Creating Data Tag Styles

The Vectorworks resource libraries provide many commonly used tags, such as window and door type IDs and date stamps. If you need a tag for a different type of object (such as columns), or to display different data (such as window dimensions), create a custom data tag style.

To create a data tag style:

1. Do one of the following:

●        From the Resource Manager, select an existing data tag resource in the active file to use as a starting point. Right-click on the resource and select Edit from the context menu.

●        Select an existing data tag in the drawing to use as a starting point. From the Object Info palette, select Convert to Unstyled from the Style list. Select the Create Plug-in Style command, or right-click on the tag and select New Plug-in Style from Unstyled Plug-in from the context menu. From the Create Symbol dialog box, select the destination folder for the data tag style.

The Data Tag Style dialog box opens.

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Style Name	Enter a name for the new style
Use Leader	Select to draw a leader line with the tag, and then specify the leader parameters
Leader Type	Select line, arc, or Bézier as the line type
Default Shoulder Length	Enter a default length for the leader shoulder in page units, or enter 0 (zero) for no shoulder; after placement, you can move the shoulder control point to adjust the length
Leader Radius	If the Leader Type is arc, enter the arc radius in page units
Marker	Select to include a marker at the end of the leader, and then select the marker style; for details, see Marker Attributes
Leader/Shoulder Class	Select an existing class, or create a new class. Select <Data Tag Class> to place the leader in the same class as the data tag object.
Horizontal Position	Specify whether to extend the shoulder left or right from the leader line; select Auto to vary the shoulder position automatically according to the tag position
Move _ with Object	Specify whether to move the entire tag or only the end of the leader line when the associated object is moved
Allow Multiple Attachment Points	Enables the leader to attach to the tag at the nearest attachment point, defined by loci in the tag layout
Auto-Placement Settings	These settings are used to position data tags by default, when they are placed with Select Eligible Objects mode. Measurements are in page units.
X/Y Offset	Enter the X and Y offsets from the center of the bounding box of the associated object, as projected onto the notation plane.
Leader Length	If Use Leader is selected, enter the length of the default leader line
Leader Angle	If Use Leader is selected, enter the angle of the default leader line
Align to Walls/Objects	Select to rotate the tag to the angle of the associated object; for walls, data tags will be rotated as if they are inserted in the wall
Always display Edit Tag Data dialog	For a tag that has a user-entered field, select this option to display a data entry dialog box each time the tag is placed in a drawing
Edit Tag Layout	Opens a tag editing window, to define the geometry of the tag and the data fields that display on it

2. Enter the desired parameters for the data tag. For each parameter, specify whether it is to be set by style, or by instance. Style parameters have a fixed value established by the style; instance parameters can be set independently for each instance of the object in the drawing (see Concept: Plug-in Object Styles).

3. Click Edit Tag Layout.

In the tag editing window, draw the geometry of the tag in page units using any planar graphic tools. The origin (0,0) point is always the primary attachment point for a leader line, if used. To define an alternate attachment point, add a 2D locus to the geometry, and enable Allow Multiple Attachment Points in the Data Tag Style dialog box.

4. Use the Text tool to add static and/or dynamic text objects to the tag. From the Object Info palette, specify the appearance of the text; see Formatting Text for more information about the options available.

●        Static text simply displays the text object on each tag.

●        Dynamic text displays data from the tagged object (for example, the width of the window) on each tag, in place of the text object. To create dynamic text, select the text object and click Use Dynamic Text from the Object Info palette. Then click Define Tag Field to open the Define Tag Field dialog box.

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Field Label	Enter the text that displays for this field in the tag layout, and in the Edit Tag Data dialog box, if this is a user-entered field
Calculated Field	Select this option to use data pulled from the drawing in the field, or to use automatically incrementing numbers or letters. You can include multiple data sources in the same field.
Current Tag Field Definition	Variables are placed in this field automatically by your Data Source selections. You can manually add static text or punctuation, as well as simple arithmetic operators (which operate on numerical fields only). For example, to display the price of an appliance with a 10 percent markup from the actual price in the appliance record, you might enter something like this: #Appliance Record#.#Price# + #Appliance Record#.#Price# * 0.1
Data Source	Specify the source of the data to display on the tag. Different options are available for each source. ●        Object Parameters: Select the Object Name and which Parameter Name to use (for example, window and window width). ●        Record Format: Select the Format Name and which Field Name from the record format to use (for example, plant record and light range). ●        IFC Entity: From the Select IFC Object dialog box, select an object; the object displays in the IfcEntity field. Select the pSet Name and Property Name to use. To use one of the IFC entity’s “base” values (such as “name”), select the IFC entity name from the pSetName list. ●        Object Function: Select an object-specific Function (for example, area). ●        General Function: Select a general Function (for example, sheet number). ●        Incrementing Value: Select a format for the value (integer, lower-case character, upper-case character). Then click Sequence Settings to enter the Start Value, Increment, and Next Value to use.
Add to Definition	After you select the details for a data source, this adds the appropriate variables to the Current Tag Field Definition window
User-entered Field	Select this option to allow the user to enter data for the field when the tag is placed
Field Type	Select the type of data to enter in the field: ●        Text: Field for entry of a string of characters, such as a word or sentence ●        Integer: Field for entry of whole numbers (uses less memory than a Real Number field) ●        Boolean: A check box ●        Real Number: Field for entry of general numbers, or numbers of a specific format, such as fractions, dimensions, or dates; click Define to specify a format ●        Pop-up: List of options to select from; click Define to enter the options
Define	If the Field Type is Pop-up, opens the Edit Choices dialog box. Enter the options to display, pressing Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac) to separate each item. If the Field Type is Real Number, opens the Number Format dialog box; select a format. ●        General: The default general number format ●        Decimal: Enter a value for the number of decimal places, and specify whether to use commas as separators ●        Scientific: Enter a value for the number of decimal places ●        Fractional: Enter the rounding value for fractions ●        Percentage: Enter a value for the number of decimal places. Entries are multiplied by 100 and display with a percent symbol. ●        Dimension: Displays the current unit mark after the number (as in " for inches) ●        Dimension Area: Displays the current area units after the number (as in “sq ft” for square feet) ●        Dimension Volume: Displays the current volume units after the number (as in “cu ft” for cubic feet) ●        Angle: Select an accuracy setting (degrees, minutes, or seconds, or decimal numbers up to eight decimal places) ●        Date: Select a date format
Default	Specify a default value. You must enter a default value for Integer and Real Number type fields.

5. When you are done editing the geometry and text fields on the tag, click Exit Tag Layout Edit. The new style is added to the Resource Manager for the current file and is now available for use with the Data Tag tool.

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Adding Data Tags and Labels

Editing Data Tags

Concept: Plug-in Object Styles

Editing Plug-in Object Styles

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