incorporate specifications?

[jnr]

Robert:

Has anyone at NNA given any thought to a way to import specifications into a drawing set?

I have found it extremely useful to print the specifications on a sheet and include them in my document sets. Since this program seems to be marketed towards smaller offices, many of us don't need to print separate bound specifications, especially for residential work.

At this juncture I am forced to use another program like Quark or god forbid, Publisher, export the title block from Vectorworks and use the text editing capabilities of these programs.While one can export eps from a desktop publishing program to vectorworks, it is not interactive. It seems that it would be very easy to simply include word wrap for the cells of the worksheets to accomodate this need. Combined with the power of records and schedules and you would really have something. Unfortunately in its current form, the worksheets are almost useless as to add any amount of text sends the cells all the way across the page in a single line.

Are there any other tricks you know of to pull this off?

Do I need to add this to the wish list?

[FRED JOHNSON]

I do quite a bit of spec writing and my masters are in word format. I simply cut and paste into a blank VW with 1:1 layer scale and locate the various pages. Sometimes I use a guide on another layer to place the pages correctly. A simple cut & paste lets me edit the text if needed where as paste as picture loses this feature.

HTH,

fjjRA

[Guest]

With Architect the Notes Manager would be ideal for this, I believe. Simply enter the notes into the manager that you use frequently and in multiple documents, then simply chosse the notes you wish to have placed and place the notes. Text file with predefined notes on the drawing where you want it.

Hope that is what you are referring to.

[jnr]

Fred:

How are you cutting and pasting? Vectorworks crashes when I try to cut and paste text from Word.

I'm on win 2k with word xp if that matters

-J

[jnr]

Brian:

I need to be able to format the specification text and place all of it on one sheet. More like it sounds like Fred was suggesting. If I understand the notes manager, the notes work like keynotes in that unless an item is called out, it doesn't appear in the spec when I ask it to spew the notes. For example you would need to give a builder information about general conditions or demolition which would not typically be called on on the drawings but would be included in the specification. Am I correct about this?

[jnr]

Brian:

I am re-posting incase you didn't see this. I think it has to do with the post by Scott Miller.

[FRED JOHNSON]

jnr,

I simply cut from word and paste into VW. I'm on a Mac but I don't see where that should make a diference.

fjjRA

[defjef]

I use both MAC and PC.. 8.52. My experience is that copy and paste from Excel works on MAC and creates editable text and lines etc. On PC it creates a bitmap which does not scale..looks awful and is a huge file... I wouldn't be surprized if WORD performs the same on PC.. and works OK with the MAC... I have asked Tech support to tell me WHY this is... but have not received and answer except that it as a WINDOWS issue... operating system... go figure

[Robert Anderson]

defjef, both Excel and Word will copy and paste properly formatted text objects (and gridlines in the case of Excel) to VectorWorks 9.x. If you're copying from Excel, be sure and use the shift-copy to enable Copy Picture and make sure you choose the picture option "as shown when printed".