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Did Vectorworks ever add the option to change text size and style inside rack item?


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I saw a similar question about this back in 2020, but I have not seen a fix for this yet. Did Vectorworks ever add the option to change text size within rack items? It sucks when I have 1 RU items or connector panels and the text covers connectors or other info. See attached photo.

 

Thanks!

Screen Shot 2021-07-11 at 10.05.56 PM.png

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Hello @stancilent Doesn't it also "suck" when the text is too small to be readable? Anyway, you can set the text size by selecting the object and using the Font menu to adjust to your needs.

 

I am curious as to why some people choose to model standard rack-mounting panels in this way using CTPs. The Term Panel tool is designed to create these kind of devices. And when you create the equipment, you can set any Equipment Item to use a symbol for its graphics using the Object Info Palette Display > Use Symbol option. That gives you the way to visualise the connectors in as much detail as you like.

 

Connector Panels were actually intended to help design those myriad custom connector panels that appear all around venues. For standard rack-mount panels they are an over-complication IMHO.

 

Be interested to hear why you are doing it this way.

 

Conrad

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On 7/12/2021 at 2:58 AM, Conrad Preen said:

I am curious as to why some people choose to model standard rack-mounting panels in this way using CTPs. The Term Panel tool is designed to create these kind of devices. And when you create the equipment, you can set any Equipment Item to use a symbol for its graphics using the Object Info Palette Display > Use Symbol option. That gives you the way to visualise the connectors in as much detail as you like.

 

Connector Panels were actually intended to help design those myriad custom connector panels that appear all around venues. For standard rack-mount panels they are an over-complication IMHO.

 

Be interested to hear why you are doing it this way.

 

Conrad

 

Assuming I understood your differentiation from 

correctly, a term panel would be primarily passthrough connectors correct?  This isn't the case for a panel I design necessarily, I might have soldered connections just the same there as well.  Though I will admit to possibly being still confused on that differentiation, I don't find it very clear in the documentation I have seen on it.  EDIT: And there have been and will be cases where I want both on the same panel as well honestly.

 

Though truth be told I am not sure why there needs to be two different tools anyways for this honestly.  It feels like the differences (Soldered vs passthrough) should be options on the connector symbols that are easily switched between, and that a single panel type could cover both. I might be able to make this argument for a jackfield as well, though that is easier for me to agree on a different panel due to it affecting connections between sockets (normal, half-normal, etc.)

 

               Thomas

Edited by Thomas_
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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

I think you have to understand that software like living organisms evolves. Evolution isn't perfect either. The Vagus nerve is a great example. It goes from the brain down the neck around the aorta an back up to your throat. Nuts! Except of course back when our distant ancestors were fish that was the most direct route...

 

So back to software. The problems we are trying to solve change over time and our expectations of software increase exponentially. In a way yes, panels are panels. I've certainly thought about merging them. But putting everything into one tool with a zillion modes won't necessarily be easier to use.

 

In the end a design is a model that has to be good enough for an installer to execute. It doesn't have to be absolutely perfect. I've found in my life as a designer that the more I removed the need for the installers to think, the less they engaged their brains and the more frequently they made stupid mistakes. So I started to do the opposite. Give them less information so they were actually forced to think. Performance and accuracy improved as a result. Just my 2c worth.

 

Conrad

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On 7/14/2021 at 5:02 AM, Conrad Preen said:

 

Yes but that isn't really what I was asking, what I was looking for was having both a passthrough, and a term connection on a single panel?  For instance one example was a small AV rack I put into a gym for a client where I had soldered XLR and a pass-through HDMI connector (Along with various RCA, etc.) for them to plug in either an external system or video presentations etc.  Specifically how to show those connectors on a single panel in the rack elevations especially. 

 

   Thomas

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On 7/14/2021 at 5:26 AM, Conrad Preen said:

I think you have to understand that software like living organisms evolves.

 

Having done at least a decent bit of programming over my life, I am fully aware.

 

On 7/14/2021 at 5:26 AM, Conrad Preen said:

So back to software. The problems we are trying to solve change over time and our expectations of software increase exponentially. In a way yes, panels are panels. I've certainly thought about merging them. But putting everything into one tool with a zillion modes won't necessarily be easier to use.

 

Correct it might not necessarily be easier, but will it really be harder?  If not and one option allows for more workflows and options then that would seem to be the better path forward.  In this case the differentiation between a term panel and connector panel is odd to me when in the real world no such distinction is ever made that I am aware of, it is just a panel and if I tell an installer that they understand what I mean based off the connector loading.  I could be the only one, and just have never experienced this in my dealings and everyone else makes such a distinction, but it would surprise me if so.  From a software standpoint it would seem to be determined primarily by the connector loaded as well.

On 7/14/2021 at 5:26 AM, Conrad Preen said:

In the end a design is a model that has to be good enough for an installer to execute. It doesn't have to be absolutely perfect. I've found in my life as a designer that the more I removed the need for the installers to think, the less they engaged their brains and the more frequently they made stupid mistakes. So I started to do the opposite. Give them less information so they were actually forced to think. Performance and accuracy improved as a result. Just my 2c worth.

 

And that may work great for you.  However I will point out a couple of things:

 

1. In theater (The world I came from and still teach in, though I also do system consulting as well for installation) I should be able to hand this off to a worker and have them replicate exactly my design.  It should be very exact in fact as if it isn't things get missed on the shop order.  That isn't to say it will ever be perfect, but the more complete, legible, and precise it is the easier time everyone has.  And it means that the crew running the show are more able to follow my paperwork in troubleshooting and if they were involved in the build they know it that much better and can just reference it when needed.

2. As a system designer (Installation or Entertainment) I often use the documentation to double check my work, and often will catch problems or missing equipment because I am this precise.  That means less wasted time on site building or waiting for parts to come in.

3. My installers generally don't shut off their brain, if they do I tend to not use that contractor again.  Very rarely do I run across that, but they do often appreciate how thorough my designs are (Recently had some confirm this in front of a client) as it means they have to worry less about catching issues, and just need to follow the instructions, and if they do have questions they give me a call as needed, but often times know me well enough to understand where I am going in those occasions and haven't shut off their brains so that I rarely have an issue.

 

      Thomas Vecchione

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