Inserting Instruments

Existing instrument symbols are inserted with the Inst Insertion tool. This can be a symbol that you have created, located in a Favorites file or the current file, or it can be one of the symbols imported from the libraries included with Spotlight ([VectorWorks]\Libraries); see Object Libraries. When Spotlight is installed, lighting instrument symbols are also provided as default resources. Default resources are automatically imported into the file (when selected while changing instrument properties) and display in the Resource Browser; see Changing Instrument Properties and VectorWorks Design Series Default Resources.

For information on importing symbols, see Accessing Existing Resources.

 

To insert a lighting instrument:

1.	Click the Inst Insertion tool from the Spotlight tool set.

2.	Select the instrument symbol from the Resource Browser and choose Make Active from the Resources menu to make it the active symbol definition. Alternatively, double-click on the symbol to activate it.

3.	Click once to insert the active instrument symbol definition, and then again to determine the instrument rotation. By default, the active Label Legend is applied to the instrument.

If the instrument symbol is inserted without first clicking on the Inst Insertion tool, the symbol will be inserted by the 2D Symbol Insertion tool. However, the instrument functionality will not be present. When correctly inserted, the Object Info palette displays “Lighting Device” (with a Device Type of Light) for the selected instrument.

Once the Inst Insertion tool has been selected, it remains selected by default so that instruments can be repeatedly inserted. To place non-instrument symbols after placing instruments, switch to the 2D Symbol Insertion tool.

4.	Place instruments on a lighting position to add them to that lighting position and enable numbering.

As instruments are placed, their unit number is automatically determined and they are numbered according to the lighting position numbering format (see Instrument Auto-numbering). To view the numbering, select Modify > Refresh Instruments. If instruments are moved to a different lighting position, the lighting position name is automatically updated for the instruments and the Z-height of the instruments is calculated automatically based on the lighting position Z-height.

To change the numbering format, turn off instrument auto-numbering by the lighting position (deselect Auto Number in the lighting position Object Info palette). Then, select the Modify > Number Instruments command as described in Numbering Instruments Manually.

5.	A different type of instrument can be placed by changing the active symbol definition and continuing to use the Inst Insertion tool.