Linking Vectorworks Symbols’ Data to External Databases

This blog and video are from Marc Davies, a former furniture design advisor for the UK Department for Education. Davies recently worked for a UK interior and data visualization company with a diverse clientele across UK universities and government departments. 

As a long-standing Vectorworks customer and product designer, Davies seeks efficient and effective methods of information delivery for client organizations.

In this video tutorial, Davies explains how you can make a difference with data — linking Vectorworks resource library records to external databases, such as Excel or SQLite, and efficiently managing data for symbols.

The tutorial also emphasizes the importance of data management by linking Vectorworks symbols to external databases and facilitating consistent and centralized updates, which is crucial for collaborative projects.

Key points in Davies’ video include:

• Symbol Definitions vs. Instances: Definitions contain the geometry and attributes, while instances in drawings can have varied data.
• Internal Records: These are not linked to any database, and data must be manually entered for each symbol.
• External Records: Linked to databases, allowing data management outside Vectorworks. Changes in the external database automatically reflect in Vectorworks.
• Attaching Records: Attaching internal and external records to symbols, showing how data can be updated and managed.
• Database Integration: Illustrating the advantage of using databases like SQLite for central data management, which beneficial for workgroups to maintain consistency.
• Data Manager: Use the Data Manager to map symbol dimensions and other attributes, enabling dynamic data visualization and reporting within Vectorworks.

Watch the video in full below: