Introduction to Worksheets in Vectorworks 2008-2010

These spreadsheets, or worksheets as they are called in VectorWorks, are linked to the source of information so the worksheet can be updated when the source changes or to put it another way, if you edit the things in the drawing the spreadsheet can be updated easily.
[ms-protect-content id=”34491,34492,34493, 34494, 34495, 34496, 344927″]The most powerful worksheets in VectorWorks are databases linked to Symbols or Plug-in Objects listing the data entered in the different fields.  As you add these objects into the file you can update the worksheet and check the information.  An example of this would be a bracing spreadsheet that tracks the bracing objects in the drawing.  As you add bracing objects the worksheet tracks the number, type and length of the brace and puts this information into the worksheet, telling you if you have achieved enough bracing in each direction.
We can classify the worksheets into a few different groups depending on the nature of the worksheets:
Count / select objects ( generally symbols ) through the file.  They do not need to have a record attached and they need not be in the same Class or Layer.  We can choose to count symbols on a specific layer or assigned to a specific class.
Do mathematical operations with the parameters of drawn objects: areas, perimeters, volume etc.  Name the objects (Object Info Palette) and find properties of them and their combinations
Create reports using symbols with records and list the field values from the symbols in the report.
Area Calculation for Site Coverage
Worksheets in VectorWorks are very powerful and can be programmed to search for information in different ways.  We can search for information by its pen colour, weight, line style, class, layer, kind, etc.  You can even search for named objects.

If you had a file with a site plan and a house plan sitting on the site, you could count the area of the house, the area of the house and the percentage of the site coverage.

The worksheet could calculate the area of the site, the area of the house and the relationship of the site to the house.

Creating a Worksheet

We want to build a worksheet that will find the house and the site, report their areas in a useful format and calculate the site coverage.

When setting up a worksheet it pays to plan out what you want to achieve and what criteria you will use to select the elements on the screen that you want.

In this case we will be using their names that we assigned to them.

•Make sure that the Resource Browser is open (from the Window Menu).

•Right mouse click in a blank area of the Resources palette.

•From the pop-up menu choose  New Resource in Filename > Worksheet…

•Make the worksheet 5 rows high and 2 columns wide.

•Name the worksheet Area Calculation.

Filling in The Headings

•Start at the top left cell, click here.

•This is cell A1.

•Type in Site Area Coverage.

•Click on the green tick.

VectorWorks will accept what you have typed in.  If you make a mistake, click on the red cross, VectorWorks will revert to whatever was there before you did any typing.

•Leave a line blank and move down to cell A3.

•Type in Site Area.

•Click on the green tick.

•Go to cell A4 and type in Building Area .

•Click on the green tick.

•In cell A5 type in % Cover.

•Click on the green tick.

Creating the Calculations

We haven’t yet told VectorWorks how or where to get the information from.  The site boundary and the house polygon  have been named so we can use this to get information from the drawing into the worksheet.

•Click in the cell B3, this is where we will be putting our formula to find the site area.

•On the worksheet window there is a down pointing arrow.  Click on this and you will see a list of commands.

•Select Paste Function…

•This display a list of all the worksheet functions.

•Choose your Function.

•Click on the Done button.

•Back to the down pointing arrow, this time choose Paste Criteria…  Criteria are the search filters that VectorWorks will use to find information in your file.

•Put an = in front of the area and it will become a formula.

Click on the green tick to see the result.

[/ms-protect-content]