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Custom Symbols no longer showing up in VW2021


Rob Sherman

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We use a number of Custom header symbols in our drawings. This is an example of our generic:

image.thumb.png.c158f1655ad57a2e7e8c8726ec75b1af.png

 

Because I built this one on the original it still shows up in 2021 but none of the others show up as options even though they are still in the folder:

 

image.thumb.png.6727be415f3abe289f1f5c9170afcdb7.png

 

I tried recreating the "red" one from the generic to see if it was an issue with the old symbols but it still doesn't show up.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Rob Sherman

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  • 4 weeks later...

Gonna tag on to this thread as I feel if someone else has the same issue this may be the correct place for them to find it.

 

I'm trying to make a standard custom Device Label & I've done everything in all the steps I've found in other threads...however I'm finding that when I attach them to a device they are at a different scale on the schematic layer than they are within the symbol editor when I make the changes around what I'm looking for.

For example, I've spent some time creating a patch panel symbol I liked, in space it's 1.6" wide, so I made my new Device Label that width. When I use the Object Info Palette to switch to my created Device Label the width is now 2.032". Is there something I'm missing here?

I've replicated this in base ConnectCAD template that I have not messed with.

Thanks for any help!

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18 minutes ago, Ccrouch said:

Gonna tag on to this thread as I feel if someone else has the same issue this may be the correct place for them to find it.

 

I'm trying to make a standard custom Device Label & I've done everything in all the steps I've found in other threads...however I'm finding that when I attach them to a device they are at a different scale on the schematic layer than they are within the symbol editor when I make the changes around what I'm looking for.

For example, I've spent some time creating a patch panel symbol I liked, in space it's 1.6" wide, so I made my new Device Label that width. When I use the Object Info Palette to switch to my created Device Label the width is now 2.032". Is there something I'm missing here?

I've replicated this in base ConnectCAD template that I have not messed with.

Thanks for any help!

 

I had the exact same issue. We always do our line-drawings at 1:1 scale with 1/4" grid and this issue was driving me crazy. In the end I discovered that I had to scale down my header blocks 63% in order for it to come out at the correct 2" wide size when on the page. A real pain.
For anyone dealing with this. If you make a box 1.26" wide it will show up as 2" wide when added to your drawings. .158" for a 1/4" spacing vertically

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2 minutes ago, Rob Sherman said:

 

I had the exact same issue. We always do our line-drawings at 1:1 scale with 1/4" grid and this issue was driving me crazy. In the end I discovered that I had to scale down my header blocks 63% in order for it to come out at the correct 2" wide size when on the page. A real pain.
For anyone dealing with this. If you make a box 1.26" wide it will show up as 2" wide when added to your drawings. .158" for a 1/4" spacing vertically

I found this to work too (didn't want to make my already long-winded question longer by including this).

The fact that no one else had brought it up made me think I was doing something wrong so I thought I'd ask.

Thank you, Rob!

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Hello everyone!

 

This occurs because ConnectCAD is designed to scale its objects by the current snap grid. This makes sure that everything schematic stays sized correctly for the grid - A GOOD THING!!! By setting a suitable snap grid you can draw sensible-looking schematics at any size you want. You are probably wondering why ? Let me explain.

 

Some ConnectCAD users like to draw their schematics at scales different from 1:1. For example. event planners like to drawn schematics direct on the floor plan. Then they can read off their basic cable lengths direct from the perimeters of the circuits saving a huge amount of time.

 

The basic symbols were all designed on a 4mm grid so when editing these symbols in a drawing with a 1/4" grid you will have to scale your graphics by 4 / 6.35 to get the results you expect. Yes, that complicates customisation for sure. But inevitably customising any software is a trip into deeper waters.

 

I would like to expand the range of templates we supply with the software to give you a better set of starting points to create your own look. But I don't have the resources right now thanks to limitations arising from the pandemic. In any case we'd be in an exercise where we try to guess what you want. So here's my proposal: why not PM me examples of the look that you want and I will develop some new templates based on those.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Conrad

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5 hours ago, Conrad Preen said:

Hello everyone!

 

This occurs because ConnectCAD is designed to scale its objects by the current snap grid. This makes sure that everything schematic stays sized correctly for the grid - A GOOD THING!!! By setting a suitable snap grid you can draw sensible-looking schematics at any size you want. You are probably wondering why ? Let me explain.

 

Some ConnectCAD users like to draw their schematics at scales different from 1:1. For example. event planners like to drawn schematics direct on the floor plan. Then they can read off their basic cable lengths direct from the perimeters of the circuits saving a huge amount of time.

 

The basic symbols were all designed on a 4mm grid so when editing these symbols in a drawing with a 1/4" grid you will have to scale your graphics by 4 / 6.35 to get the results you expect. Yes, that complicates customisation for sure. But inevitably customising any software is a trip into deeper waters.

 

I would like to expand the range of templates we supply with the software to give you a better set of starting points to create your own look. But I don't have the resources right now thanks to limitations arising from the pandemic. In any case we'd be in an exercise where we try to guess what you want. So here's my proposal: why not PM me examples of the look that you want and I will develop some new templates based on those.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Conrad

Hey, Conrad!

Totally understandable & did not mean as a complaint. Trying to guess what every user wants would be an uphill battle at best.

I'm currently playing around with CC with the spare time wonderful 2020 has afforded us, trying to figure out if its worth reworking our whole work flow to move over to using CC. So far so good. Between reading the forum here and just mocking up a system riser I'm learning my way around it.

If/when I become more knowledgeable in CC I can hopefully produce some worthy feedback for you.

Thanks!

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On 10/20/2020 at 6:22 PM, Conrad Preen said:

Hi Rob,

 

You'll need to move your custom symbols into a symbol folder named Device Symbols. We had to change the way the Device objects locates these resources to help with localization. Let me know if that worked for you.

 

Conrad

Hi Conrad,

 

i just tried your tip using the german vwx version with no success. Can't change the Symbol for existing and for new devices.

 

Furthermore is there an way to add more fields for a circuit and to manage them usig the oip?

 

Thanks!

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

@Kelzilla1000Thanks for the heads-up! It may well be that the Germans have localised the folder to Geraete Symbole or something like that. You can track this down in the default content - the English path to the file is /Libraries/Defaults/ConnectCAD/Device/Device\ Labels.vwx. You should be able to burrow down into there in the Resource Manager ( Zubehor Manager? ). Sorry but it's been a while since I had dealings with the German version and I don't remember all the translations.

 

Give that a try and let me know how it goes. If you can't find the answer I'll ask Computerworks.

 

Conrad

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 11/18/2020 at 2:37 AM, Conrad Preen said:

The basic symbols were all designed on a 4mm grid so when editing these symbols in a drawing with a 1/4" grid you will have to scale your graphics by 4 / 6.35 to get the results you expect. Yes, that complicates customisation for sure. But inevitably customising any software is a trip into deeper waters.

 

@Conrad Preen - I'm working through this now, and running into a major issue...

 

- All of my symbols from v2020 are set with a custom .250" x 1.500" device label (one of 6 variants). Anything imported when I converted the file from 2020 to 2021 looks fine.

- when I duplicate a device and edit it, it looks fine

- If I create a new device, the label is scaled incorrectly (.198" x 1.191")

- If I scale my device label symbol to match the .250" x 1.500" size required, ALL of my device labels re-size...so everything in my library is now sized incorrectly!

 

I know a work-around would be to create a duplicate device label, and scale it as needed....but is there a permanent fix for this? I try to keep my file as streamlined as possible, so I'm trying not to have duplicate device labels.

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  • 1 month later...

@Conrad Preen 

On 10/20/2020 at 6:22 PM, Conrad Preen said:

Hi Rob,

 

You'll need to move your custom symbols into a symbol folder named Device Symbols. We had to change the way the Device objects locates these resources to help with localization. Let me know if that worked for you.

 

Conrad

I tried it, but it does not work for me. Could it be an issue cause I am working with the German version, have I to use another folder name for it?

Edited by switchonet
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