.

 

But I would have thought I throw it in Workgroup folder,

VW needs at least a restart and

it may work with the "blank" Template only.

Or only if you set VW to open with a blank file ?

As all other Templates may already have their Level Defaults included ?

 

And the XML would not help much because my Template prototypes

already have these wrong Level Settings and I need to edit those in

Organization Palette manually anyway .... ?

 

Whatever.

Seems like the only way to control is by Templates.

[willofmaine]

On 10/19/2020 at 1:13 PM, zoomer said:

 

After a few years of migrating my Template Files,

I want to (re-)create new Templates from scratch.

 

You and me both.

 

I wish we could create Stories with Design Layers that don't initially (and it's only initially...) require associated Level Types.  See: 

VWIS055

Edited October 26, 2020 by willofmaine

[zoomer]

I don't totally get it right now.

 

But in the XML there are a bunch of switches.

Like When leaving "LayerName" blank as "", it may not create a Layer automatically (?)

Also there are switches like Default "yes" or "no", which seem to activated a Level when

a new Story is created (?)

So basically I think there is a way to avoid initial Level activation in Stories.

 

I still don't tried or get if editing that XML has any influence.

But if there is a way to control that "Default" switch from Organization Plaette too,

it should at least work for Template Files.

 

I am totally fine with the Story features.

But totally disappointed with the Level features and UI/UX.

If you think that these may need to change change with design history or need individual

entries for certain Stories. And we have these since 5 years now and expect to have to

stand them at least another 5 years.

[zoomer]

On 10/19/2020 at 7:13 PM, zoomer said:

Story settings aren't exportable

 

 

The answer to all our problems is 42.

 

Or this Marionette :

 

 

[_c_]

You can transmit the stories, that's easy, but not the levels. Not completely. There are things that cannot be accessed in Vectorscript.

 

[zoomer]

Hmmh,

 

I already created my new Templates from scratch

(or better from a blank VW Template but imported migrated stuff)

 

I haven't looked that deep into my imported Levels so far.

I just checked that Layer's Story assignments are there and that

PIOs and Styles will still work with the Levels ....

 

Which are the Settings in Levels that I would miss ?

[_c_]

Hello @zoomer,

 

below an extract from my notes from the last time I tried this, VW 2019. This is all bug filed.

I thought to do the command in one hour, I worked on it for weeks and then had to abandon.

 

It is a bit geeky, forgive me, but I want to go to dinner 🙂:

 

{ as of VW 2019 there is no way to fetch the association status of layerless levels  only if a level has a layer (GetLayerForStory), 
 it is possible to determine if it is linked to the story }

{ Stories can have extra levels, now try to fish them out from the document  }

{ DON'T SET THE ELEVATION!!! }
{ If you set the Layer Elevation of a layer linked to a story level,  then both will be faulty:
* the level won't show correctly in the dialog
* the layer elevation will be wrong }

{ the suffix name must build a unique layer name or the creation will fail! }

{ keep SetStoryElevation after creating at least one layer with one level.
SetStoryElevation needs the story to have at least one layer, 
or it will fail using some weird values }

{ SetLayerLevelType needs the layer to have at least one level or it fails }

{ THIS CURRENTLY CAN'T REALLY BE DONE: NO ACCESS TO THE SING LEVELS (VW 2019) }
 lvlTypeCnt := GetNumLayerLevelTypes;

[zoomer]

OK,

I'm a bit late but now I see ...

total chaos in "Level Types", both, new and old US Levels,

Missing new Level types in "Default Story Levels", still old US defaults only.

 

What a pain.

 

I hope that overwriting the XML has any effect.

[zoomer]

Wow,

more than just pain.

The author of the Marionette replied that it should work.

So I tried again.

 

As VW 2021 also does no more import SLVPs by the group trick,

I went back to VW 2020 and thought I will create a VW 2020 Template

from scratch by blank VW 2020 file, by using the Story Marionette 2020

and importing everything from migrated Templates manually back into

that Blank File.

So better a semi-clean 2020 file, migrated to VW 2021 afterwards,

than my current Templates that may have still traces of VW 2014 in its

file header.

 

The Marionette had "export Default Levels" deactivated as I saw.

I also deleted any traces of VW US default Level Types and Default Levels

before. So I activated that option but only got a large error message and no

Default Layer Setups anyway.

 

But while trying to do all File Preference Settings, importing Story Settings

and finally Dummy Geometry and later SLs+VPs,

VW 2020 crashed in between.

[_c_]

I told you.

[_c_]

I think that one of the misconceptions we somehow developed was that levels are entities, objects.

They are not. And one should know, and never forget, that they are NOT needed for exporting a conform IFC file.

They were developed as facility for us to draw easier. Go figure.

 

I was extremely reluctant to accept the reverse-offset-from-the-top-measured-backward-from-the-bottom system of walls when it came out.

Some of you might not know, but there was a very short period of time where you could define walls exclusively by offset to storey levels: The wall height was only calculated. It was awful. Biplap reacted to our cries of desperation and added some sort of built-in command so we were able to enter a height simply. This is what we have now.

 

I think that we have a number of fixes built in the various storey levels interfaces and that's why we cannot export them or script them. The fixes are performed from within the interface itself. And this means: rewrite the thing from scratch, it should have been done long ago.

 

I stay today to my opinion of that time. Storey levels drive everyone insane. Still.

 

 

[zoomer]

Hmmh,

 

they asked for demo files.

I produced a filled Marionette with my story Settings in a

blank VW 2020 file .... tried .... and it worked well !

(Including Default Level Setup !)

 

Have to retry if I can get it to work with my Template Templates ...

with that imported or migrated stuff in it again.

Maybe I get the Marionette to also work without crashing ...

[zoomer]

Well I think I got it together.

That Story Level Settings Export really worked.

Do not delete these US Default Story/Level Settings before importing your

custom Story Settings by Marionette. Deleting US stuff after import seems to be safe.

 

New VW 2020 Templates from "scratch", with only copy pasted imported content.

What a pain to import and reset Section lines, Layer/Classes of VPs,

I did it anyway ... now I am sure it is faster to recreate them from scratch.

 

(Hell, maybe it would have been easier to ex- and re-import IFC files than trying

to import VW contents from one VW file to the other VW file)

Being forced to look at any detail, I was forced to do lots of corrections to my

original Templates. So maybe not all work for nothing.

 

So I can migrate my VW 2020 Templates into VW 2021 now - just to have

a VW 2020 instead of 2014 file header and some esoteric believe that

I did all my best to prevent VW from future crashing.

 

 

VW 2021 Features like physical Materials Settings in Templates planned for

near future. But for now I am happy to finally switch to my more exciting other

CAD.

Edited October 31, 2020 by zoomer

[_c_]

Good to know Zoomer, I will give it another go now.

As of having the original USA storey levels, I don't.

 

[zoomer]

Even if I create a new real "blank" file,

these Level Types + Default Levels settings are included.

I assume loaded from the XML.

 

I'll attach a new file from Arch Metric template.

So you can see the US level settings.

 

Are the german level settings more appealing ?

 

Untitled 2.vwx

[_c_]

Hello Zoomer,  thank you...

no need to. I don't have them because I remove them.

 

I don't use the German VW, unfortunately.

Live in Germany but seldom speak German. International offices are English speaking and I never could learn German enough.

[zoomer]

Got it.

 

I also remove them. Or better I have overwritten.

But to just delete all Level stuff "before" using the Marionette seems to cause issues.