Title Block - Shared Parameter Issue???

[thand]

A while back I created a Titleblock that had a shared parameter Label "Sheet # of # " at the bottom right hand corner. It acted like an instance Parameter allowing me to have sheet 1 of 50, then the next sheet I could put 2 of 50. The shared parameter worked great on several projects..

Now for some reason I can't put my finger on, this same shared parameter is acting like a Type parameter on all new projects. If I put Sheet 6 of 50 it changes all sheets to 6 of 50. I'm still working in 2010 and it's worked fine until recently... Have I or someone in my firm changed something that would cause this parameter to act as a Type instead of a Instance shared parameter???

Here is the weird part about it... When I open a Project I did just a few months ago the parameter still works as it should, like an Instance parameter. Any project that we are currently working on the parameter is acting like a Type parameter.

Anyone have any ideas???

[twiceroadsfool]

Yeah, someone changed the Titleblock to make it a Type parameter.

The fact that its a Shared Parameter doesnt have any effect on Instance Versus Type. Its merely for identity, and its not a link, its a one time reference to that text file while you make the parameter.

Go in the titleblock, Family Types dialogue, and switch the parameter back to instance. All set. :)

[Alfredo Medina]

I don't understand what could have caused that change, or how you set that up.

As an alternative, here is another method of doing this:

Create 2 parameters in your shared parameters file.
1) The first one will be under a group named "Project information" and will be called "Total # of sheets".
2) The second one will be under a group named "Sheet information" and will be named "Sheet serial #".
3) In your title block family, create 2 labels. One will work with "Total # of sheets" with this prefix: "of ", and the other label will work with "Sheet serial #", with this prefix: "Sheet ". Then load the title block into your project.
4) In the project, go to Manage > Project parameters, and add "Total # of sheets" and apply it to "Project Information". Then add "Sheet serial #" and apply it to "Sheets".
(You could do this in your office's template so you don't need to do it in every project)
5) To set he total number of sheets in all your set, in your project, go to Manage > Project Information, and enter, for example, "50" for the "Total # of sheets" parameter.
6) To set the serial number of a sheet, go to View Properties > and specify a number for the "Sheet serial #" parameter.

The drawback with this method is that the serial number will be entered manually; that's why some project managers don't like to use this "sheet such of such" information. Because it is difficult to keep in good standing, especially when you are doing changes in a rush, just before the deadline.

But if you still want to do it, this method works fine.

[msullivan]

As an alternative, here is another method of doing this:

This is the method I use - and I have been using AutoHotkey (And Nicholas' god-send of a script) to update it from an Excel spreadsheet (which is itself merely an export of our drawing index). My current project has nearly 1k sheets, so I'd going crazy without it.

[Alfredo Medina]

1k sheets! what project is that?

[thand]

Yeah, someone changed the Titleblock to make it a Type parameter.

The fact that its a Shared Parameter doesnt have any effect on Instance Versus Type. Its merely for identity, and its not a link, its a one time reference to that text file while you make the parameter.

Go in the titleblock, Family Types dialogue, and switch the parameter back to instance. All set. :)

That's the thing.... This parameter is not in the Family Types dialogue.. None of the shared parameters are in the family types dialogue. So I'm not quite following your line of thought. I understand the theory, but it's not working out that way...

All I had before was an editable field that was able to change from sheet to sheet. Now if I change it once, it changes on every sheet. There small enough projects that I don't need to automate this process and I may just delete it from the Title block family and just use text on each sheet.

I was just trying to keep things simple and consistent between projects so Intern Joe doesn't try and use another font or size that's different from our clients standards.

Thanks

[Alfredo Medina]

See what the parameter applies to. If it applies to Sheets or Project Information. That could be another reason, as per my previous message, without having to do with instance or type.

[twiceroadsfool]

That's the thing.... This parameter is not in the Family Types dialogue.. None of the shared parameters are in the family types dialogue. So I'm not quite following your line of thought. I understand the theory, but it's not working out that way...

All I had before was an editable field that was able to change from sheet to sheet. Now if I change it once, it changes on every sheet. There small enough projects that I don't need to automate this process and I may just delete it from the Title block family and just use text on each sheet.

I was just trying to keep things simple and consistent between projects so Intern Joe doesn't try and use another font or size that's different from our clients standards.

Thanks

If its not there, then it needs to be. Having it under Project information is only going to help for the total sheet count. It has to be in the titleblock family, as a parameter of Sheets. And it has to be instance.

If its not in Family Types in the family, then someone either went to great lengths to alter and hide it, or its not in the titleblock, and it should be. In the titleblock do you have a label for the parameter where the numeral is supposed to go?

[thand]

OK, I fixed the issue. I went into the project parameters of the project that had the title block that was not working correctly. I removed the parameter from the project (which referenced the shared parameter text file) that the title block was using. Then I added a new parameter to the project (once again referencing the shared parameter text file) and made sure it was associated with the sheets. Now everything is working correctly.

So you guys were correct as far as the parameter not being associated with the sheet.. I think that was my ultimate problem. When it wasn't working it was associated with the Project Information.


Thanks... You guys helped me think this one through...