Brett Brown Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 Hi All, I assume Vectorworks can import text and label databases from other CAD programs in for example CSV format? I have searched the Help and this Forum and nothing comes up. Surely I don't have to type thousands of text descriptions one by one into a Vectorworks database file? Quote Link to comment
Pat Stanford Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 Can you explain your problem differently? Vectorworks will import any text objects in a supported Import file format. There should be no need for a second import. Where is your data coming from and what are you actually trying to do? Can you post a file you are having trouble with for us to look at? Quote Link to comment
Brett Brown Posted March 28, 2022 Author Share Posted March 28, 2022 Hi, you have a Callout tool and General Notes tool that uses text databases. So how do I get my existing text databases from other CAD programs into the Vectorworks databases to use? I haven't tried any way as I can't find any instructions on how to do that and what format it needs. Hence the question. Quote Link to comment
Pat Stanford Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 @michaelk, you mentioned in May 2021 that @The Hamma had a way to create a Noted Database. I can't find it in the forum. Can either of you point us to it or help @Brett Brown out? Quote Link to comment
The Hamma Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 (edited) So I had a file of keynotes and everything in the file was previously separated by Tabs. Like so I created an excel by importing the file in as a tab delimited file to create this Then I added two columns in front of the text and copied the section header into column B like so. We need to add a UUID to column A so I used a UUID generator site like https://www.uuidgenerator.net/version4 but it does not include the brackets, so I placed it in another excel file in the second column and added brackets to the first and third columns like so Save that file as a tab delimited text file and delete all the tabs, then you can past it into column A of the other file like so. The rest of the steps are outlined in this video 2022-03-28 17-40-25.mp4 Edited March 29, 2022 by The Hamma 2 Quote Link to comment
Pat Stanford Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 @The Hamma Thank you for the very clear explanation. I would probably skip the Tab Delimited save step to get the brackets. I would probably add three column in the front and paste in the UUIDs to the first. In the second I would put a formula of ="{"&A1&"}" replacing A1 with whatever cell has the UUID. Select and Copy the concatenated formula and Paste Special, Paste Values. This could either be in a different column or directly on top of the data you just copied. Delete the unneeded extra UUID columns and you are ready to export. Or even easier, just create a custom format in Excel of {@} This will automatically put the brackets around whatever you put in the cell. Then you don't ever need any extra columns 🤦♂️ 2 Quote Link to comment
Pat Stanford Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 So to be completely clear, the text file that is the database needs to include four columns. Completely unique UUID surrounded by curly brackets/braces Section Description Note Text Does it also need the NotesManagerDataFile text at the top and the 0 End of Notes text at the bottom? Does it need the list of sections manually entered at the bottom or will that be created when you open the text file in the Notes Manager? Quote Link to comment
The Hamma Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 @PatStanford The {@} custom format works great. Thanks for the tip. I forgot to mention once the database is created it is much quicker (in relation to file saves) to edit in Vectorworks as an XML format so I would save as XML format from the callout dialog and disregard the TXT format if you only intend to edit and delete callouts from Vectorworks. Quote Link to comment
The Hamma Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 5 minutes ago, Pat Stanford said: Completely unique UUID surrounded by curly brackets/braces Section Description Note Text Yes it does need this exactly as described 5 minutes ago, Pat Stanford said: Does it also need the NotesManagerDataFile text at the top and the 0 End of Notes text at the bottom? Just tested it and all that is need is the "NotesManagerDataFile" text at the top 11 minutes ago, Pat Stanford said: Does it need the list of sections manually entered at the bottom or will that be created when you open the text file in the Notes Manager? This is created by Vectorworks if the file is edited. Quote Link to comment
michaelk Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 I did the same thing, but I used a script to put VW generated UUIDs into a worksheet. Quote Link to comment
rowbear97 Posted April 29, 2022 Share Posted April 29, 2022 I have tried this per the steps above with the suggestions from Pat Stanford above and the added information is visible in the Notes.txt file yet when I open it in VW the new section does not appear in the list? Any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong. My working theory is that as I'm working on a Mac that the numbers formatting may be interfering with the successful integration. Quote Link to comment
Pat Stanford Posted April 29, 2022 Share Posted April 29, 2022 What is the exact path to the Notes.txt file that has the extra section added? Quote Link to comment
ashot Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 As of July 2023 (VW SP6) I want to share my solution for a problem when Database General Notes.txt or XML can not be located such as in this screenshot The solution I finally found was to use a command: Text / Reconcile Notes... and then choose the current Database with .xml extension in my user Folder. Before getting my final answer I spent hours and days reading on VW forum. Thanks to David Hamer who helped me with UUID, but the solution was just to Reconcile Notes. 3 Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
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.