Layouts - Breaking Free

[chill3490]

Hey:

Currently, our templates contain one layout tab for each paper size (4 total) we use. This was set up to ease the transition for our new AutoCAD users. I would like to change this now.


If I understand correctly, this might be better handled by using page setups instead.
By including only one layout per template file, there will be no unassigned layout tabs / visual clutter.

Q1: Is that right? Any negatives to this method.

ALSO, any/all lisper's - I provided spec's and am now revising / testing an Autolisp drawing setup routine that uses this layout tab name / drawing size association i.e., the D size borders go in the 'D' layout tab.

Q2: Would major work be needed to revise the Autolisp code now referring to the template's dedicated layout tab name/ drawing border size relationship code and changing it to refer to only drawing size? Possibly, via code, assigning a default page setup name to each drawing size specified? Clue me in....

[michael.12445]

I don't know about your LISP code that handles the layout tabs, but I can say that we went through a process similar to what you did - at first we used multiple layouts, one per device. The disadvantage we found was that any information in paper space doesn't automatically get copied to all layouts - if you add or change anything, you have to repeat the same steps manually for each layout. In our case, for example, the title block is an xref, but we also insert a block with attributes for the sheet number, sheet title, etc. With multiple layouts, the xref will always be the same, but the block attributes can vary from layout to layout, as each carries a separate insertion of the block.

Using named page setups overcomes this problem, as there is only one layout. It's also pretty easy to copy the page setups from drawing to drawing. So now, this is how we set up all our new projects.

Michael Evans
Togawa & Smith, Inc.

[RobertB]

I've never used multiple layouts simply for plotter/page support. I've always used page layouts to achieve the desired plot. Works great, as long as you keep the page setups up-to-date.

[Ed Jobe]

We also don't use multiple page layouts since document management systems don't like it. How do you distinguish a document (what you are tracking) from a file? If your case, if you want to revise one doc, how would you revise the file without changing the status for other docs contained in the same file? Very messy, file wise. As Robert mentioned, you have to keep page setups up to date. What I do is keep only our templates up to date. I don't worry about dwgs. For that, just import the current page setups when I need them. To do that, I have a dvb (on the Exchange) that does it without user intervention. Very easy system.

[chill3490]

RESULTS (so far):

Page setups 'R' a key feature to use. I am liking what I hear here (as I press my ear to the screen).

:Puffy:

[chill3490]

Ed,

I received your reply after the my last response.

Can you say 'X'treme company download restrictions? Rather poorly equipped ( computerwise, of course) at the moment ( no zip drive, etc) Boooo hoo....

I'll get the collection of your excellent VBA stuff one way or the other.
And thanks for making it available at such a reasonable rate!:wink: