What is the measurement system used in the Symbols editor? I tried to create a very simple dimmable fluoro of 1.5m long but the measurement system in terms of the points placement is counter-intuitive and there is nothing in the help file. After 5 attempts I settled for a slightly out of scale object. It would help if the points placement corresponded to real dimensions. I also tried to use the Scale function which changed the points placement but did not seem to change the object size.
It seems that to get the newly scaled object to read I had to clear out the old one in Symbols, Key and Beams.
The newly created object will not respond to the Duplicate or Mirror functions but it will respond to R&R and Move. I can't recall having this problem before so perhaps it is a Snow Leopard thing.
I don't quite understand the Symbol ID system. Is there a list of these somewhere that we can see and edit. Is there something on a help file?
Key and Symbols editor issues
Key and Symbols editor issues
Lanternz
The symbol ID is how other applications identify a symbol. This is vital for the built-in symbols because they are stored in the application, rather than in each plot.
The namespace of symbol IDs is different for built-in vs. custom symbols. Built-in symbols have a numeric ID. Custom symbols must have a non-numeric character in their ID. (This is how symbols are identified as being custom or standard.)
Custom symbols can be stored in files and then LXKeyEditor uses the symbol ID to retrieve the symbol and associate it with a key entry. Custom symbols are always stored as part of the key. So, once a custom symbol is inside a key entry, the symbol ID ceases to have importance (unless it is changed associating a different symbol with the key entry).
Custom symbols become part of the key entry so that they can travel without being dependent on an external file in order to be drawn. This means that when you send a plot containing custom symbols to someone, they do not need to have the symbol installed in their library.
Because key entries that contain custom symbols store a copy rather than referencing a file, if the file is changed, the key entry will not change. There are several ways to get the key entry to re-import a symbol. These are the same as associating a symbol in the first place. You can either use the key editor's symbol palette to pick a symbol from the library, re-enter the symbol ID in the properties which reads the symbol with that ID from the library, or copy the symbol from the symbol editor and paste it into the key entry.
In the case of the copy and paste method, the symbol ID isn't really necessary. But, it is a good practice to assign a symbol ID because that symbol can be used for a different entry in the future. Take a 6x9. One venue might have Altman 6x9's and another theatre might have a Strand 6x9's. The symbol for 6x9 is the same. But there are two different key entries that use that symbol. Perhaps you have an automated fixture that you are sure will be the only use of that symbol. But, you still might use different key entries, each with a different control protocol specified in the device info. (If you were using these in the same plot, you'd probably want to modify the symbol in order to clearly mark the difference.)
It is interesting that you request scale units. I just got tired of using a calculator to compute points. So I was working on making LXSymbolsEditor display the point coordinates in scale as well as px units when I read your message. This is available in LXSymbolEditor 0.9.3414.
The thing about the scale units is that there is a slight difference in the metric and english scales that doesn't convert. This probably isn't an issue as the 1/4 inch and 1:50 scales are close enough that the symbols can be interchanged without much problem. But, if you enter say 6 inches and switch the units display to millimeters, you will see 158.7mm rather than 152.4mm. I suppose that you could use the re-size command (re-named from "scale" to avoid confusion) at 96% or 104% to create slightly different sized english and metric versions of the same symbol.
On the note of something responding to R&R and not mirror, I think I might need a copy of the key to reproduce that. The thing that strikes me is that the origin of the plot is used for mirror and not R&R/Duplicate. So there may be something in how that is set that caused your problem and it is unrelated to the actual symbol.
The namespace of symbol IDs is different for built-in vs. custom symbols. Built-in symbols have a numeric ID. Custom symbols must have a non-numeric character in their ID. (This is how symbols are identified as being custom or standard.)
Custom symbols can be stored in files and then LXKeyEditor uses the symbol ID to retrieve the symbol and associate it with a key entry. Custom symbols are always stored as part of the key. So, once a custom symbol is inside a key entry, the symbol ID ceases to have importance (unless it is changed associating a different symbol with the key entry).
Custom symbols become part of the key entry so that they can travel without being dependent on an external file in order to be drawn. This means that when you send a plot containing custom symbols to someone, they do not need to have the symbol installed in their library.
Because key entries that contain custom symbols store a copy rather than referencing a file, if the file is changed, the key entry will not change. There are several ways to get the key entry to re-import a symbol. These are the same as associating a symbol in the first place. You can either use the key editor's symbol palette to pick a symbol from the library, re-enter the symbol ID in the properties which reads the symbol with that ID from the library, or copy the symbol from the symbol editor and paste it into the key entry.
In the case of the copy and paste method, the symbol ID isn't really necessary. But, it is a good practice to assign a symbol ID because that symbol can be used for a different entry in the future. Take a 6x9. One venue might have Altman 6x9's and another theatre might have a Strand 6x9's. The symbol for 6x9 is the same. But there are two different key entries that use that symbol. Perhaps you have an automated fixture that you are sure will be the only use of that symbol. But, you still might use different key entries, each with a different control protocol specified in the device info. (If you were using these in the same plot, you'd probably want to modify the symbol in order to clearly mark the difference.)
It is interesting that you request scale units. I just got tired of using a calculator to compute points. So I was working on making LXSymbolsEditor display the point coordinates in scale as well as px units when I read your message. This is available in LXSymbolEditor 0.9.3414.
The thing about the scale units is that there is a slight difference in the metric and english scales that doesn't convert. This probably isn't an issue as the 1/4 inch and 1:50 scales are close enough that the symbols can be interchanged without much problem. But, if you enter say 6 inches and switch the units display to millimeters, you will see 158.7mm rather than 152.4mm. I suppose that you could use the re-size command (re-named from "scale" to avoid confusion) at 96% or 104% to create slightly different sized english and metric versions of the same symbol.
On the note of something responding to R&R and not mirror, I think I might need a copy of the key to reproduce that. The thing that strikes me is that the origin of the plot is used for mirror and not R&R/Duplicate. So there may be something in how that is set that caused your problem and it is unrelated to the actual symbol.
There is another method of working with scale graphics which is to draw them using LXBeams. Using XML copy/paste, primitive graphics (rectangles, ovals, lines and curves) can be drawn using LXFree and pasted into a symbol.
To use this method, go to the Preferences->Format tab and select "Use XML for copy/paste". This adds extra information to the clipboard when you copy objects in LXBeams. (This option is not needed unless you want to copy and paste into another application that can understand the XML version of objects such as LXSymbolEditor.)
Use LXBeams to draw your symbol. Keep in mind that a symbol is a collection of points that create an outline. When the objects in your LXFree drawing are pasted into LXSymbolEditor, they will appear as just the points that define them. Attributes like fill color and line width won't translate.
Select the symbol drawn in LXBeams and choose Copy. Switch to LXSymbolEditor and choose Paste.
Each object that is pasted into LXSymbolEditor will have it's own start and end points. So, you may want to delete or modify points once they are pasted in order to create a single path.
To use this method, go to the Preferences->Format tab and select "Use XML for copy/paste". This adds extra information to the clipboard when you copy objects in LXBeams. (This option is not needed unless you want to copy and paste into another application that can understand the XML version of objects such as LXSymbolEditor.)
Use LXBeams to draw your symbol. Keep in mind that a symbol is a collection of points that create an outline. When the objects in your LXFree drawing are pasted into LXSymbolEditor, they will appear as just the points that define them. Attributes like fill color and line width won't translate.
Select the symbol drawn in LXBeams and choose Copy. Switch to LXSymbolEditor and choose Paste.
Each object that is pasted into LXSymbolEditor will have it's own start and end points. So, you may want to delete or modify points once they are pasted in order to create a single path.