Jump to content
Developer Wiki and Function Reference Links ×

Symbol w/Editable Fields


nicolas d

Recommended Posts

hi,

 

i have experience with parametric thinking but no experience with marionette, and i know vectorworks very well.

maybe even the way in which i formulate my question could be off.

for a preliminary masterplan design, i'm working with a building module (red in the attached file) which can be positioned in a number of ways within a base area (shown in blue).

each variation has a name according to a certain general criteria, and i have made a symbol for each of these variations.

what i would like to have is a single symbol which could adopt any of these positions through object info properties, ideally were i would write the variation name (A2, for example) and the red rectangle would show in the corresponding position. in principle, i would not want to input coordinates, but just names which are pre-associated with positions in my little system already thought out.

 

so, one question would be if my thinking that this is possible with marionette is correct. another is if it would be difficult to attempt having no knowledge like i do...

 

 

thank you!

 

SA_Builiding_Module.pdfSA_Builiding_Module.thumb.jpg.476b2622f7f831386a3391719629dee4.jpg

Edited by nicolas d
Link to comment
  • Marionette Maven

Since you state that these configurations are all stored as symbols already, it should be easy enough to write a script with an input field (either text or preconfigured popup) that would allow you to choose which configuration you want to be placed.

I believe this would meet you request, please let me know if I'm incorrect.

Link to comment
28 minutes ago, Marissa Farrell said:

Since you state that these configurations are all stored as symbols already, it should be easy enough to write a script with an input field (either text or preconfigured popup) that would allow you to choose which configuration you want to be placed.

I believe this would meet you request, please let me know if I'm incorrect.

thank you, marissa. let's see if also i understand you correctly. to me, it would be interesting and useful that one same symbol has the capability of showing different positions for its components (only one of them in this case, the red rectangle). then, for example, if i decided to make changes to the symbol's attributes, this would happen in one place only.

 

the masterplan site is organized with 18 of these base modules, and i was imagining i could place the same symbol 18 times, and then through input in object info call one variation or another for each of them (including a zero state with no building). it very quickly it arises that the master site itself could be a symbol as well, were for each of the 18 positions different variations of the modules could be called.

Edited by nicolas d
Link to comment
  • Marionette Maven

So, Symbols cannot have different configurations, this would be a Plug In object (which is saved with red text in the resource manager)

If I'm following correctly, you would have one symbol that was the same everywhere, but would want the position of the red box to move?

For this, your Marionette script would place the static symbol object first and then layer the red box over the top in whatever position is defined with your option choice.

 

I'm not sure that I am following the full goal correctly, if you could supply a simple file with a couple of the end results you're looking for I can probably make better sense of it.

Link to comment

If the only thing you need to change about the symbol is the text that it includes, then a symbol with "Linked Text to Record" will do what you want.

 

Create a Record format with a Field of type Text.

Put a Text Block as a place holder where you want the text to be.

Select the Text and the Symbol and choose Link Text to Record from the Modify menu.

You will now be able to have whatever text you enter in the Data tab of the OIP for that field show up as part of the symbol.

 

You can do something similar while editing the Symbol Definition to put the linked text on all instances of the symbol at the same time.

 

If you need the position of the objects to be different them @Marissa Farrellis correct and you will need a PIO instead of a symbol.

 

HTH

Link to comment
3 hours ago, Pat Stanford said:

If the only thing you need to change about the symbol is the text that it includes, then a symbol with "Linked Text to Record" will do what you want.

 

Create a Record format with a Field of type Text.

Put a Text Block as a place holder where you want the text to be.

Select the Text and the Symbol and choose Link Text to Record from the Modify menu.

You will now be able to have whatever text you enter in the Data tab of the OIP for that field show up as part of the symbol.

 

You can do something similar while editing the Symbol Definition to put the linked text on all instances of the symbol at the same time.

 

If you need the position of the objects to be different them @Marissa Farrellis correct and you will need a PIO instead of a symbol.

 

HTH

thanks for your response, pat. i don't need to change the text only, i know how to work with record formats and symbols, but in this case i need an object that can have multiple configurations of one of its components (the red rectangle) according to a pre-planned, limited set of variations.

Link to comment
5 hours ago, Marissa Farrell said:

So, Symbols cannot have different configurations, this would be a Plug In object (which is saved with red text in the resource manager)

If I'm following correctly, you would have one symbol that was the same everywhere, but would want the position of the red box to move?

For this, your Marionette script would place the static symbol object first and then layer the red box over the top in whatever position is defined with your option choice.

 

I'm not sure that I am following the full goal correctly, if you could supply a simple file with a couple of the end results you're looking for I can probably make better sense of it.

thank you, marissa, i would not want to take too much of your time when, even though i believe i know a great deal of vw, i do not know anything about scripting, plug in objects, or marionette. scripting was always undecipherable with vw for me, but when i discovered there exists marionette i was enthusiastic again. my students work with grasshopper, and it was interesting that i could work with visual definitions right within vw.

 

in this case, the master site is composed of 18 base modules (blue squares) that could be zero (empty with no red rectangle) or any of the variations in the catalogue i created. in order to create configurations for the master site now, i have to manually grab whichever one of the symbols i desire and place it in whichever one of the 18 positions in the site i decide, in order to create complete site configurations, which are usually a mix of 5, 6, or 7 buildings (red rectangles) and empty space between them. in the pdf i attach there are several different schemes that i produced via this manual process. (the drawing shows more context, but the site is where the red rectangles are, which can be seen to change when pages are flipped).

 

i thought that via marionette i could create an object where the blue square base and grey grid are fixed, and the position and rotation of the red rectangle are variable parameters according to a limited set of variations that i already thought and are shown in the catalogue on my first post, (the text block that accompanies the red rectangle, naming it, would have to follow the rectangle and change as well, exactly like in the catalogue). i would place this object 18 times in the master site and then decide which variation i want each object to show, via input from the object info palette... i would select each object and in the oi palette there would be a place where i could write 'A1', or 'B6', and the red rectangle would switch position accordingly (and the text would show the corresponding name). a group of 18 objects would be a 'site configuration', in its own vw layer, all above one layer containing the context, so i can work making alternatively visible many site configurations either on model or on paper space.

 

i thought this would perhaps be a simple enough task that would also allow me to start experimenting and learning marionette, but maybe i'm wrong... please don't use too much of your time for this, i guess i will start the proper way, by watching all the introductory videos to marionette, etc.

 

thank you!

San Andres_Hab_211018_Test.pdf

Edited by nicolas d
Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...