Fields in Titleblock not updating

[KansasCAD]

I must be missing something! I have edited one of our title blocks and replaced some of the information (Project number, fiscal year, sheet, and total sheets) that were attributes to a line of mtext with a field in each location. Making the drawing I was able to get the fields to update, but now that I have inserted the drawing into another as a Titleblock, the fields are staying the same as when I defined them. I have changed the values in the properties of the sheet set but the only way that I see that they update is when I explode the block. Not what I want to do. Can someone please shed some light on what I am doing wrong?

Thanks,

Daryl Standrich

[Glenn Pope]

You can't have mtext with fields as part of the block. They have to be separate or you need to use attributes. You can place fields in attributes and they will update.

[KansasCAD]

Thanks for the answer. At first I had started to leave them as attributes, but then read something about them being able to override them where as mtext they could not be overwritten. That is when I changed them to mtext. So by this rule a "plot stamp" that I have made at the left edge of my titleblock will need to be an attribute also? If I want it to be two lines, then do I need two attributes? And what happens when a person inserts this titleblock into a new drawing? Do they get a prompt for all of these attributes including the plot stamp, even if I do not want the others to enter anything? If someone over writes the attribute, then does the next time the fields are updated will it put the correct data back in? Sorry for all the questions but I do really appreciate the help.
Thanks
Daryl Standrich

[RobertB]

Fields can be in any text-based object. Your confusion is resulting from attempting to use an MText object inside a block to accommodate word-wrap. That won't work, due to the nature of blocks, not a limitation of fields or what object the field resides in.

[Glenn Pope]

Fields that link to the SSM to get data can't be part of the block unless they are in attributes. Other fields that just pull data from drawing properties like file name, date, etc.. can be part of the block using MTEXT. So your plot stamp will be fine as a MTEXT object.

When using title blocks made for the SSM I don't use the insert command to bring them in. I use the tools in SSM to create a new sheet. I use one layout per drawing. If you do multiple layouts per drawing and want to add additional layouts, look at the new insert layout as template option when you right click on a layout tab. You can create a template layout with your titleblock. It won't prompt the user to change the attributes. Also you can place MTEXT that are separate from the block for fields that will be multiple lines where they need to be.

Hope that is clear.

[sinc]

Fields that link to the SSM to get data can't be part of the block unless they are in attributes. Other fields that just pull data from drawing properties like file name, date, etc.. can be part of the block using MTEXT. So your plot stamp will be fine as a MTEXT object.



Have they fixed this in 2007? I'm discovering that being unable to hook SSM variables to fields in MTEXT is a major limitation that keeps me from doing many things I'd like to do.

[vsem]

I cannot get this to work either. Updating fields manually only tells me that the data is unavailable as all I get are #####s. It would be nice to click on a field and know what data it is looking for and where..... !!

[savaytse66]

I am having problems using AutoCAD 2008. I am trying to create a title block template file to use with sheet sets. I am creating the template within an existing sheet set so that I pick up all of the correct fields. I've tried creating the fields 4 different ways, but I'm really struggling:

Method 1: Create an attribute using attdef and defining a field in the Default box.
Method 2: Same as Method 1, but I then create a block that contains everything in my title block (lines, mtext, attributes, etc.).
Method 3: Create an mtext object and insert a field in the editor.
Method 4: Same as Method 3, but I then create a block that contains everything in my title block (lines, mtext, attributes, etc.).

The only method I can get to work is Method 3. With Method 1, the attribute displays the TAG instead of the actual value, even thought the value is correct on the Properties palette. With Method 2, I get a bunch of ####. I would like to create an actual block of of my title block, but no luck. With Method 4, the vales from the original template are retained. In other words, the fields do not update, but I think this problem was addressed in an earlier post.

Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks,
Chris

[Chris.N]

I am having problems using AutoCAD 2008. I am trying to create a title block template file to use with sheet sets. I am creating the template within an existing sheet set so that I pick up all of the correct fields. I've tried creating the fields 4 different ways, but I'm really struggling:

Method 1: Create an attribute using attdef and defining a field in the Default box.
Method 2: Same as Method 1, but I then create a block that contains everything in my title block (lines, mtext, attributes, etc.).
Method 3: Create an mtext object and insert a field in the editor.
Method 4: Same as Method 3, but I then create a block that contains everything in my title block (lines, mtext, attributes, etc.).

The only method I can get to work is Method 3. With Method 1, the attribute displays the TAG instead of the actual value, even thought the value is correct on the Properties palette. With Method 2, I get a bunch of ####. I would like to create an actual block of of my title block, but no luck. With Method 4, the vales from the original template are retained. In other words, the fields do not update, but I think this problem was addressed in an earlier post.

Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks,
Chris
add fields to the attributes via "edit block in place" instead of going into the Block Editor