FIELDS, does this replace RTEXT?

[wkc]

Is the use of FIELDS going to do away with RTEXT?

Is SHEET SET necessary to FIELDS?

If so, think of all the possiblities?

W. Kirk Crawford
Rochester Hills, Michigan

[philh]

Think of FEILDS like Rtext on steroids.

[Glenn Pope]

Is the use of FIELDS going to do away with RTEXT?
With fields being able to use diesel expressions and a lot more, I would have to say yes.


Is SHEET SET necessary to FIELDS?
If your asking if you need to use the sheet set manager to use fields, then no. But using the two together makes for some powerful tools.


If so, think of all the possiblities?
Pretty close to being endless.

[RobertB]

I should point out that Fields are missing a way to reliably generate a list of XRefs, unlike RText. On the positive side, Fields are backwards compatible with all versions of AutoCAD. (Tested as far back as R12, so it will go futher back.)

[wkc]

Robert,

'Fields are backwards compatible with all versions of AutoCAD' Tested as to R12 being able to read the FIELDS?

Could you explain that test?

W. Kirk Crawford
Rochester Hills, Michigan

[RobertB]

Fields display as text in all versions of AutoCAD, and as long as someone does not edit the text in an older version of AutoCAD, the field will still be there in 2005.

[glen353712]

I should point out that Fields are missing a way to reliably generate a list of XRefs, unlike RText. On the positive side, Fields are backwards compatible with all versions of AutoCAD. (Tested as far back as R12, so it will go futher back.)

I have not tested this myself but if you use the diesel type field you can use any of the old code you used with Rtext.

[wkc]

OK, FIELDS are one of the greatest to ease the updating of information within a drawing.

And now for another question about FIELDS.

If FIELDS are used in the creation of a drawing, what happens when someone else gets the drawing? i.e. you are doing work for another company, and the drawing will be in there server and ownership.

We like the idea of, if the drawing is saved as another file/drawing then at FIELD gets updated upon REGEN.

But what about the stuff that someone does the initial work/drawing. Then that person retires/dies or whatever but is no longer there or even the company changes hands, how to keep the FIELDS from updating?

I experimented with a FIELD, AUTHOR, is part of the drawing PROPERTIES. Now since we send our Suppliers a TEMPLATE for then to use to place there drawing into/however, the PROPERTIES would/may be already filled out with OUR stuff. Thus, the REAL AUTHOR is not the person doing the work, but may be something we fill out. Not what we have in mind.

It all sounds like we need a Lisp routine.

I have other considerations where I work because of the EDMS, Electronic Document Management System, we are using. It can read ATTRIBUTES, and attributes can have FIELDS in 2005.

Note: the EDMS has a hard time reading multiple LAYOUTS.

W. Kirk Crawford
Rochester Hills, Michigan

[RobertB]

I have not tested this myself but if you use the diesel type field you can use any of the old code you used with Rtext.

Except for the GetProp, XRefs, Images, and GetRec "Diesel" items (not true Diesel functions).

[RobertB]

... But what about the stuff that someone does the initial work/drawing. Then that person retires/dies or whatever but is no longer there or even the company changes hands, how to keep the FIELDS from updating?

I experimented with a FIELD, AUTHOR, is part of the drawing PROPERTIES. Now since we send our Suppliers a TEMPLATE for [them] to use to place [their] drawing into/however, the PROPERTIES would/may be already filled out with OUR stuff. Thus, the REAL AUTHOR is not the person doing the work, but may be something we fill out. Not what we have in mind.
...

Sounds like those are competing requirements. One one hand you want permament Authors assigned, but on the other you want something automatic.

[red2002yzfr1]

Except for the GetProp, XRefs, Images, and GetRec "Diesel" items (not true Diesel functions).
So listing Xrefs is still relied upon RTEXT, just so I know what direction to go.