"Favoriting" items in the Resource Manager

[cjanuszewski]

Hey there,

 

I'm not sure how I can designate certain items that I find in the resource manager as a favorite so that I can easily find them again later.  It seems like there is a way to do this, since there is a catagory on the left side of the resource manager for this, but all of the normal ways that I might do this don't seem to do the trick.  Where is this handy feature?

[Tom W.]

You need to first save a .vwx file in Favorites, then you can place individual resources in that .vwx file.

 

So create a new file called 'VW Textures' or something, then in the Resource Manager ensure that the file in question is selected in the 'Open Files' section of the File Browser Pane + click on the 'File Options' (gear wheel) button on the palette tool bar + select ‘Add Selected File to Favorites’ from the drop-down. Or right-click on the file + do the same.

 

This will add the 'VW Textures.vwx' file to the Favorites section but if you want you can divide Favorites up with individual Favorites Folders to organise your files better. Right-click on 'Favorites' + select 'New Favorites Folder...' or do the same from the gear wheel drop-down.

 

With the .vwx file in Favorites you can now add resources to it by dragging them from the Resource Viewer Pane + dropping them onto that file.

[Cristiano Alves]

On 4/24/2021 at 7:44 AM, Tom W. said:

You need to first save a .vwx file in Favorites, then you can place individual resources in that .vwx file.

 

So create a new file called 'VW Textures' or something, then in the Resource Manager ensure that the file in question is selected in the 'Open Files' section of the File Browser Pane + click on the 'File Options' (gear wheel) button on the palette tool bar + select ‘Add Selected File to Favorites’ from the drop-down. Or right-click on the file + do the same.

 

This will add the 'VW Textures.vwx' file to the Favorites section but if you want you can divide Favorites up with individual Favorites Folders to organise your files better. Right-click on 'Favorites' + select 'New Favorites Folder...' or do the same from the gear wheel drop-down.

 

With the .vwx file in Favorites you can now add resources to it by dragging them from the Resource Viewer Pane + dropping them onto that file.

It seems like a somewhat far-fetched way of having favourites...
 

I would like to suggest that we can add an object from the OFFICIAL libraries to the favourites section.
Basically, is much better a "bookmark" for our favourite objects than this.

Where can I do this?

Edited February 7 by Cristiano Alves

[Tom W.]

4 minutes ago, Cristiano Alves said:

I would like to suggest that we can add an object from the OFFICIAL libraries to the favourites section.

Where can I do this?

 

Once you have a .VWX in Favorites you can drag VW content into it. Very easy.

[Pat Stanford]

2 minutes ago, Cristiano Alves said:

I would like to suggest that we can add an object from the OFFICIAL libraries to the favourites section.

Where can I do this?

This is not currently possible in VW2024.  If you want this, then make a request in the Wish List Forum.

 

But I don't think that is what you really want.  If you were to just mark an item in the VW Libraries or the Premium Libraries as something that you like, if that item was updated then your favorite would update also.  It is actually better for you to Copy the information from the VW/Premium libraries to a a file in Favorites or to your User or Workgroup folder. That way you know that you have exactly what you want and it will not change on you at some point in the future.

 

$0.02

[Elite Exhibits]

On 4/24/2021 at 2:44 AM, Tom W. said:

You need to first save a .vwx file in Favorites, then you can place individual resources in that .vwx file.

@Tom W. This is a great way to collect oft used items - We have many files with pre defined Hybrid Symbols. Some of these VWX files contain thousands of items... We have a set of drawings locked & backed up, with specific/desired duplicates only in the VW favorites. File names are assigned so there is a logical order on the right side of the RM. Subdividing, as Tom suggests above also minimizes the time needed to locate something. 

 

In the RM, if the "All Resources" filter is set at the top, and you select a Favorite on the left, that only has Textures, then you do not need to guess at what you will find there, nor do you need to change that RM filter setting as often.

 

The opposite is also true. Set the RM Filter to, "Text Styles" (for example), then arrow down the Favorites list on the Left. When you hit a favorite with Text Styles it "jumps" into the middle window for easy selection.

 

Sub Folders in specific Favorites are also accessed (...on the left) with the arrow keys (expand/open/close/minimize) on the left side of the RM

 

Peter

[Elite Exhibits]

30 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

Once you have a .VWX in Favorites you can drag VW content into it. Very easy.

 

@Tom W. Truly a hidden feature ! 

 

Many Thanks

 

Peter

[Elite Exhibits]

On the subject of searching RM Favorite...

 

1. Is there a contextual way to change the RM Filter ? (Right clicking in the middle area...)

 

2. If there are RM items listed as RenderWorks Textures (..for example) are there also other textures ?

       The sub folders simply state "Textures"...

 

Peter

[Elite Exhibits]

Question:

 

There are two locations on the Mac for Favorite files - 

     One is Application Support and the other is the Application

 

Drag & Drop (Great Tip!) as @Tom W. suggests above, appears to works with the Favorite files in the Application Support folder, NOT with the Favorite files in the Application Folder

 

Question is:

     ¿ Why two locations for Favorite Files ?

 

Peter

[Tom W.]

2 hours ago, Elite Exhibits said:

There are two locations on the Mac for Favorite files - 

     One is Application Support and the other is the Application

 

I've only ever saved Favorites files to my user folder (the Favorites folder in Application Support). I'm not sure why one would want to save them to the application folder instead. I don't think you'd be able to migrate the file/s to the new version of VW when you upgrade... Plus like you say VW won't like you drag + drop resources into them which makes them a bit useless!

 

When you click on the 'Action' button in the RM + choose 'New Favorites Folder...' that folder is created in the user folder + when you choose 'Add New Favorites Files...' those files are also saved in the user folder. I don't think it ever occurred to me that favorites files could also be saved in the app folder...

 

So yes good question Peter! Is it simply because the two Libraries files must have an identical folder structure for whatever reason...?

 

[Jonathan Pickup]

9 hours ago, Tom W. said:

So yes good question Peter! Is it simply because the two Libraries files must have an identical folder structure for whatever reason...?

The reason for the two libraries is that one gets replaced when you  update the library, replace or re-install Vectorworks (the application folder)  , the other one never gets replaced (user folder stored in the Application Support folder). 

 

[Tom W.]

3 hours ago, Jonathan Pickup said:

The reason for the two libraries is that one gets replaced when you  update the library, replace or re-install Vectorworks (the application folder)  , the other one never gets replaced (user folder stored in the Application Support folder). 

 

 

But under what circumstances would you choose to save a favorites file in the application folder rather than the user folder? Especially when VW won't let you drag resources into it in the RM.

[Jonathan Pickup]

19 hours ago, Tom W. said:

 

But under what circumstances would you choose to save a favorites file in the application folder rather than the user folder? Especially when VW won't let you drag resources into it in the RM.

for me, never.

 

by default, if you add a favorite file to the Resource Manager, it creates an alias (shortcut) of the file and stores that in the Applicaiton Support>Vectorworks> 2024> Libraries> Favourites..., see the attached screenshot. 

 

A quick add for the Resource Manager, is to create an alias or shortcut of a file and drag that in the correct folder, then start Vectorworks. Just make sure the alias is from the correct version of Vectorworks. The refresh your library and the file appears in the favorites.

 

 

[thinkingpencil]

Someone once said there's no such thing as a stupid question...but this probably is one! And certainly lazy...I'm up against a very tight deadline today and need help with libraries. So:-

In the Resources pallet I can see the usual full range of library folders. In which there's a texture I want to select via the editing dialogue for a class. So in the open file/class edit dialogue/textures I am trying to find my texture. But I can't see anything like the list of libraries as I can in the resource pallet. What I see just seems incomplete. This is baffling me. I've managed to save the file with the texture in it to favourites. But when I try to access that I seen nothing. I am a long time VWX user but a rooky on this particular capability. Any guidance would be so gratefully received. Thank in advance. And apologies for not trawling the board and help system. I just have to make some money today...

[Elite Exhibits]

@thinkingpencil Make sure that the Favorite file and the desired texture are visible / selectable in the Resource Manager

 

selection of a texture in the Class Edit Dialog / Organization Pallet sound be a similar process  - see attached 

 

Peter

[thinkingpencil]

Thank you so much @Elite Exhibits. It is really kind of you to help.