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Importing and Updating Referenced Photoshop File


trashcan

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Because I couldn't find this anywhere in the Vectorworks documentation.

 

If you want to import a Photoshop file that updates. 

 

  1. Save your VWX file in a good path that you'll use for the duration of your project. 
  2. Save your Photoshop file in a good path that you'll use for the duration of your project. 
  3. File-->Import-->Import Image File
  4. Select your PSD. I like to select Import As Bitmap and Image Resource (so you can use it as a texture or as a plain-old-image).
  5. Select Reference, choose absolute path or relative path.  
  6. Click OK. 

 

There it is! 

 

Now if you update the photoshop file, it takes a moment but the OIP for the reference Bitmap will show the Source as RED. It's out of date! But there's no update button. 

 

There isn't an update button in the Resource Manager or in any contextual menu that I could find. Saving and then re-opening that file will update it. 

 

Where's the update button?

 

image.png.e812fe7e2021a558e0004a44b84c6263.png

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1 hour ago, trashcan said:

Where's the update button?

 

References can only be updated via right clicking it in the References tab of the Navigation Palette (or Organization).

 

There isn't an update button in the OIP, but there should be! This would be incredible useful for referenced Bitmaps, PDFs, Viewports, etc. 

 

I thought I had filed this as an Enhancement Request in the past, but I'm having trouble finding it. Maybe I just thought about it...

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Found it! VE-101055. I'll add this thread as a comment on the VE.

 

Also just noticed something interesting. For Bitmaps, the OIP shows the Source as red if it's out of date. But for referenced viewports, out of date sources are NOT shown in red, so it's impossible to tell if it's out of date unless you check the Navigation Palette (which is part of what spurred me into filing this VE last year). Here's the VE:

 

 

Quote

 

Currently, out-of-date references are only indicated in the References tab of the Nav Palette / Organization window. It would be super helpful (and help reduce errors) if the OIP of a referenced Design Layer Viewport indicated that the reference is out of date, along with a button to quickly update the reference (just like SLVPs have a red update button). That way you'd always know if the viewport you're working with is displaying the up-to-date file without having to remember to check the References tab.

 

Additionally, out-of-date DLVPs should have a red hatch border just like out-of-date SLVPs.

 

A quick mock-up is attached showing how this request could look. The OIP update button and the red hatch border on the viewport are the primary things that would be helpful, though I've included some additional details that could further improve the usefulness of the OIP:

 

It'd be preferable for the filename to display the last few characters and omit the middle of the filename, since files are often versioned at the very end of the filename. Then you could quickly see WHICH version of the file you're referencing.

 

Note if you click the "Update Reference" button when the source cannot be found, this should trigger a pop-up allowing you to choose the correct filepath.

The "Edit Reference" button would be the same as right-clicking the reference in the Nav Palette and choosing Edit, letting you change cache settings or switch out which file is being referenced, for example.

 

Lastly, having a button that says "Open Referenced File" would be handy. This would be the same as right clicking the reference in the Nav Palette and choosing Open, or double clicking the Viewport and editing the Design Layer. I've noticed many folks don't realize either of these options exist, so this extra discoverability would be useful.

 

While this VE request mostly duplicates existing functionality, adding these items to the OIP will make working with referenced DLVPs even faster and more reliable. It will also make functions more apparent and accessible to users.

 

 

RefDLVP-OIPcurrent.thumb.jpg.3affc6b7a878297b2a2b672bee963688.jpg

 

RefDLVP-OIPsuggested.thumb.jpg.357f8e9f11e14ed2dbaf0ce8481a915a.jpg

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