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Creating Local Plant Material data bases 1 Reply

I regard the plant database included in the Landmark or Design Series as a very valuable resource. However, practicing in the tropics, the information contained in the database uis useless. So I…Continue

Started by Samuel Corchado. Last reply by Tamsin Slatter Apr 14, 2010.

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Comment by Tamsin Slatter on November 17, 2011 at 2:19pm

Thanks Vince! Lots of late nights went into it, so I hope it's useful for you all.

Comment by Vince Johnson on November 17, 2011 at 2:12pm

Hey everyone, VectorWorking's own Tamsin Slatter has just published a new book for landscape designer. Be sure to check it out here.

Comment by larry myers on December 8, 2010 at 7:25pm
Thanks Jonathan! I have established a boundary as well as a pad. I am not clear regarding the site modifiers application, but I still have the same problem.

Thanks
Comment by Jonathan Pickup on December 8, 2010 at 6:29pm
site modifiers need a pad and a boundary. make sure you are using a boundary.
also, check what site model the site modifiers are being applied to , and make sure your site is set to display this site model
Comment by larry myers on December 8, 2010 at 5:52pm
I have just created a site model for a new project. I am having difficulty trying to modify the site using site modifiers such as the grader or creating a pad? Any suggestions? Thanks
Comment by Cheri Stringer on April 20, 2010 at 10:25am
I have the same issues here in Colorado. The plant database does not contain the plant varieties most often used in our area or doesn't contain the plant at all. I have also created my own plant database in filemaker pro.

Here is a solution that worked for me.
From the Landmark menu choose VW Plants Databse. The Filemaker Pro database for Vectorworks will open. Once in the Database on the left hand side you will see the word layout (above a drop down box) click on the arrow next to the drop down box (which has the words plant data in it) select Plant list- All data. This should create a list of all the plant material in excel like format.
Then cleick on the button farthest left at the top just below the menu bar. This will convert the list to excel format and save it. You can then open in excel and print the list. You can also print from the filemaker pro datbase once you have the plant list but I found it helpfull to export to excel so I could simplify the data to review since I really compare the plant names. .

With the conversion I first sorted my added plant files by placing a unique characture in the name ~, I then saved the 2009 VW database sorted plant list, as an excel file (same as above) and then imported the excel file into vectroworks database 2010. It worked great.

Hope this helps.
Comment by Samuel Corchado on April 14, 2010 at 3:06pm
I regard the plant database included in the Landmark or Design Series as a very valuable resource. However, practicing in the tropics, the information contained in the database is useless. So I embarked in creating a new Database using local (Puerto Rico) and tropical material. This has been going fine while I keep my collection process in my VW2009 version.

I face two significant problems which I need to solve before a can proceed:

1. How can I print the Databese Plant list, so that I can verifiy which plants are already in the database, so that I dont waste effort duplicating records ( I already have 200+ records and I expect to have 2000+ by the end of the "project".

2. How can I transport the file to VW2010. The Datatfile is not recognized by VW2010 (I tryed copying the file, saving as...) Exporting is another option, but I don't seem to be able to export all the fields in the data base. Can anyone help?
Comment by Cheri Stringer on April 7, 2010 at 12:35pm
Good question. The problem is there is no real standard of education and knowledge for the title "landsape designer". Many have a degree in landscape design, some have degrees in landscape architecture, others have cerfications in master gardening or other horticultural programs, and still others have hands on expereince with no formal training. In my personal experience the difference is also seen in the way you look at a project. Do you for example concider the drainage of the site, construction detial of the elements or just the concept? typically pproffessional landsacpe designers look at all these elements with the plant selection, materials and garden structures to create a project that is functional, sustainable and aeuthetically pleasing.
Comment by John Moe on February 24, 2010 at 10:28pm
Here in Minnesota, and very likely every other state in the union (at least every single one of the first 15 I just checked), the title of Master Gardener is bestowed on people who complete specific coursework offered by the University Extension Service. In addition to the coursework, some type of test (plant ID, etc.) is often administered, along with a requirement for the individual to fulfill a certain number of volunteer hours in outreach activities for the university's extension service. This usually consists of giving horticulture-related presentations to the public (often a garden club, or neighborhood association), or consulting with individual homeowners in some way or another. It's a pretty good system to augment the limited personnel resources of the Extension Service. The program is so well established here that no one in professional practice would dream of using the title unless they had at one point been through this program.

I usually settle for landscape designer if I need a label. I am tempted by the term environmental designer, because I have the BLA/Environmental Design combo, but am not a licensed LA (yet). In fact, I'm kind of suprised that more people don't use this. My reluctance has been mostly based on the implication of the word environment, especially since the Environmental Design degree is not really about the eco sense of the word, but more about the living spaces around us. So in the spririt of the actual content of the environmental design degree, the title is perfect. You may, however, stop getting calls from your global warming denying customers.
Comment by John Moe on February 24, 2010 at 9:25pm
Thanks Eric G for doing such a good job on the recent webinar for using Vectorworks Landmark on sustainable site design. Also, thanks to Jonathan Pickup for the 2nd edition of the Landmark Tutorial Manual. Nice little reference!
 

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