AEC Schedule - Lookup table for different Manufacturers

[kdevaney]

Hi all,

So, I'm familiar with creating Property Set data and schedule styles and all, but I am having trouble wrapping my brain around the following, so if someone else has experienced this, I would love to know how you tackled it in the simplest way possible:

I need to show a schedule for Windows and Doors, that will read the drawing or selection, and list all the door and window types.  Now, that is not so bad, but there is a caveat that I can't get past. 

We offer two or more Manufacturers for said windows and doors and are being asked to show tags on our floor plans that reference a table that says:

"For window type "1", ship either Manufacturer A - Part No. X, or Manufacturer B - Part No. Y  

What I can't wrap my brain around right now is how to get Property Set data to know that "1" means both of those parts, and not one or the other.  The way this is supposed to work, is for each of our plans we are to have only the types ("1", "2", etc.) that are currently shown on that plan, and if one of those windows or doors change to a different type, have the schedule update automatically.

I would prefer not to need to write a LISP or Vlisp that does this, but am open to using VBscript in the Property Set Data, I am just unsure of how to write that into a Formula.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Kevin D.

[David_W_Koch]

I am not 100% clear on what you would like in the Schedule Table. If I understand correctly, each Window or Door will have a numeric tag, unique to its "type". So, for example, there will be Windows of various types, designated "1", "2", "3", etc. For any given type, there are two alternate manufacturers, with associated model numbers, part numbers, and other data which could be different.

You then say you want the Schedule Table to indicate that either is acceptable and that if the window changes to another type, that the information would update automatically. Does that mean that you want to show both manufacturers and data at all times, and if a particular window changes from type "1" to type "2" that the data for both manufacturers of type "2" would then show?

Would you only ever want to show data for two manufacturers at most, or could there be situations where three or more alternates would need to be shown? Any of this probably could be done, but the more options each window or door type has to accommodate, the messier it will be. What you would need to do is set up two (or more) sets of properties into which to enter the required data, one for each manufacturer. Then you would need a formula property for each data item that would concatenate the data from manufacturer "A" and manufacturer "B", separated, perhaps, by some consistent text string, and then use the formula properties as the columns in your Schedule Table Style. If you could have a type that has just one manufacturer and model, you could get clever with the formula property so that it would not add the separator text if the second manufacturer property value was blank. (Pretty easy with just two; more of a challenge with three or more.)

What version of ACA are you using? I may have some time over the next few days to play around with this, but would not want to do so in a version that you would not be able to open.

[kdevaney]

To answer your reply, Yes to both.  Each window and door type will be designated by a unique tag, and each tag, in the schedule, should show all the manufacturers at all times.

Right now, there are only two Manufacturers, but I am seeing the possibility of (for at least one of the manufacturers) needing to show more than one series for each.

To throw another monkey-wrench in there, what I need to use to differentiate the "type" of the window is its width and height properties, or from the standard size list.  Or at least that would be the most ideal, because then a user could insert/modify the window, choose the standard size, and the tags and schedule could update accordingly.

i.e.: For a 2'-10 1/8" width and 5'-5 1/4" height window object (we need to draw to the worst case Rough Opening size in plan), we need to offer either an Andersen "2856" window, or a Silverline "2/8x5/6" window.

Does that help?

[kdevaney]

Ok, so far what I can gather is I may need to create a formula that contains all the Tag letters I am going to use and all the part numbers that I want each tag to be displayed, as one Formula for each Manufacturer.  

Right now I have each Tag letter set in the StandardSizeDescription (the "Name" of each standard size), saved in the Window Style.  So, for example, I have a window style with three standard sizes in it.

Size labelled "A" has a standard size, "B" has a different size, "C" is the third size.

I then also have a Property Set Definition I am using that has a Formula Property Definition with the following code in the formula:

If [StandardSizeDescription] = A Then
RESULT = "2852"
ElseIf [StandardSizeDescription] = B Then
RESULT = "2862"
Else [StandardSizeDescription] = C Then
RESULT = "3046"
End If

 The idea was to have the Formula spit out the nomenclature for this window's part number by saying "If the standard size is set to "A", return value "2852" to the formula".

However, even in the Result field, it is not giving me an example result that is intended.  In the Sample Values, I have set the [standardsizedescription] property to "C" (no quotes).

Of course, then, when I schedule my windows, the Column that shows this Property Set shows the entire formula in the Cell.

Is my syntax wrong?  From other help sites and forum posts, it does look like this should work unless I am missing something stupid, which as I'm juggling several projects, that is entirely possible.

Note: I did select the [standardsizedefinition] from the list in the Property Definitions window.

Thoughts?  (and of course if someone thinks there is a better way to do this, that would be more ideal than listing each window tag and type in here anyway..)

-KMD

[David_W_Koch]

You will want to enclose both the property reference and the standard size designator in double quotes:

If "[StandardSizeDescription]" = "A" Then
(etc.)

When a single property can have more than two possible values, you may want to consider a Select Case Statement.

Select Case "[StandardSizeDescription]"
Case "A"
Result = "2852"
Case "B"
Result = "2862"
Case "C"
Result = "3046"
Case Else
Result = "InvalidSize"
End Select

You can find more detail on the VBScript Select Case Statement in this blog article
http://architects-desktop.blogspot.com/2005/07/structureflow-in-formula-properties_09.html
or on the Microsoft Developer Network site
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/6ef9w614.aspx