Does anyone use the VW Door Window Schedule?

[Kevin]

I have used VW for about 6 years and have never used the Door and Window Schedule function. I have tried to use it but found it too frustrating. I have and continue to manually imput data into a worksheet. This is a task that I dread.

Does anyone actually use this program function? Is it worth my time to try and understand how this works? Any tips and tricks? I am currently using VWA11.

[Robert Anderson]

What did you find so frustrating about it, exactly?

[Kevin]

Thank you Robert for responding. It has been a long time since I tried to use the schedule feature. It would have been using VWA9. I do not remember the exact problems, but here is what I remember.

1. Door and window sizes would not show up in the schedule.

2. I could not customize the schedule format. I do residential work and do not need the commercial items such as fire rating. I could not figure out how to change that.

3. The type of window or door would not show up. The schedule would not show if the window was casement or double hung, etc.

4. I still do not fully understand the concept of record formats.

I posed this topic because I see that VWA11 is more refined and perhaps it is time to give this feature a second try. I would really like to use it as I hate to manually enter door and window information. If others are using this sucessfully then I should learn how to do it.

Any assistance that you could render would be great. Thanks Robert.

[bclydeb]

Kevin,

I have used spreadsheets to do door and window scheds. since a long time back. I currently use the door and window schedule features of VW11.x.x in both commercial and residential work. While the "canned" schedules are oriented to commercial they are adaptable to residential. Secrets to mastering the door and window (and for that matter any) schedules begin with setting up the data gathering features of the program. Doors and windows made using the parametric objects automatically relate to the door and window database and to the schedules when you check the "On Schedule" option at the bottom of the door and window object info dialogs. The amount of data you need depends on the depth of what you want to show in the door/window schedule on the drawings.

Simply creating a door or window using the door or window object tool and then opening the door/window schedule creates entries in some of the table data columns, for example the height, width and thickness columns. If when creating the object - say a window - you can enter manufacturer identification and model number and fill in other variable parameters, many of which appear on the schedule in the setup dialog and/or Object Info palette.

The major key to identifying the door/window object with a particular entry on the schedule is to use the Object ID tool and, as you use it - fill in all pertinent information in the dialog box that you know. This includes head jamb sill detail references, location in the building, etc. The main secret to using this tool correctly is to select the id tool and pick a location point then drag the mouse to connect with the object to be identified with the ID symbol.

Several things happen here. One is that you do not have to preselect the type of object you are identifying with an ID tag. The tool is smart enough to figure out that you touched a door or window and then opens an appropriate dialog box for that type of object. The dialog allows, nay begs you, to select ID features such as incrementing numbers and prefix-suffix info like DR to ID a door say - or to suffix the ID number with say a common way of calling out size (3068) or maybe a hardware group ID (A1). Or just be simple with a number, since the ID symbol automatically chooses common graphic conventions like circle for door and hexagon for window. There is a data entry table lower down in the dialog which permits entering items like type of glass, hardware group ID, fire ratings, manufacturer and model number (Windows), etc., including remarks.

Modifying the schedule spreadsheet to simplify to a residential type use is straightforward spreadsheet editing. - You can move columns back and forth, select sort orders, retitle any column. Delete any unecessary columns and generally edit it to compose the schedule you'd like to see.

If you are familiar with using spreadsheets to create database rows, you can make a custom schedule spreadsheet that fits your unique practice.

The question often arises - how do I change the data. Resizing say a door from 2'8" to 3'0" can be done by modifying the door object on the drawing. Editing the ID symbol entails selecting the ID symbol tool again and double clicking the ID symbol on the drawing to bring up the dialog to change schedule items which are not in the object info palette. This allows one to give doors and windows (and other objects) an initial identifying symbol, enter in the known data at that time, then later as more info is known, reselect the ID symbol and add or change pertinent data items, which will then be reflected in the appropriate schedule.

The schedule can be displayed on any drawing layer, or perhaps prefereably, directly on an appropriate Sheet as VW11.x.x defines/uses Sheets. The advantage of putting the schedule on a Sheet allows the schedule to be readable using say 10 0r 12 point type, while the drawing is at a scale in a viewport which is appropriate to displaying the drawing. Of course the drawing scale neds to allow the object ID symbol text to be clearly read.

I hope my long instructional piece is clear enough to be helpful.

[Kevin]

bclydeb;

Thank you for taking the time to write all of that. Good to know you have sucess with this feature. I will try what you have written.

[Ejsen]

That was a great short course in the Id/ schedule process. The only thing missing was how to deal with the way the worksheet orders the incremented entries. Why can't they just be ordered in a numerical fashion rather than what I would call an integer fashion?

[jnr]

I agree with eric. Say on a door schedule, ID numbers are listed in the order they were created and not sequentially. I have not been able to figure out how to get them to compile sequentially. It does not help the contractor if the door #'s are out of order. Furthermore, sometimes doors no longer used in the design, mysteriously appear in the list eventhough they have been deleted. By the way, impressive response bclydeb.

Incidentally, I have taken to getting my window representative to give me PDF files of a window + door quote. I simply slap those into the drawings. This gives me elevation, size, RO, finish, etc. I don't have to re-enter all of that information a second time (or make mistakes doing so). It saves a lot of time.

[Robert Anderson]

The IDs are sorted in an alphanumeric sort. Use leading zeros for single-digit numbers: 01, 02, etc.

[jnr]

Robert :

If it is an alphanumeric sort, can you explain then why my window schedule for a single story house with Id's assigned by the tool, is in the following order down the schedule: D-3,D-6, D-2, D-4, D-5, D-5, D-1, D-6, D-5? (the same door does repeat in the plan). I believe this is the order in which I labeled the doors with the tool.

(Sorry, I could not figure out how to represent the full schedule in this forum)

[Robert Anderson]

That's because your list is not sorted. Select the database range and drag the sort icon into the column header of the ID column.

[Travis]

I think this whole thread, but especially bclydeb's tutorial, should be posted as a how-to. This issue comes up every few months and it would be good to have it a little more easily accessed.