Sheet Sets…Elementary Dr. Watson

[Openwheeler]

I’m working on using sheet set in our moving to Civil 3D, but need to get the basics down with sheet sets first.

I have made template files and have the .DWG files too.
1) made a sample project folder
2) blank project file (base.dwg)
3) newsheetset-which went though the wizard and created my sheets. I browsed to my template directory for the .dwg (help said you can use either one, is this true?), but only 3 of the 5 sheets had been made from the .dwg files in the template directory. Then if you get into the sheet, it changes my template file. Why is the source file being updated? Doesn’t the sheet set copy a version of the file? I not get this yet, so please help me with understanding the process of creating an independent sheet from a template file.

Thanks for putting me on the correct path. Hope this makes since.

[archie.manza]

I’m working on using sheet set in our moving to Civil 3D, but need to get the basics down with sheet sets first.

I have made template files and have the .DWG files too.
1) made a sample project folder
2) blank project file (base.dwg)
3) newsheetset-which went though the wizard and created my sheets. I browsed to my template directory for the .dwg (help said you can use either one, is this true?), but only 3 of the 5 sheets had been made from the .dwg files in the template directory. Then if you get into the sheet, it changes my template file. Why is the source file being updated? Doesn’t the sheet set copy a version of the file? I not get this yet, so please help me with understanding the process of creating an independent sheet from a template file.

Thanks for putting me on the correct path. Hope this makes since.

I think the drawing that you had placed in the Sheetsets was your Template File (there is an option for that).

OMOW (On my own way)
File New Sheet Set, Chose the Existing Drawings on Create a sheet set using… Hit Next Name your Sheet Set – Then Chose where you will place your Sheet Sets preferably on the Project Folder then click on the Sheet Properties – Here change the Page Setup Override File path to the one that you had Created with a Title Block. Then click Next, It will ask you if you want to add layouts to your Sheetset, I ignore this and click next, see the preview then hit Finish.

[archie.manza]

Why not go here?!
http://forums.augi.com/forumdisplay.php?f=52

[Openwheeler]

Why not go here?!
http://forums.augi.com/forumdisplay.php?f=52

I've looked at those and they didn't apply to my situation, but thanks. I will try some more experimenting with your method and let you know if I had any success with it.

I appreciate your reply. Talk to you soon.

[Openwheeler]

I think the drawing that you had placed in the Sheetsets was your Template File (there is an option for that).

OMOW (On my own way)
File New Sheet Set, Chose the Existing Drawings on Create a sheet set using… Hit Next Name your Sheet Set – Then Chose where you will place your Sheet Sets preferably on the Project Folder then click on the Sheet Properties – Here change the Page Setup Override File path to the one that you had Created with a Title Block. Then click Next, It will ask you if you want to add layouts to your Sheetset, I ignore this and click next, see the preview then hit Finish.

I've done some testing with it. It works, but I'm trying to use it and am frustrated that you can only target one .dwt for a template. I was thinking that 5 .dwt files would be great to use...(1.) Title Sheet, (2.) Index Sheet, (3.) P&P Sheets, (4.) Detail Sheet, (5.) Erosion Control Sheet. We are trying to use it for wastewater and storm projects with AtuoCAD 2008, but I'm not getting the benefits out of it. Any suggestions on this? I would be grateful with new ideals on how to approach staring to us this feature.

[Gigliano70]

here is the set up we have in our office.

firstly, the sheetset template for creating new sheet sets and the blocks cover sheet and titleblock specific to sheet sets are on the network in a specific folder and everybody has access.

secondly. we all have our own starting templates that can be used as stand alone drawings or incorperated into the sheet set. this is accomplised by having the sheet number (A1.1 or other) named through the sheet set (field). nothing else on our individual templates is sheet set specific. title block and cover sheet are seperate templates that are very sheet set dependant and are opened, edited , then saved into the working directory.

now once you have started a drawing you save it to your working directory then you create a new sheetset. which is done by selecting "using an example sheet set".

all new drawings are started the same except after you save into the working directory you go to the sheet set manager and "import layout as sheet" and select the drawings layouts i.e. coversheet and drawings you want to import. once this process is done you can start adding your views. and xref in your title block.

our details are in a seperate folder in the working directory so we copy and paste any legacy details or make new ones and save them there. then using the SSM we bring in the details and our detail titles come in automatically. we place our callout blocks through the SSM where they need to go and then push the easy button and it's built. ;)

thats it in a nutshell.

[Openwheeler]

That’s some good info. Will try some of these for our applications and let you know how they come out, but thanks for sharing your ideals. I think it's a start in the correct direction.

[Gigliano70]

now once you have started a drawing you save it to your working directory then you create a new sheetset. which is done by selecting "using an example sheet set".

.

oops i should probably add that the example sheet set is the one we have saved on the network.

we can also do a new sheet set but then it prompts you for all the other stuff. using the example sheet set sets all standard information for you. all i do is change what template to use for overides and add the project information in properties.

[Openwheeler]

Thanks for the help from this forum thread, it is very helpful.

I found this document called Sheets Happen! at...http://heidihewett.blogs.com/…go under CATEGORIES> Sheet Sets> …down to her “Sheets Happen…. More than ever!” section, look for the “Sheets Happen document” that is in the .PDF form. I’m finding it to be a very useful document, but I’m a beginner with this tool as I stated earlier.

[Gigliano70]

she is a great resource.

[archie.manza]

she is a great resource.

I definitely agreed on that Gigliano.

[jpaulsen]

I didn't have time to read this whole thread so someone may have already suggested this.

I was going to point you to Heidi's Sheets Happen but I see you found it. That is how I learned Sheet Sets.

Now when it comes to the drawing templates we do not use the Sheet Set Manager to create drawings. We create our drawings using the New command and selecting the template.

When we create a sheet set we create it from an example sheet set. The example sheet set contains all of the custom properties to fill in the fields in our title blocks and contains all of the Subsets we would use in a typical set of drawings; cover, erosion control, grading, utilities, etc. We will delete subsets at times since we may have more in our example sheet set then is needed in the plan set.

Then we just import layouts as sheets into the new sheet set.

Hope that helps.

BTW Here are some working links to Heidi's Sheets Happen.
http://heidihewett.blogs.com/my_weblog/2006/03/sheets_happened.html
http://heidihewett.blogs.com/my_weblog/files/Sheets_Happen.pdf

[Openwheeler]

I didn't have time to read this whole thread so someone may have already suggested this.

I was going to point you to Heidi's Sheets Happen but I see you found it. That is how I learned Sheet Sets.

Hope that helps.

BTW Here are some working links to Heidi's Sheets Happen.
http://heidihewett.blogs.com/my_weblog/2006/03/sheets_happened.html
http://heidihewett.blogs.com/my_weblog/files/Sheets_Happen.pdf

Your additional information on the due process and how you accomplish the basic begining task was informative to me. Thanks for sharing.

Yes, I had already found it just by luck. Thanks for adding the links to this thread for future use to others. I'm going to add her link to the AU site screencast that would be helpful too.
Part II, and Part III are for more advance users. Start small and work your way up is the best way to go with this feature. I was trying to do fields when I didn't even understand the templates or the sheet structure basics. It was very frustrating until I found more information of the due process for sheet sets and SSM.

http://au.autodesk.com/sessions/?year=All&keyword=Sheets+Happen

[Openwheeler]

I'm going to add her link to the AU site screencast that would be helpful too. Part II, and Part III are for more advance users.

With more research I’ve discovered that the link that I posted to the AU site is just for the handouts and only the screen cast for Sheets Happen. The Part I, and Part II podcast series can be found at this link. Sorry for the confusion.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/autodesk/au-autocad

Enjoy!