Import Text Database

[Brett Brown]

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?

[Pat Stanford]

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?

[Brett Brown]

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.

[Pat Stanford]

@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?

 

[The Hamma]

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

 

 

  

Edited March 29, 2022 by The Hamma

[Pat Stanford]

@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 🤦‍♂️

[Pat Stanford]

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?

[The Hamma]

@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. 

[The Hamma]

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. 

[michaelk]

I did the same thing, but I used a script to put VW generated UUIDs into a worksheet.

 

[rowbear97]

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.

[Pat Stanford]

What is the exact path to the Notes.txt file that has the extra section added?

[ashot]

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.