Automatically created classes

Several classes are created automatically by features in the Vectorworks Design Suite products, regardless of whether standards have been established at setup. See Setting class properties. Examples of automatically created classes include:

NonPlot (Vectorworks Architect): This class is created as part of doors and windows. The loci that define the window and door edges are created in this class, which is normally set to Invisible so that the loci are hidden.

Redlines (Vectorworks Architect, Landmark, Spotlight): This class is created by the Redline tool. All redline objects are placed in this class, which allows all redlines in the file to be shown or hidden. This class is toggled to visible and invisible by the Show or Hide Redlines command.

Guides (Vectorworks Architect and Landmark): This class is created and used by selecting Modify > Guides > Make Guide.

The Wall Framer command (Vectorworks Architect) creates the following classes: Framer-Block, Framer-Sole Plate, Framer-Header, Framer-Stud, Framer-Sill, and Framer-Top Plate.

Site-DTM-Modifier (Vectorworks Architect and Landmark): This class is created by the Pad, Texture Bed, Grade Limits, and Spoil Pile objects. The roadway objects include pad and grade limit objects if the Use Site Modifiers and Use Grade Limits check box is selected from the Object Info palette. This class is toggled to visible and invisible by the Show or Hide Site Modifiers command.

Irrigation objects (Vectorworks Landmark): Many classes and sub-classes are automatically created when placing irrigation objects. The design and calculated information display depends on their usage.

Object auto-classing

Auto-classing is the automatic assignment of certain objects to a default class. Many plug-in objects in the libraries provided have been pre-assigned to the proper class according to the drawing standard for the Vectorworks Architect and Landmark products (VWArch).

If the Enable Auto-classing check box is selected in Standard naming, then these plug-in objects will be automatically placed in the designated class as they are added to the drawing. The object’s class is created automatically if it does not yet exist.

If a file has not been structured according to setup standards, or the Enable Auto-classing check box is not selected, the objects are placed in the active class (some objects, however are automatically classed regardless of the setting). The objects, upon regeneration, are assigned to the proper class if the file is later set up. Any symbol, when created, can be set to default to a class from the Symbol Insertion Options dialog box.

If you use a naming standard other than VWArch, the default class of the object libraries must be reset.

Save a backup version of the object libraries before editing them. See Concept: Resource libraries.

To set the default class of all the symbols in a library file:

Select File > Open.

The standard Open dialog box opens.

Select the Libraries folder, and then click Open.

Select the first object library file to convert, and then click Open.

The selected file opens in the drawing window.

Select the command.

A warning dialog box opens. Click Yes to acknowledge converting all symbol definitions in the file to the new default class name.

The Enter String dialog box opens.

Enter the default class name for the symbols.

Ensure that the name is spelled correctly to match the desired custom class standard. This command can be undone if necessary. If the name matches an existing name in the file other than a class, an alert dialog box opens.

Select File > Save to save the changes.

Repeat steps 1 through 6 for each object library.

Any time that symbols are used from this file, they will take on the specified class as their default class.

The command does not distinguish between one symbol definition and another. All symbol definitions in the file will take on the new class name. For that reason, to use on custom libraries, run the command on a copy of the file.