Replacing all windows in project with another

[ViolaB]

Hi folks,

 

Is there a way to replace all Windows A in my entire project with Windows B? I also have Windows C that should remain unaffected.

 

Basically, my brain blanked and I put the wrong windows in half my building 😅I was able to find Modify > Convert > Replace with Symbol but that only works on selected windows. I have 8 storeys I'd need to manually go through and was really hoping there's a better way.

 

I've followed quite some tutorials by now but I have no recollection of seeing a function like this. This is the first big project I'm using VW for, so my workflow is also not ideal or fast yet. Mistakes will be a-plenty, haha.

 

I'm using VW21 SP3 educational license in the Architect workspace. My windows are inserted with the Symbol Insertion Tool and show up as Exterior Joinery In Wall in the Object Info Pallet.

 

Thanks and cheerio,

Viola.

[zoomer]

You should work with Window Styles.

These are thought to do what you want.

 

You set basic things, which differ between Windows, like width and height,

in Styl as editable, while other settings that define the character of all Windows,

like Wood vs Plastic Windows, are set fixed by Style.

 

This way you could select as much of your Windows as you want, replace their Style

to any other Style with one click from the dropdown.

 

 

Windows by Symbol in Wall is only needed when you need very customized Windows,

which the Window Tool does not offer. These Symbols offer total geometric freedom

but have disadvantages over standard Window PIOs though.

[ViolaB]

Thanks! I still need to manually select the windows I want to change, if I understand correctly. I was hoping there was a global 'find and replace', but it doesn't seem like there is. I do have Project Windows setup at least, so it's still a dropdown function pretty much. I mainly wanted to avoid having to manually find and replace the wrong ones. Thanks again!

[zoomer]

Not necessarily,

 

if you have a custom Window Style which is applied to all Windows,

You can either do all changes directly in your Window Style Edit Dialog

and all Windows will follow.

Like making all Sash interior Faces now using a red paint, in one go.

 

Or you keep a few different Window Styles to prepare for your clients changes,

and switch between these.

(Select all Windows (in Wall) by magic wand tool, in OIP, Style Drop Down,

Replace with .... Style new)

 

 

You can also create a new Style (e.g. also from your current Window !)

Select all your current "non-styled" Windows and apply that Style.

So you can change all at a time.

 

A Style has, for each value, 2 options by a button switch,

Allow that value to be overwritten manually from each separate Window's Settings

(Usually used for Window width, height, corner Window or not, ...)

or

Lock that value by Style preset.

(Everything that controls the characteristic of Windows, like Jamb/Sash dimensions,

Materials, .... )

 

[Kevin K]

Yeah, that is why I am not a fan of window and door styles....

Say you want to quickly run a script to select all of your windows ( and/or doors) and change the trim to on all the windows to 2x2 instead of 1x4....you can't, to my knowledge, if you use styles.

 

[Pat Stanford]

If they trim width is By Style, then you have to edit the style to make the change. If the trim width is By Object, then you can do exactly what you want Kevin, Select and edit them all in one go.

 

To me By Style is great for things that you always want to be the same (similar to symbols), but not so good when you want an object to be different from the others. With a symbol you would Covert to Group. With a Styled object you would either replace the style or Convert to Unstyled Object so you can edit everything.

[TomKen]

If  Windows A, B, and C are all Window Styles.  You can open window A in the Resource manager open the Import General Settings dialog and choose import from Window B.

This of course means that window style A and B would now be exactly the same. 

[ViolaB]

Thanks everyone! It's fixed now 😃 I used a combination of what Zoomer and TomKen suggested (made an extra copy of the file to play around in).

 

I need to keep on eye on Styles and Classes more in the future, they're still quite confusing. There's so many settings! I'm not entirely sure what overrides what in the end, but I'll get there.

 

Thanks again!