Using the Resources Palette

To open the Resources palette

    Select Resources from the Palette menu.

    The Resources Palette appears.

To locate and use a resource using Find

    1. From the Palette menu, select Resources.

    The Resources palette appears.

    2. Click Find.

    The Find Resource dialog box will appear.

    3. Enter the name of the resource you want VectorWorks to search for in Name.

    You can click Set Where (Macintosh) or Browse (Windows) to use your operating system's file tree to locate a desired directory. A dialog box appears. Select the file folder that you want to search. Click OK. You are returned to the Find Resource dialog box.

    4. Click OK.

    5. Follow procedures specific for that resource type.

To locate and a use a resource using the file tree

    1. Open the Resources palette.

    2. Navigate through the File Tree and select the resource.

    3. Follow procedures specific for that resource type.

Adding Resources to the Palette

You can add resources to the Resources palette by importing them or by creating them from scratch. Adding symbols is done through the symbol creation process as described in this chapter. Other resources are added through their own creation process.

To add resources to the palette

    1. Create or import the resources.

    2. Save the file.

    3. If the resource is a symbol or script, move it to the desired location within the palette.

To duplicate a resource

    1. Select the resource, in the Resources palette, that you wish to copy.

    2. Click the Duplicate button on the Resources palette.

    3. Enter a name for the new resource.

    4. Click OK.

    The resource is duplicated exactly under the new name.

Creating New Symbols

To create new symbols

    1. Select the object(s) you want to change into a symbol.

    Note: You can also create a hybrid symbol by selecting both 2D and 3D objects before clicking Create Symbol.

    2. From the Organize menu, select Create Symbol.

    The Create Symbol dialog box appears.

    3. Enter the name you want to give the symbol in the textbox after Name.

    There is a limit of twenty characters for the name.

    4. Tell VectorWorks what point on the object you want to use as the symbol's insertion point.

    Click Plan Projection Center (2D) or 3D Object Center (3D) if you want the center of the object, as determined by its bounding box, to be the symbol's insertion point.

    Click Next Mouse Click if you want to hand-place the symbol's insertion point.

    Note: In 2D, if you place two loci in a symbol, they will mark where the wall will be broken if the symbol is inserted into a wall.

    5. Click Options.

    The Insertion Options dialog box appears. This allows you to choose how the symbol will break the wall.

    This dialog changes the default from this point forward. It does not make a global change to all symbols of this type.

    6. Click OK.

    If you selected "Next Mouse Click," the Bull's-eye cursor will appear. Move the cursor to the point you want to use as the symbol insertion point and click.

    VectorWorks will remove the original object(s) from your drawing file. Your new symbol will now be listed in the Resources palette in the VectorWorks folder under the current title of your active document.

    Note: Symbols provided with VectorWorks are stored in the files in Toolkit folder. However, you are free to store the symbols you create in any other location.

To create Hybrid symbols

    1. Create a 2d object.

    2. Create a 3D object

    3. Select both objects

    4. Follow steps 2 through 6 above.

    The 2D object will then be seen when in a 2D view and 3D object in any 3D view.

Inserting Symbols

Inserting Symbols in 2D

To insert a 2D or Hybrid symbol with general insertion

    1. Open the Resources palette.

    2. Navigate through the file tree and highlight the desired symbol.

    The symbol appears in the selection box on the bottom of the palette.

    3. Click the arrow to move the symbol into the active symbol window.

    4. Select the 2D Symbol Insertion Tool from the 2D Tools palette.

    5. Click 2D Insertion mode.

    6. Click the desired alignment mode.

    Alignment modes are only available during the feedback segment.

    7. Click to set the location of the symbol.

    8. Rotate or flip the symbol.

    Without clicking a second time, move the cursor slightly away from the insertion point to allow for rotation. If you click a second time without moving the mouse, the symbol is positioned exactly as inserted. Move the cursor to rotate the symbol to the desired orientation.

    Note: In Click-Drag mode, you must click and hold the mouse to insert the symbol and still be able to rotate it. A quick click eliminates the ability to rotate or flip the symbol and locks the orientation of the symbol as it's placed.

    For symbols placed outside of walls, moving the mouse rotates the symbol about the insertion point.

    For symbols placed inside of walls, moving the mouse flips the symbol about one of two axes: up and down or left and right.

    9. Click to set the symbol.

    If you want to place another copy of the symbol in your drawing, move your cursor to another location and click. The active symbol remains active until another is chosen.

To insert a 2D or Hybrid symbol into a wall with offset insertion

Note: Before you insert a symbol into a wall, consider which 2D insertion mode you wish to use.

    1. Open the Resources palette.

    2. Navigate through the file tree and highlight the desired symbol.

    The symbol appears in the selection box on the bottom of the palette.

    3. Click the arrow to move the symbol into the active symbol window.

    4. Select the 2D Symbol Insertion Tool from the 2D Tools palette.

    5. Click 2D Offset Insertion mode.

    6. Click at the reference point.

    The reference point is the point at which measurement will begin for calculating the offset distance for the placement of the symbol.

    A locus appears when the reference point is clicked.

    The reference point does not have to be within the wall.

    The symbol will now only appear when your cursor is over a wall.

    7. Click the desired alignment mode.

    Alignment modes are only available while your feedback segment is active for the symbol.

    8. Click to set the location of the symbol.

    9. Orient the symbol.

    Without clicking a second time, move the cursor slightly away from the insertion point to allow for orienting the symbol. If you click a second time without moving the mouse, the symbol is positioned exactly as inserted. Move the cursor to move the symbol about one of two axes: up and down or left and right.

    Note: In Click-Drag mode, you must click and hold the mouse to insert the symbol and still be able to flip it. A quick click eliminates the ability to flip the symbol and locks the orientation of the symbol as it's placed.

    10. Click to set the symbol.

    The Enter Offset dialog box appears.

    This dialog box lists the calculated distance for the offset using the reference point you set. This calculation is not generated directly from the reference point to the symbol but rather from the distance along a line that is generated from a line that intersects the reference point perpendicular to the wall and one that intersects the insertion point perpendicular to the wall.

    11. Click OK or enter a new value.

    If the offset distance is as you wish, click OK.

    If you wish to change the offset distance, enter the new value and then click OK.

    The reference point locus will disappear.

    The drawing will be updated to reflect your changes.

Inserting Symbols in 3D

The 3D Symbol Insertion Tool lets you precisely place a single 3D symbol in your drawing when it is in Orthogonal projection mode.

Note: There is no symbol preview for inserting symbols in 3D.

To insert symbols in 3D

    1. Open the Resources palette.

    2. Navigate through the file tree and highlight the desired symbol.

    The symbol appears in the selection box on the bottom of the palette.

    3. Click the arrow to move the symbol into the active symbol window.

    4. Select the 3D Symbol Insertion Tool from the 3D Tools palette.

    5. Click 3D Insertion mode.

    6. Click to set the location of the symbol.

    7. Orient the symbol.

    Without clicking a second time, move the cursor slightly away from the insertion point to allow for rotation. If you click a second time without moving the mouse, the symbol is positioned exactly as inserted. Move the cursor to rotate the symbol to the desired orientation.

    Note: In Click-Drag mode, you must click and hold the mouse to insert the symbol and still be able to rotate it. A quick click eliminates the ability to rotate or flip the symbol and locks the orientation of the symbol as it's placed.

    For symbols placed outside of walls, moving the mouse rotates the symbol about the insertion point.

    For symbols placed inside of walls, moving the mouse flips the symbol about one of two axes: up and down or left and right.

    8. Click to set the symbol.

    If you want to place another copy of the symbol in your drawing, move your cursor to another location and click.

Symbol Pick Up Mode

The Symbol Pick Up mode "picks up" any symbol already in place in your drawing and makes it the active symbol. This way you do not have to select the symbol in the Resources palette.

Note: You can quickly switch to Symbol Pick Up mode by pressing and holding the Option (Macintosh) or Control (Windows) key. The next 2D symbol you select from the drawing becomes the active symbol.

To pick up a symbol

    1. Click the 2D Symbol Insertion Tool.

    2. Click the Pickup mode button.

    3. Click a symbol in the drawing.

    This makes it the active symbol. Note that the symbol is not highlighted (selection handles do not appear).

    You are automatically placed back in either 2D Insertion mode or Offset Insertion mode, depending on the last mode used.

    4. Choose a mode if you want to change it.

    5. Insert the symbol according to the instructions for the mode you are using.

Painting Symbols

The Symbol Paint Tool lets you quickly array multiple copies of a symbol in your drawing when it is in 2D Plan Projection mode. It works like taking a paint brush to your drawing, except it only places the paint at set intervals, using your Snap Grid settings. For example, you could use it to fill a large area on your drawing with tree symbols. The Symbol Paint Tool only works when you have the Snap to Grid constraint turned on.

    1. Double-click Snap to Grid on the Constraints palette.

    The Set Grid dialog box appears.

    2. Enter the desired criteria

    3. Click OK.

    4. Select the desired symbol in the Resources palette.

    5. Select the 2D Symbol Paint Tool from the 2D Tools palette.

    The standard arrow cursor changes into tiny cross hairs (two crossed lines).

    6. Select the desired mode.

    Select the No replace mode if you want VectorWorks to place new symbols on top of existing symbols in your drawing.

    Select the Replace underlying symbol mode if you want VectorWorks to replace existing symbols with the new symbol any time you spray it near the existing symbol's center.

    7. Click to mark the placement of your first symbol and drag the mouse to paint copies of the symbol.

    The mouse button can be held down to paint but the paint function will work if the button is not depressed.

    8. Click to stop painting.

Changing Symbol Appearance

Replacing Existing Symbols

To change a symbol instance's definition with another

    1. Select Object Info from the Palette Menu.

    The Object Info palette appears.

    2. Select the existing symbol.

    The Object Info palette will be populated with the symbol's information.

    3. Click the Replace button.

    The Replace Symbol dialog box appears with the name of the existing symbol.

    4. Click the desired new symbol.

    Only the symbols that are currently part of your active VectorWorks drawing are listed. You can use the file tree structure to navigate through folders and locate the desired symbol.

    5. Click OK.

    All selected old symbol instances are replaced with the new symbol in your drawing.

    Note: Replace Symbol uses the setup for the symbol you are replacing. Future occurrences of the symbol you are replacing with are unaffected by these settings.

Rotating Existing Symbols

For 2D, a text field is available for entering a rotation angle. In 3D, a dialog box is invoked for rotating a symbol.

To rotate a 3D symbol

    1. Select Object Info from the Palette Menu.

    The Object Info palette appears.

    2. Select the existing symbol.

    The Object Info palette will be populated with the symbol's information.

    3. Click the Rotate 3D button.

    The Rotate Object in 3D dialog box appears.

    4. Enter the desired criteria.

    Select the center of the rotation and the rotation axis.

    Enter the Rotation Angle.

    5. Click OK.

Changing Symbols In Walls

Once a symbol has been placed in a wall, VectorWorks allows you to perform some special actions, each of which is performed within the wall structure. You can flip the symbol in the wall, position the symbol, or completely replace it.

To flip a symbol in a wall

    1. Select Object Info from the Palette menu.

    The Object Info palette appears.

    2. Select the existing symbol in a wall.

    The Object Info palette will be populated with the symbol's information.

    3. Click the Flip button.

    For each click of the flip button, the symbol is flipped in a series of four rotations.

    4. Click until the desired orientation is reached.

To position a symbol in a wall

    1. Select Object Info from the Palette menu.

    The Object Info palette appears.

    2. Select the existing symbol.

    The Object Info palette will be populated with the symbol's information.

    3. Click the Position button.

    The Position Symbol dialog box appears. It contains a graphical representation of the current position. The current reference point for the position is indicated by a black circle. Other possible reference points are indicated by unfilled circles.

    4. Click the desired reference point.

    The selected point becomes a black circle.

    5. Change the position value to the desired value.

    6. Click OK.

To change how a symbol interacts with a wall

    1. Select Object Info from the Palette menu.

    The Object Info palette appears.

    2. Click the desired symbol.

    The Object Info palette repopulates to show the criteria for the selected symbol.

    3. Change the desired criteria.

    You can change the insertion point location, the wall break style, and the height of the symbol in the wall.

    To change the insertion point location, click on the pulldown menu and select either Left edge, Center line, or Right edge. The position of the symbol in relation to the insertion point changes accordingly.

    To change the wall break style, click on the pulldown menu and select either Full break with caps, Full break without caps, Half break, or No break. The appearance of the wall where the symbol is inserted changes accordingly.

    To change the height of the symbol in the wall, click in the text box and insert a new value.

Editing Existing Symbols

When you select a symbol instance in your drawing, the Edit Symbol command replaces the Edit Group command on your Edit menu.

To edit a symbol

    1. Select the symbol instance that you want to edit.

    2. From the Organize menu, select Edit Symbol.

    Note: If you use this command with a hybrid symbol, you can only edit one version of the symbol at a time. For example, if you are in 2D Plan Projection when you select the command, you will be able to edit the 2D version of the hybrid symbol. When you are done, you can edit the 3D version separately by changing to a 3D projection and then selecting the Edit Symbol command. For 3D objects, you can only edit the object's contents (definition) in 2D.

    VectorWorks automatically creates a Drawing Area that contains only the symbol you want to edit.

    3. Make your changes to the symbol in this area.

    4. Click the Exit Symbol button.

    This is located in the top-right corner of your Mode Bar. This will take you back to your main Drawing Area or, if you are editing a group that is nested in other groups, the button will take you back one group.

    All instances of the symbol will be updated.

Editing Symbol Insertion in Walls

You can change how a symbol is inserted into walls. This change applies to all instances of the symbol from this point on.

To change the insertion of symbols for walls

    1. Select the symbol in the Resources Palette.

    2. Click Edit.

    3. Click Insertion Options.

    The Insertion Options window appears.

    4. Choose the desired options.

    5. Click OK.

Editing Symbol Instances

As explained under the Edit Symbol command, if you edit one symbol instance in your drawing, the changes you make will automatically be made globally, changing all instances of that particular symbol in your drawing. The Symbol to Group command lets you edit only the symbol instance that you have selected, leaving all other instances of the symbol in your drawing untouched. You then have the choice of leaving the edited symbol as a group in your drawing, or of turning it into a new symbol.

Note: Before you can use this command to edit a symbol instance that has been inserted into a wall or any hybrid object, you must first drag the symbol outside of the wall/object.

To edit the instance of a symbol

    1. Select the individual symbol instance that you want to edit.

    2. From the Organize menu, select Symbol to Group.

    3. Make your changes to the selected symbol.

    Because you are working directly in your drawing file, you don't need to do anything else to continue working on other elements in your file.

    Save as a new symbol or leave only the instance changed. Further changes to the original symbol will not affect this instance. The object is no longer a symbol but now an object.

Shallow Symbol to Group

If you edit a symbol in your drawing, the changes you make will automatically be made globally, changing all instances of that particular symbol in your drawing. The same principle holds true when you combine several individual symbols to create a new symbol.

The Shallow Symbol to Group command lets you edit a single instance of this new, combined symbol in your drawing, leaving all other instances of that combined symbol--as well as all other instances of the individual symbols nested within it--untouched in your drawing.

You then have the choice of leaving the edited combined symbol as a group in your drawing, or of turning it into a new symbol. This commands is used only when you have nested symbols.

Note: Before you can use this command to edit a symbol instance that has been inserted into a wall or any hybrid object, you must first drag the symbol outside of the wall/object.

To edit a single instance of a combined symbol

    1. Select the individual combined symbol instance that you want to edit.

    2. From the Organize menu, select Shallow Symbol to Group.

    3. From the Organize menu, select Edit Group.

    4. Make your changes to any or all of the nested symbols that are part of the combined symbol.

    5. Click the Exit Group button.

    Your changes are made and only apply to the nested instances of the symbol.

Exit Symbol

The Exit Symbol command gives you another way to exit the new Drawing Area that opens when you are editing a symbol. Instead of clicking the Exit Symbol button, which is located in the top right corner of your Mode Bar, you can select the Exit Symbol command from the File menu. Both methods will take you back to your main Drawing Area.

Creating A New Symbol Folder

You can create a new folder in which to keep your symbols. This provides you with a way of organizing your symbols.

To create a new symbol folder

    1. Select the symbol in the Resources palette.

    2. Click New.

    The Select Resource dialog box appears.

    3. Select Symbol Folder.

    4. Click Create.

    The Assign Name dialog box appears.

    5. Enter the name you want to assign to your new symbol folder.

    6. Click OK.

    If there are no other symbol folders in the current drawing, VectorWorks will automatically place the new folder in your current drawing file.

    If there are other symbol folders in the drawing, then a dialog box appears allowing you to select the location of the folder in the symbol hierarchy.

Renaming A Symbol

You can rename a symbol.

To rename a symbol

    1. Select the symbol in the Resources palette.

    2. Click Rename.

    The Assign Name dialog box appears.

    3. Enter the new name you want to use for your symbol.

    4. Click OK.

    VectorWorks will change the name of that symbol in your drawing file.

Deleting A Symbol

You can delete a symbol from the drawing.

To delete a symbol

    1. Select the symbol in the Resources palette.

    2. Click Delete.

    A dialog box will appear asking you if you really want to delete the resource.

    3. Click OK.

    VectorWorks will remove all instances of the symbol in your drawing file, replacing them with loci.

Moving A Symbol to Another Folder

You may wish to group your symbols according to topic or placement. You can move symbols between folders.

To move a symbol

    1. Select the symbol in the Resources palette.

    2. Click Move.

    3. Select the folder you want to move the symbol.

    4. Click OK.

    VectorWorks will move the symbol to the folder in your drawing file.

Attaching Database Records To Symbols

Use these directions if you want to attach the record to all future instances of the symbol in your drawing file. If you want to attach it to only one symbol instance, you need to use the Object Info palette. See "Using the Resources Palette" for more information.

Note: A record must be part of your drawing file before you can attach it to a symbol.

To attach a record to a symbol

    1. Select the symbol in the Resources palette.

    2. Click Attach.

    A dialog box appears.

    3. Select the record you want to attach.

    4. Click the Attached checkbox.

    5. Click OK.

    VectorWorks will attach the record to all future instances of that symbol in your drawing file.

    Note: You can unattach a record in the same way--click the Attached checkbox to clear it, and then click OK.

    This procedure attaches the current defaults of the record to the symbol. To change these defaults, edit the symbol according to the directions found in "Editing Existing Symbols" .



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