Using Field data to fill-in custom forms

[cbernier01]

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to put this post, or even the correct title for it. Let me just toss out what I'm trying to do. Hopefully if this needs to be moved it will be, and hopefully someone will be able to help.

I work for a specialty millwork facility. We manufacture custom wood doors. When I create those drawings, on the bottom of the page I have a title block, if you will, where I put some of the information for that order. I put things like the sill type, the hinge type, etc. After the drawing has been completed, our production scheduler takes the information and transcribes it onto several different work orders.(Yes, by hand. We're in the stone age when it comes to scheduling and specking.) Much of the information that he uses is already contained on the drawing that I provide to him.

Here's my question. (Finally!) I would like to know if there's a way I can turn the area's where I fill in the information into fields. And then have it so when I'm filling it in, that same information is transfered to a different part of my drawing where I have created the same sheet that he uses to send out on the shop floor. That way when I print out my drawing, I can print out his spec sheets with the majority of the information already on it. Is there any way of doing this? I guess in Excel it would be the same as taking a block and saying A6=C9. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know how much this will matter, but I'm using Auto CAD 2005. Thanks!

Chris

[rkmcswain]

How many different items of information are you talking about?

If a dozen or so, then you might consider creating these items as 'custom properties' in your template drawing. Then you can create FIELDS that read these properties, one in each place that you need it. You can edit the values of the properties using the ._DWGPROPS command.

To set up an example of this, run the ._DWGPROPS command, and add a custom property (let's call it "NumDoors"). Now run the ._FIELD command, choose your custom property name ("NumDoors") from the list of properties, then place the FIELD. Copy the FIELD as needed. Now anytime the drawing properties are edited, the value of the FIELD(s) will be updated (subject to the value of the FIELDEVAL sysvar setting).

-or-

If you have many more, or if you just prefer this method - you could set up your 'spec sheet' to contain FIELDS that are tied to the info that you will edit.

To set up an example of this, create a TEXT object. Now run the ._FIELD command, choose "Object" for the field name, select the TEXT object, then choose "contents" as the property, then place the FIELD. Now anytime the original TEXT object is edited, the FIELD will be updated (subject to the value of the FIELDEVAL sysvar setting).

[cbernier01]

Well this seems to be a good start. I shall have to investigate. Unfortunately I've just built a new system at the house and haven't loaded everything up on it, so it will have to wait until Monday.
Thank you for your response, and thank you to whomever moved this and changed the title!

[Chris.N]

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to put this post, or even the correct title for it. Let me just toss out what I'm trying to do. Hopefully if this needs to be moved it will be, and hopefully someone will be able to help.

I work for a specialty millwork facility. We manufacture custom wood doors. When I create those drawings, on the bottom of the page I have a title block, if you will, where I put some of the information for that order. I put things like the sill type, the hinge type, etc. After the drawing has been completed, our production scheduler takes the information and transcribes it onto several different work orders.(Yes, by hand. We're in the stone age when it comes to scheduling and specking.) Much of the information that he uses is already contained on the drawing that I provide to him.

Here's my question. (Finally!) I would like to know if there's a way I can turn the area's where I fill in the information into fields. And then have it so when I'm filling it in, that same information is transfered to a different part of my drawing where I have created the same sheet that he uses to send out on the shop floor. That way when I print out my drawing, I can print out his spec sheets with the majority of the information already on it. Is there any way of doing this? I guess in Excel it would be the same as taking a block and saying A6=C9. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know how much this will matter, but I'm using Auto CAD 2005. Thanks!

Christhe tool that immediately pops into my mind is using the attribute extraction wizard. you can pick n choose what fields get placed in the table, AND save the settings in a template so you don't have to start from scratch everytime! the table would just have to be refreshed when the info changes. but to minimize that being missed, you could turn on the feature that would alert the user that the table needs refreshing.

[cbernier01]

If you have many more, or if you just prefer this method - you could set up your 'spec sheet' to contain FIELDS that are tied to the info that you will edit.

To set up an example of this, create a TEXT object. Now run the ._FIELD command, choose "Object" for the field name, select the TEXT object, then choose "contents" as the property, then place the FIELD. Now anytime the original TEXT object is edited, the FIELD will be updated (subject to the value of the FIELDEVAL sysvar setting).



RKM,
I tried this out yesterday afternoon. It's going to take a little while to set up my forms with all the fields and such, but once that's done I think that this will work out just fine. Thank you for your reply!