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Thread: Global variable/parameter/attribute library?

  1. #1
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    Default Global variable/parameter/attribute library?

    Hi folks. First time poster here. My company uses a mix of AutoCAD 2010 and 2009. We have what I thought would be a widespread need, but I can't find a parallel case anywhere. to wit:

    Our drawings use the same information several times. For instance, our product (pressure vessels) design pressure is in a table of design parameters. The same pressure is used in an operations limits table. The same information is shown on the ASME nameplate. The same information is often on a special customer-required nameplate.

    There are about 50 of these variables that can change one way or another. If the variable changes value, trying to keep track of all the instances of that variable can be a pain in a crowded drawing and they can fall out of synch... much to my embarassment when the AI busts me.

    I'd like to have a way to register these variables in the drawing and then call them out as fields in the title block, the design parameter table, et cetera. One location, one value, many references to it = no synchronization problems. I have tried to use the drawing custom properties and it does work, but the interface is quite.... clunky, especially when the custom prop count gets above 10 or so.

    Is there an eloquent way of doing the same job as custom properties?

    I can do Excel-style VBA but have never attempted AutoCAD VBA. I undertand they are quite dissimilar. I'm not sure that's the way I should go, anyway. I've also tried having a block with invisible attributes, but the object ID changes from drawing to drawing.

    Thanks for any input you can offer.

  2. #2
    The Silent Type RobertB's Avatar
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    Default Re: Global variable/parameter/attribute library?

    This is certainly doable using a programming language. I would suggest not using VBA since that is on life support. Visual LISP would be ok or you could move to .NET languages.

    You may want to ask this in on of the programming forums since this forum is not programming-related.

    I would suggest creating a new interface that you like better than the DwgProps interface, but still storing the data in the DwgProps. The reason to keep the data there is that it makes it easy to access the data with fields.
    R. Robert Bell
    Design Technology Manager
    Stantec
    Opinions expressed are mine alone and do not reflect the views of Stantec.

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    Certifiable AUGI Addict ccowgill's Avatar
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    Default Re: Global variable/parameter/attribute library?

    you could search the lisp forum for dwgprops. There should be a few early versions of what our office now uses to synchronize our title blocks to an excel file. I would expect that you could use the same methods to synchronize your tables.

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    Administrator Opie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Global variable/parameter/attribute library?

    If you are using multiple drawings, you might look into custom properties with the Sheet Set Manager.

    ----

    Robert,

    What about DBConnect? Could this be a viable solution for this problem?
    If you have a technical question, please find the appropriate forum and ask it there.
    You will get a quicker response from your fellow AUGI members than if you sent it to me via a PM or email.
    jUSt

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    Default Re: Global variable/parameter/attribute library?

    Quote Originally Posted by Opie View Post
    If you are using multiple drawings, you might look into custom properties with the Sheet Set Manager.

    ----

    Robert,

    What about DBConnect? Could this be a viable solution for this problem?
    Just what I was thinking initially. If it isn't (and it can be a beast to set up when you have that many custom properties), then its time to start looking into databases and custom programming.

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