Savvy Position Label User Guide

Savvy Position Label

version 1.0.0

User Guide

Created by Joshua Benghiat

Joshua Benghiat Lighting Design

Introduction

Requirements | Installation | Support

 

Getting Started

Adding to your Workspace | Registration | Overview

 

In Detail

– Placing in the Drawing

– Linking to a Position

– Object Parameters

– Known Issues

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Introduction

The Savvy Position Label is a plug-in object for labeling lighting positions and providing automatically updated notes about the position.

Savvy Configuration

Choose from numerous configuration options, allowing the Label to confirm to your personal drafting standard. The Savvy Position Label supports text styles and classes for granular control of its presentation.

Savvy Placement

The label is a separate object from the Lighting Position Object, so you can nudge or duplicate independently from the position. You can, optionally, have the label move with the position.

Savvy Label Text

Because you don’t always display the same position name on the plot that you use in the paperwork, the Savvy Position Label lets you display the first word, last word, just number, or custom text, with a prefix or suffix. Pipe A displays as A. #2 Electric becomes 2E, etc, while still automatically linking to the position name.

Savvy Note

An optional note lets you add tokens to automatically display US DS and SL SR coordinates, location, trim height, and pipe length, which always stay up to date.

Position labels with note text
Position labels with note text

Requirements

Vectorworks® Spotlight 2016–2017

Installation

If you haven’t already, download the Savvy Linesets Installer from the JBLD downloads page.

  1. The installer package must remain a zip file. If your system automatically unzips archives, right-click on the download link and select “Save Link As” to prevent your browser from auto-expanding the download.

  2. In Vectorworks, select Tools > Plug-ins > Plug-in Manager

  3. Select the Third-party plug-ins tab

  4. Click the Install… button

  5. Navigate to and select the saved installer zip file

  6. Read and confirm the EULA

  7. Vectorworks should notify you that installation is complete and to restart Vectorworks

If you experience trouble with the install script, please see the following FAQ on where plug-ins install.

Support

Please visit http://BenghiatLighting.com/software/support for support options and to report bugs.

You may also email software(at)BenghiatLighting.com.

 

Getting Started

Adding to your workspace

  1. Select Tools>Workspaces>Edit Current Workspace.

  2. Click the disclosure triangle next to JBLD in the list of Menus categories on the left hand side.

  3. Drag tue “Add Savvy Position Labels…” menu command to the menu tree on the right side.

  4. Select the Tools tab.

  5. Click the disclosure triangle next to JBLD in the list of Tools categories on the left hand side.

  6. Drag Savvy Position Label to an existing palette on the right or create a new palette.

  7. Click OK.

Registration

The first time you use the Savvy Position Label, Vectorworks will ask you for a registration number or demo code. You can also access the registration dialog through the “About” button in the object’s Object Info palette. The Savvy Savvy Position Label will not draw without a valid code, however if you remove the Savvy Position Label plug-in from your user folder, you will still see all lineset objects but in a locked state.

Overview

Insert the Savvy Position Label via the object tool or the included menu command. Labels can link to a Light Position Object for the label text and data displayed in the Label’s note, or you can enter custom text. A variety of display options are available in Object Info.

 

 

Placing in the drawing

The Savvy Position Label insertion tool

  1. Select the Savvy Position Label insertion tool SPLIcon

  2. If you want to immediately link the label to a Light Position Object or set an unlinked position location, make sure the Link Button LinkIcon is enabled in the mode bar.

  3. Optionally, select the Alignment parameter for the label in the mode bar. See Parameters.

  4. Optionally, set the insertion alignment of the label. The origin of the label is the first character for Left Alignment, last character for Right, and center for Center.

  5. Click in the drawing to insert the label and set the rotation.

  6. If you selected the Link mode, click on a Light Position Object to set the link. You will see the Position Object highlighted as you hover over it with your mouse. Alternatively, click on a point to designate a position location that appears in the label’s note.

The Add Savvy Position Labels menu command

  1. Select Light Position Objects to which you want to add labels.

  2. Select the Add Savvy Position Labels… menu command.

  3. Select options in the dialog:

    The position option sets the position of the label around the Light Position Object, as well as Alignment and Arrow Angle parameters so that the arrow points towards the Position.

    The offset specifies the distance from the edge of the position to the insertion point of the label. A positive value measures away from the position in any direction.

    Show options will raise the default parameters dialog before placing labels.

Linking to a Position

Linking Labels to Positions synchronizes the Label with the Position name and moves the label when you move or duplicate the position. Linked labels can also automatically display the Position’s Length, Trim (z height), and Location field in the Label’s note.

Inserting Position Labels using the above methods link the Label to a Position.

To associate an existing Label with a Position, click the Set Link button in Object Info. In the resulting dialog, select from a list of positions in the drawing, identified by name, or choose Click on drawing to select to exit the dialog and select a Light Position Object in the drawing.

You can also use this dialog to unlink the label from a Position.

Object Parameters

As with all Plug-In Objects, the first time you place a Savvy Position Label object in a document, Vectorworks will ask you for default parameters. You can set the default object parameters for the document by selecting the object’s tool, then clicking on the parameters button Plug_In_Pref_Button in the mode bar.

 

Parameter Description
Text Style Pick a text style for the label. To set a default text style, use class options to set the text style by class.
Linked to Read only field displaying the name of the position to which the label is linked.
Set Link Raises a dialog where you can select a Light Position object to link to the label. You can also opt to click on a position object or unlink the label from a position.
Alignment Left / Center / Right: Determines the text alignment and arrow position for the label.
Move with position Enable this to move the label as you move the position, as though they are grouped. Moving the label, however, does not move the position.
Label
Label Display Determines how the position name displays in the label.
Full: The full name.
First word: The first word, before a space. E.g. “1 Electric” would be “1.”
Last word: The last word, after a space. E.g. “A Pipe” would be “A.”
Only Number: Extracts a number from the name. e.g. #4 Elec would be “4.”
Custom: Ignores the position name and uses the text field below.
Cust. Label Use with the Custom label display option to completely override the position’s name.
Prefix Adds a prefix before the label text.
Suffix Adds a suffix after the label text.
Shape
Container Circle / Rectangle / Rounded rectangle / None: Choose a container for surrounding the label. The circle container will surround the first or last character in left or right modes.
AutoFit Fit the container to the label text.
Width If AutoFit is disabled, specify the size of the container, in page units.
Draw shadow Add a drop shadow to the container. This is a distinct option from the drop shadow capability in Vectorworks 2017.
Arrow type Triangle / Arrow / None / Symbol: Choose an arrow that points from the label to the position. You can also select no arrow and a custom symbol for the arrow.
Symbol If you select the Symbol option above, specify the symbol here. This is a text field for ease of copy and paste. Use the button below to select a symbol resource.
Select symbol Select from available symbols.
Arrow Angle 90 / 0 / –90 / Custom: Sets the arrow straight, up, or down, depending on orientation. Select Custom to set an angle via the field below.
Cust. Angle Enter a custom arrow if chosen above.
Arrow scale Scale the arrow to refine the look of the label. A scale of 1 equals 100%.
Note
Show note Enable this to show a note below the label.
Note Style Optionally, set a separate text style for the note.
Wrap note Enable this to wrap the note to the length of the container.
Note The note text. This field is for easy access and copy / paste.
Edit note Presents a dialog for editing the note. The note can be multiple lines and can insert tokens for X Coordinate, Y Coordinate, Distance from Centerline, SL/SR (depending on if the X coordinate is negative or positive), Location, Pipe Length, and Trim.

X Coordinate, Y Coordinate, and Distance from Centerline take their data from the Label’s Position control point, which defaults to the Light Position Object’s insertion point. Move the control point or set the data fields below to specify any point in the drawing.

Location takes its data from the Position’s Location field, which can store a lineset number or other location data.

Pipe Length gets its data from the length of Lighting Pipe, Straight Truss, or Line geometry used for the Light Position Object.

Trim gets its data from the Light Position Object’s z height. A setting can specify an offset for the display trim if trims are not measured to the stage floor.

NoteDialog
Rounding Round the coordinate data by this value.
Auto position note Enable this to automatically position the note below the label.
Leader Line
Position X, Y The coordinate of the position that displays in the note. This also corresponds to a control point in the drawing. If the label is linked to a position and set to move with the position, this coordinate will adjust as you move the position.
Draw leader to position Draws a leader line from the label to the position coordinate.
Leader type Straight / Bezier / Shoulder: Choose the type of leader line.
Add symbol Add a symbol to mark the position location, for example a boom marker or rigging point.
Symbol Name The name of the symbol. This field is provided for ease of copy / paste.
Symbol Rot Rotation of the position marker symbol.
Select symbol Choose an available symbol resource for the position marker.
Classes
Auto-Class Enable this to class each component with default class names. The prefix for subclasses can be determined in settings.
Container Class Class for the container geometry.
Arrow Class Class for the arrow. If no by-class options exist for the arrow, it will fill solid black.
Shadow Class Class for the container drop shadow.
Leader Class Class for the leader line.
Note Class Class for the note text.
 
Update Any changes to the Light Position Object that affect the Savvy Position Label text, placement, or note should automatically update the Label, but this button will force an update to catch any unreflected changes.
 
Settings… Set settings that affect all Savvy Position Label Objects
About See version and registration information

Known Issues

  • Adding special fields to the note text makes use of the clipboard. After exiting the dialog, the special field token may remain on the clipboard.

  • The Savvy Position Label tries to detect if you are duplicating labels and positions together or just labels. Selecting multiple labels with a position to duplicate, for example labels that flank a position, can be unpredictable. In this case, select only the position, and let Savvy Position Label duplicate the labels for you.

FAQ

###