Sheet Index Formatting

[kingjosiah]

Using the suggestions from previous threads, I've made great progress setting up the sheet index. I have now hit a roadblock when trying to fine-tune the formatting and hope there is a solution that i have missed.

The intent is to use dummy sheets for the consultant files, and link in the files for all the buildings in the project so that data from the sheet name/numbers is retained. The problem I am trying to solve is to insert blank lines at select locations using parameters and sorting, however, I have used all four sorting selections and can add no more. Control over text formatting is another, albeit lesser, issue. See image for desired result.

The ability to finesse the formatting is critical for legibility reasons as there are multiple buildings in the project, with hundreds of sheets.

Is there a better way to accomplish this? Thanks in advance for your help.

-Jon

[patricks]

there are multiple buildings in the project, with hundreds of sheets.



If I were dealing with that, I would break up the sheet list into several schedules, perhaps one for every discipline or something.

For our firm (smaller projects), I have come to the conclusion that it's easier to just list the consultant's sheets with a drafting view and text objects than to try to build their sheets into my drawing list. So I use an automatic list for my own architectural sheets, and then use text objects for the rest.

The only problem is that I can't get the line spacing quite right. I can get all the other formatting to look the same, but the sheets in the schedule are spaced just a little farther apart than each line in the text objects. More text control would help here.

[kingjosiah]

Patrick -

Thanks for the input -- much appreciated. I like the idea of multiple schedules -- will have to look into that. I had other ideas for a workaround, but when the workaround gets too complicated to explain to rest of the team you know you have a problem.

We are at 350 sheets now and we are just coming out of SD. Yikes! The current sheet index is in autocad and i *really* want to get it into revit.

I'd be interested in seeing how other firms managing large projects address their sheet indexes.

- Jon

[patricks]

If all disciplines are not in the same central file (which I don't think ever would happen), then any solution is going to be a dumb one. Either you have dummy sheets that you name to match your consultants' sheets, or you just have text objects listing sheet numbers and names. To me, it's MUCH easier to just deal with text objects than to have to go through creating lots of sheets, re-naming each one, etc etc. With text objects you can just go down the list, copy and paste like names, things like that.

[atbergma]

The only problem is that I can't get the line spacing quite right. I can get all the other formatting to look the same, but the sheets in the schedule are spaced just a little farther apart than each line in the text objects. More text control would help here.

If you use a separate text object for each line, you can match it exactly. If you measure the spacing in your schedule (let's say it's 1/4") you can then type the first line of your consultant's sheets and array it down for the others. It's a little clunkier to edit the separate lines, but if you care that much. . . it's worth it.

[Scott Womack]

You do not have to be all in one file. If the consultants are in Revit, and all are using a common title block family. You can read the linked files into the sheet index without any problems. Our outside structural firm provided a Revit file, and we read their sheets into our cover sheet automatically. We did send them our titleblock family, and our shared parameters file, and instruct them on how to fill out the parameters we sort with. We use a combination of the Disapline parameter, as well as 2 additional numeric parameters for sorting. Works great.

[Mike Sealander]

For consultant sheets, I created a generic family with two parameters: Sheet Name and Sheet Number. I have an instance of the family for each consultant sheet. I then made a schedule of the generic family. This way, the list sorts like any schedule can sort.
The families are populated in an Annotations phase of Revit, right next to door and window types.

[pleasantc]

Scott,

How do you "read" the consultants' sheets into your sheet index? I'm sure I'm missing something, but I haven't found any way to see the consultants' sheets.

[Scott Womack]

When you create the Sheet Index, you check the box that reads linked files. Then, if the Revit based consultants have used your titleblock, those sheets should appear in your drawing list. They will be grayed out, because you can't edit anything on them ,but they'll be in the list.

[pleasantc]

Thanks, Scott - that's so easy!!

[kshawks]

We put in blank sheets for the consultants sheets, we then use their numbering and sheet titles. Our cover sheet then has multi sheet indexs for each consultants areas (mechanical, plumbing, electrical, structural, civil, etc) I have it set up in our templates so its rather simple to do for each project.