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standards vs template files, what is the difference?


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Updating my template files and browsing through my workgroup folders....what is the difference between the standards file and template file for everyday use?  I have a template file that I load up for all new projects, but I do recall occasionally needing to pull things in from a standards file.  Can someone explain best practices here?

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You can save all your classes in a .vwx file + put it in the 'Standards' user folder. This means this file will be accessible from the 'New Class' dialog box, allowing you quick + easy access to all your classes. The same applies to design layers + sheet layers but I only really use it for classes. Every time I create a new class I save it to my standards file for future reuse.

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1 minute ago, Kevin Allen said:

I keep my classes in my template.

 

I prefer my templates to have very few classes + let the symbols, PIOs, etc bring in the classes which are relevant to the file in question or bring them in myself from the standards file. Otherwise every file would have hundreds of unnecessary classes in them. You can access the standards file from everywhere (PIO dialogs etc).

 

I don't seem to get any of the VW auto-generated classes. I think because I have a preference turned off somewhere. But that's how I prefer it.

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

You can pull in the VW-Auto generated classes by creating a new class in organisation and choosing the relevant file from the list. 

 

Interestingly you can save your own file in this list for pulling in your own classes as and when you need them.

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4 minutes ago, TomWhiteLight said:

Interestingly you can save your own file in this list for pulling in your own classes as and when you need them.

This is exactly the process I am describing.

 

I found the setting I have turned off, thereby avoiding the annoying auto-generated classes:

 

519083848_Screenshot2022-03-31at17_31_23.png.0dfe6d9875e17b2eae93075a1d7262d5.png

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7 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

I found the setting I have turned off, thereby avoiding the annoying auto-generated classes:

 

I'll look but pretty sure I do not have this ON. I do have lot's of classes, but I HATE it when I bring in an object or I am training and showing library content and I am bombarded with classes.

 

I loping ago, edited and renamed 'none' and 'dimension' and they update always. Now if I could get rid of the classes that PRG and VER seem to think I need...

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1 minute ago, Kevin Allen said:

I'll look but pretty sure I do not have this ON. I do have lot's of classes, but I HATE it when I bring in an object or I am training and showing library content and I am bombarded with classes.

 

I loping ago, edited and renamed 'none' and 'dimension' and they update always. Now if I could get rid of the classes that PRG and VER seem to think I need...

 

I hate it to too + actually thinking about it the reason why I have so few outside classes is probably less to do with any setting I've got turned off + more to do with the fact I'm using all my own symbols + PIOs + they're set up exactly the way I want them...

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I would be so happy,

if we had a simple XML or Text File for auto-generated Classes

for our Workgroup Folder.

 

What it is currently generating on the left,

enter a Name as it should be on the right

and VW would just use those Class Names and Settings ....

 

Or better a nice GUI Dialog.

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14 hours ago, grant_PD said:

So really the vwx file in the standards folder is just for importing classes? I have them all in my template file so they just get loaded up when I start a new project.  Is there anything else that can be stored in the standards file and then used?  

Classes, design layers and sheet layers.

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I'm wondering with the methodology of "Materials", Data Tags, and other smart tools, if having more classes will dimish to where we have less classes. I've used classes to manipulate textures, Sheet VP information, and other features. If more information is not class based, then we can have less classes.

 

But, will that be easier? 

 

I haven't committed to materials yet - still used to classes with assigned textures. 

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  • 8 months later...
On 4/1/2022 at 10:16 AM, Christiaan said:

Classes, design layers and sheet layers.

I also have Worksheets, styles, label legend and saved view ... 

The reason why I have classes and design layer in my templates file is for  saved view with classes and design layer visibility 😉

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On 3/31/2022 at 7:26 PM, TomWhiteLight said:

You can pull in the VW-Auto generated classes by creating a new class in organisation and choosing the relevant file from the list. 

 

Interestingly you can save your own file in this list for pulling in your own classes as and when you need them.

Can you be a bit more specific how you can get your own Class/Layer file to populate to this dropdown list? image.png.2b12054a86ab899c330ecada36055499.png

 

Is there possibility to this Class/Layer standards file to be in Work Group folder and populate from there to all my team members?

Nevermind, I found right folder, was looking for same thing awhile back and could not find a thing.

 

For future reference, folder where list populates is (in windows, don´t know about MacOS) C:\Program Files\Vectorworks 202X\Libraries\Defaults\Standards

And path in Work Group, Work Group 2023\Libraries\Defaults\Standards

 

Is there option to remove files that we most probably don´t need (most files in this list) and only makes finding right info harder for users? Answering to my own question, yes there is, remove files from Standards (User)folder. But is there option to remove those files from all team members at once? Now everyone should remove those by hand to get easy access to company standard file(s). Not gona happen, I say. I understand the need to have more widely accepted standards available ex. for UK users but again not all users need those at all. Some way to easily filter this list would be nice feature. Maybe to have tick box or save able filter to choose where to "read" available files. If I don´t need files from user folders or Work Group folder, then I filter that option away. This would be easier to handle than removing files from every user computer.

 

To me template file sets program / document settings and some basic things that you need all the time.

Standards file would hold ex. Classes/Layers.

After that most things should be in Work Group folder in right places that specific tools can use those in their settings and people can find styles, symbols and all other bits and pieces to get similar looking documents out from company and everyone does not waste time to make same things by them self. What is right folder for what objects is different discussion. Sometimes tools look objects from very strange places. There must be reasons for that but at times it is just strange. 2023 might have made things bit easier but I don´t have experience to say much about that yet. 2022 still going strong...

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