Pella window label macro


TimSchrock
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Hi All, 

I have a client who has spec'd Pella windows, so I was sizing them according to Pella sizes and noticed that Pella labels by inches, where Chief labels by ftin. Then I remembered that I have the Pella library, so I dropped in a couple Pella windows...one DH and one CS.

 

However, BOTH windows show the label as "CUSTOM" even though I've sized the window exactly to a Pella size. The size is even in the macro data list as a standard size.

 

Has anyone else found success with the Pella labels? Or fixed them?

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Sounds like some serious work with macros would be needed.  Every combination of standard width that matched to a standard height would have to be there to differentiate between standard and custom.  The whole table of standard w x h is needed, and the lookup function.  Can this be done with macros?

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So, why doesn't the Pella library work?  Does any manufacturer offering a library somehow embed into it the macro work needed to produce this?  Or is the library really just a collection of symbols none of which have any connection to sizing?

 

Edit:  I downloaded and installed the Pella library, and it is a collection of symbols totaling 118 items, a count far less that what you would have if the standard size chart sizings would be there for each possible window model and type.  The label macro is shown in the attached pic, and that macro returns the word "custom" for any size input into the sizing panel.  So where is the chart of standard w x h combos and where do such charts reside in Chief?

Screenshot 2022-11-07 090229.jpg

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7 minutes ago, GeneDavis said:

Or is the library really just a collection of symbols none of which have any connection to sizing?

I think that's the case.

Chief doesn't have much control over what the manufacturers supply in their libraries.  I would have to take a good look at the Pella Library and if those are actually Symbols vs Parametric values for Chief's Window Tool the macro implementation would be different.

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Gene,

 

These are parametric Windows and the Library has macros embedded for each Pella Window Type.  Each macro has the Standard Sizes for that Pella Type.

However, the macros are trying to compare a floating point value to Chief's Measurement Class.  This results in a mismatch so the macros always fail and leave the output as "Custom"

 

While I could create custom macros it would be a big job.  Chief actually would need to modify the existing macros internally to the Pella Library.  

 

As they currently exist it's never going to work.

 

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I took a quick look at that Pella macro this morning and it seems to have a handful of problems.  In addition to the issue with the new Measurement class, there's also an issue with their use of the word "label" which currently conflicts with the name:value pair using the same name (an attribute that didn’t exist when the macro was originally written).  There are other issues as well but I don't have the time or inclination to figure out what those are.  For now, see if this modified version of the macro will work for you.  Just DO NOT Migrate it.  Leave it using the old deprecated behaviors.  

Pella quick mod.json

 

And please report to Chief so they can incorporate a proper fix.

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Michael,

 

It's more complicated because each different Pella Window Type has a different macro.  This is only going to be fixed by Chief - most likely by using some modification to Measurement vs Floating Point value comparisons.  

 

As you indicate, there may be a problem in the "Label" but I'm not sure of that.

 

IAE, this is a job for CA to solve.

 

I've reported it to support and I think we should just leave it to them to fix.

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3 minutes ago, Joe_Carrick said:

It's more complicated because each different Pella Window Type has a different macro.


I wasn’t even talking about that.  I was just pointing out that there are at least 3 coding issues inside the macro.  All but one can be avoided by not migrating and the other can be fixed by modifiying a couple of the label references as I did in the macro above.  I hadn’t even noticed that each window type is using a different macro. For now, they can each be temporarily patched individually using the same approach I mentioned above.

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1 minute ago, Joe_Carrick said:

Yes, but is it worth it?:rolleyes:

IMO this is CA's mistake and it's CA that should fix it.


of course CA (or Pella) should fix it.  And no it’s not worth anything to me.  I couldn’t care less.  I don’t use Pella.  For anyone who needs the macros to work NOW though, they can be patched quite easily as I’ve demonstrated.  

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  • 2 weeks later...

Can someone please help me?  My wife and I placed an order for Pella Reserve windows. They arrived yesterday and nothing on the windows say “Reserve”. They all say Pella Architect windows which is not what we ordered. Pella is saying they were ordered correctly and these are The Reserve series. How do I verify I received what we paid for?

DA4840E6-2E44-4771-8C1D-BDA7A09147E8.jpeg

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Pella Architect series is their "top of the line" windows and doors. Fairly recently Pella divided the Architect series into three subsets -Contemporary, Reserve and Traditional. Contemporary is a clean line, more minimalist look for modern design. Reserve has a more traditional look for a more historic feel in sizes, proportions, finishes hardware etc. The Traditional take Reserve to an even more historically accurate level and offer more detailing such as authentic divided lites, custom lite patterns etc. I've speced Pella (and Marvin, Andersen, Kolbe & Kolbe and others) for decades. Pella is a highly respectable company with a quality product for the money. If you have an Architect series in the correct size, finish and hardware I would wager you got your Reserve windows. Hope this helps

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  • 2 months later...
On 11/7/2022 at 9:24 AM, Joe_Carrick said:

Yes, but a table of the standard sizes would need to be available.  

 

On 11/7/2022 at 9:20 AM, GeneDavis said:

Sounds like some serious work with macros would be needed.  Every combination of standard width that matched to a standard height would have to be there to differentiate between standard and custom.  The whole table of standard w x h is needed, and the lookup function.  Can this be done with macros?

The standard size chart is in the macros provided with the Pella library. Drop in a Pella window and then open the macro dbx.

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52 minutes ago, TimSchrock said:

 

The standard size chart is in the macros provided with the Pella library. Drop in a Pella window and then open the macro dbx.

I placed a Pella Lifestyle casement in a wall in a plan.  The size is a standard for them.  The label reads "CUSTOM."  

 

I see nothing in the dialog for the object that lists all the standard sizes for the window.  The Pella standard size chart for this window type might be 10 widths by 15 heights, or 150 possibilities.  Please show us how to open this dialog where are listed all the sizes.

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1 hour ago, TimSchrock said:

THANKS Michael!

I've added this as a topic on the suggestion forum, hopefully they find this and update the library!

 

Just a thought- posting a topic on the Suggestion forum is NOT the same as, or a substitute for reporting a technical issue. My apologies if you knew and/or have already done that, but it is what Joe has done and Michael advised you to do.

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4 hours ago, GeneDavis said:

I placed a Pella Lifestyle casement in a wall in a plan.  The size is a standard for them.  The label reads "CUSTOM."  

 

I see nothing in the dialog for the object that lists all the standard sizes for the window.  The Pella standard size chart for this window type might be 10 widths by 15 heights, or 150 possibilities.  Please show us how to open this dialog where are listed all the sizes.

Right. The label should read as the Pella label size. When the library object is inserted, it comes with a pre-packaged macro (nothing you can see in the Object dialog) that has all the standard sizes pre-baked. 

To see the macro and the sizes (after placing a Pella Window), go to CAD > Text > Text Macro Management in your menu, and then click on the macro that lists "Pella" in the options there.

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4 hours ago, Chrisb222 said:

 

Just a thought- posting a topic on the Suggestion forum is NOT the same as, or a substitute for reporting a technical issue. My apologies if you knew and/or have already done that, but it is what Joe has done and Michael advised you to do.

Found it! Doh!

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4 hours ago, GeneDavis said:

Please show us how to open this dialog where are listed all the sizes.

Click on the "Edit" Button to see the WHOLE list of that series. If you drop another series or style (casement, Hung, fixed, etc), then a new macro and list will be present.

PellaMacro.jpg

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