Objects can be saved as 2D (screen plane), 3D (2D planar or 3D), or hybrid (2D screen plane and 3D combined) symbol definitions. Vectorworks products also provide thousands of symbols as part of the available content. Symbol definitions save the object properties, such as size, color, and class, within the symbol definition; these properties are retained each time the symbol is placed, and when a symbol is imported into a different drawing.
Symbols provide several advantages:
● Smaller file sizes: The symbol and its definition are stored only once in the drawing file. Placement information (location coordinates, rotation) is all that is required for each symbol instance.
● One-time editing: Changes to the symbol definition automatically update all the instances of the symbol in the drawing.
● Attached database information: The information associated with a symbol can be used to generate reports and worksheets. Information attached to a symbol is specific to that instance, allowing each instance to be edited individually.
● Ease of import: With the Resource Browser, importing symbols from one file to another is fast and easy, and any database information attached to the symbol is also imported.
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