Jump to content
  • 0

Plant tool seriously messed up in VW2022 - Please Fix!


hollister design Studio

Question

I wrote about this here but got no response.

 

There is no direct way of changing Plant Tool Preferences - links to global Plant Tool settings are no longer available under the "wrench and pencil" button's "plant tool preferences" - this instead now leads only to individual plant object style settings (see other thread for screen caps of this).

The plant tool defaults to the last placed plant data for spread, height, and spacing. 

Previously plants were inserted at their style parameters and could be adjusted per instance, if the style setting allowed this.

 

Attached video description

  1. Open the plant tool.
  2. select a plant style
  3. place it - no matter what plant object parameters are the first plant comes in at 10' spread and 15' height (and the following plants come in at the last inserted plant objects parameters.)
  4. notice in OIP that spread and height do not match style data.
  5. right click to edit style.
  6. change size parameters from "by instance" to "by style"
  7. click ok
  8. now plant is correct size height. - BUT now you can't individually set the parameters to custom size/height.
  9. right click to edit style.
  10. change size parameters back to "by instance".
  11. click ok
  12. Plant stays the correct size AND is individually customizable.
  13. BUT NOW if you select another plant object (like a large maple) it will come in at the previous plants parameters.
  14. If you do the above to get the plant style to work, this now resets the plant tool to this plants parameters (in this case the maple is 15' x 15')
  15. switch back to a small helianthemum, the plant tool inserts at the last plants size.

 

This is NOT the behavior of 2021 or 2020

 

In 2021 when I click on the 'Plant Tool Preferences' button in the tool bar I get the "Advanced Plant Preferences' menu with global 'Plant Tool' options. Here you are able to set the TOOL to use "by style" parameters. All plants are inserted at their style parameters and can be adjusted per instance if the style allows this.

 

In 2022 when I click on the 'Plant tool Preferences' button I get the 'Plant Preferences' menu - this menu adjust the active plant objects plant style preferences and doesn't seem to directly affect the plant tool globally.  And it doesn't have an option for 'use Plant Style' for any of the size/spacing options.

 

SCREEN CAPTURE:

 

 

 

 

PLEASE FIX THIS

You made the plant tool less usable and disabled custom plant symbol sizes.

Obviously if I leave the style set to 'by style' i won't have this problem.

But then there is no possibility to have custom plant symbol sizes.

Custom plant symbol sizes are invaluable when laying out dense planting beds.

 

And on top of that I have hundreds of custom plant simpls that are set to "by instance" as that worked perfectly well in pervious versions.

 

 

 

 

 

advanced plant preferences.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment

20 answers to this question

Recommended Posts

  • 0

Having this very same issue right now with a deadline.  It appears the 'Mass Plants' toggle button has been replaced with 'Apply fill across plant grouping.'  I've resolved a few of the issues by unchecking this.

 

Do you know by the way how to batch -revert to 2021?  I wonder if this is possible.  I've stupidly already batch converted the projects I'm working on and deleted the old files.  Now I'm screwed.

 

 

Edited by lgoodkind
Link to comment
  • 0
  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Hi all

We are aware of this issue. It is actually only a problem in SP2 and has been caused by another change. Our engineers are working on a fix (internal ref VB-184074). But, you can revert to 2022 SP1.1 and you will find that the plants will pick up height and spread from the style again, even if those properties are set to By Instance in your object style definition.

 

To revert to SP1.1, you can use the Vectorworks 2022 Updater application, which you'll find in the same folder as the Vectorworks application. Click on Advanced Options to display the menu. Click and hold either the Alt or Option key, and the option to change version will be displayed. If you revert to SP1.1, I believe you will find the Plant tool works as expected. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
  • 0

Here's a thought:

Maybe clicking on the 'Plant Tool Preferences' button could open a menu called 'Plant Tool Preferences'.

 

Formerly it opened a menu called 'Advanced Plant Preferences' - a menu that although not named 'plant tool preferences' was in-fact the Plant Tool's preferences.

In 2022 it just opens the plant object preferences - with no plant TOOL options at all.

And no hint as to how to get to the tool preferences.

 

This is a bit confusing... either rename the button or rename the menu!

Link to comment
  • 0

One more thing.

 

@Tamsin Slatter - how do we get to the 'plant tool preferences' now in VW2022?

 

 

For example:

In 2021 I would set the tag display to 'none' universally by clicking on the wrench and pencil button...  how do I set the tag display to 'none' universally in 2022?

BTW this is because you've shown me the benefits of using Data Tags instead of plant object tags for my planting plans!

Link to comment
  • 0
  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Firstly, the changes to the Plant to move to a true Object Style was requested by many customers, because it enables the rapid change of multiple plants on the drawing, by simply editing the style.

 

However, it does mean that the tag information is also now tied into the Plant Style, and is no longer set as a tool preference. (The dialogue box is no longer called Tool Preferences, because all the options are now controlled by style).

(Yes, Data Tags are the way forward). 

 

So, in SP1.1 the properties of the Plant Style were populating the Plant Tool based on the style settings, regardless of whether the property was By Instance or By Style. However, as the Tag properties had also become part of the Style definition, this was causing problems, as the styles you all have in your libraries may not have been set up in a consistent way. Our engineers fixed this in SP2. However, the fix also introduced the issue you were then seeing with the Height and Spread, in that it was using whatever was last used in the tool as the height and spread. So, reverting to SP1.1 will solve the height and spread, but not solve the tag issue. 

Our engineers are thinking this through very carefully, as we need to ensure that any change will make as many people happy as possible. 

 

Meanwhile, we recommend that any libraries you create should start life with ALL properties set to By Style. If you wish to override anything, you can do this by duplicating the Plant and changing the properties in the duplicate. (This will also ensure you don't have issues with multiple instances of Plants with differing properties that do not report correctly on the schedule). 

BUT, we are aware you have existing libraries where the properties may not be By Style. Our engineering team are working on a script which can be used to convert the styles properties to either By Instance or By Style, but I'm afraid this is not available yet.

Link to comment
  • 0
  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Our industry expert @Katarina Ollikainenand I had a meeting with the engineers yesterday and discussed the way forward with this. We expect a resolution in the early part of the new year.

 

In the meantime, if you would like to send me a file which contains ALL the plants you want updated, via a PM, and tell me which parameters you want updated, we can get this done for you. For example, I know you want the tags all set to By Style and None. I can also set the Height and Spread to By Style as a workaround to the issue.

 

There is a script, but it is not something that can be run on a public release of our software.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
  • 0

For the most part I like where the 2022 version is going.  However, I have a large library of plants with plant sizes set and estimated pricing set for each plant which is all now going to have to be put in after the fact... not good.  This fix does not need to wait until next year.  

 

Update: after more research I'm realizing that each plant in my library has to have any characteristic I want to come in with it set to 'by style' in the library file.  I just recently got my library of plants just the way I wanted them.... That's a lot of grunt work.

Edited by gbland
  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • 0

I think we are having a similar problem - when using a symbol from our library all parameters come in as set to individual instance - which means that we are manually having to open each item and select by style which is fixing it for that project and appears to get everything to show up as it used to.  this is very time consuming.

 

Are we missing something - is there a function e can select first which ensures all parameters are set to use style so our symbols come into the file like this.  It is seriously making every planting plan take twice to four times as long.

Link to comment
  • 0

@Tamsin Slatter

I just downloaded SP2.1

 

Not sure about other issues I was having with the plant tool (like Z value), but the plant size issues seem good!

 

Thanks for front-lining this for us!

 

edit: Unfortunately, the Z value for plant objects has not been fixed for SP2.1 - hopefully next update!

Edited by hollister design Studio
  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • 0
On 1/12/2022 at 7:00 AM, hollister design Studio said:

@Tamsin Slatter

I just downloaded SP2.1

 

Not sure about other issues I was having with the plant tool (like Z value), but the plant size issues seem good!

 

Thanks for front-lining this for us!

 

edit: Unfortunately, the Z value for plant objects has not been fixed for SP2.1 - hopefully next update!

Hi,

how did you download sp2.1?

My VW updater says up to date but I still have SP2

 

 

Link to comment
  • 0
On 1/24/2022 at 8:35 PM, zoomer said:

You can try to start the Updater App directly.

You can find it somewhere inside the VW 2022 App Folder.

(Inside on macOS, inside a Subfolder Windows)

 

Usually the Updater will Update itself first and find new Updates

after its restart.

 

Hey thanks for the reply.

Tried opening the updater app, still says up to date... says my version is Vectorworks 2022 27.02 (OZ-SP2).

I'm on Windows and in Australia if that makes a difference.

Still running into the spread and height bug with plants, very frustrating as I've been needing to create lots of plant styles for a new project and haven't been able to.

 

@Tamsin Slatter Is there anyway to get a manual link for SP2.1?

 

Thanks

Ash

Edited by Ash
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
Answer this question...

×   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...