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Thread: ACA Custom objects/tagging/scheduling

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    Default ACA Custom objects/tagging/scheduling

    Ok, I am really new to ACA coming from Revit and have used std autoCAD for a few years prior.
    I am trying to find out how to create a schedule for custom parts modeled within a project. For example..... If I create a model of a galvanized Hurricane clip fastener, a 3d solid, I would like to have a schedule that keeps track of how many of these are being used in the model just like I would with doors and windows.

    I am also considering creating AEC objects of these objects and adding them to the AEC catalog and then having the ability to ad them in as needed for future projects and having a schedule for tracking sizes and quantities of these items. I am not sure if this is the best way to go about it?

    Any help in these regards will be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks

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    Default Re: ACA Custom objects/tagging/scheduling

    You will want to learn about Property Sets, which are the central item of the Scheduling feature in ACA. While you probably could schedule the 3D Solid directly, you would have to use all object-based properties/Property Set(s). That may work, depending upon your needs, but you may also want to consider creating a Multi-View Block as the main content item. (You can still use the 3D Solid, if you want, in a view block that displays in non-orthogonal views.)

    As someone completely new to scheduling in ACA, you may find some of the resources listed in this blog article, of interest, particularly the ATP courses. Many of the items go back a few years, and the instructions will be based on the pre-ribbon interface, but the Schedule feature has not changed much since the 2007 release, so the information should still be good:
    http://architects-desktop.blogspot.c...resources.html

    You can also search these forums for schedule-related discussions. Post back with any specific questions for which you cannot find an answer, and someone here will likely be able to help out.

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    Default Re: ACA Custom objects/tagging/scheduling

    Thanks for the reply. I have been looking into multi view blocks and think this is the route that I am going to follow. That blog looks like it has some useful info as well and will work my way through it. We are going to be implementing a customized version of the MiTek woodengine soon and I think allot of what I am trying to accomplish will become available with this, but want to be able to do the customizations myself.

    Will report back with any queries....

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    Default Re: ACA Custom objects/tagging/scheduling

    Ok so I have made a custom schedule for a bunch of circles with a property set. Now how do I actually add the schedule to the drawing???? In the tool pallet there are only tools for creating door schedules and the like, standard stuff. How do I add my new schedule????

    Its probably something dumb I am missing.

    Total Nooooob here .......
    Thanks for the help.

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    Default Re: ACA Custom objects/tagging/scheduling

    Got it...... discovered drag and drop..... DUH!!!!!

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    Default Re: ACA Custom objects/tagging/scheduling

    Drag-and-drop is one way to make a Tool palette tool for your schedule. I assume that the circle schedule was just an exercise; once you start making content for production work that will need to be used by others, you will want to set up one or more source file(s) for the content in a location that is accessible to all. A network location works best, but you can also set up the same folder on all local drives if you cannot use a network location.

    After the style or definition is created in the network location, create the tool from that file. If you create the tool from a file on your local drive, when others try to use the tool, the tool will not be able to find the source file if the referenced style/definition does not already exist in the target file (assuming that your local drive is not available to all others on the network).

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    Default Re: ACA Custom objects/tagging/scheduling

    Thanks, yes that makes sense. For my immediate application this works. Do you have a tutorial floating around detailing the best practice for this?
    Here Is something I have been wondering.... When you create a MV block can you save that block with its defined property set,schedule and tool so that whenever you import it into a drawing it brings these along with it and you dont have to recreate them in every drawing?

    I'm enjoying your blog,very helpful

    Thanks

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    Default Re: ACA Custom objects/tagging/scheduling

    A Multi-View Block can have a style-based Property Set attached as part of the definition. Style-based Property Sets work well for most automatic properties (not so much for Location properties, however, as the location grip will only be generated by an object-based Location property) and for manual properties where the value of the property will be the same for all instances of that Multi-View Block.

    If you need a Location property, or if you need to have manual properties that vary from instance to instance, then you will need to have an object-based Property Set to attach to the Multi-View Block. That cannot be attached to the Multi-View Block Definition. Any associated Schedule Table Style also cannot be attached to the Multi-View Block Definition.

    There are ways of easing the assignment of an object-based Property Set to a Multi-View Block (or any other AEC Object to which an object-based Property Set applies). If you are going to apply a Schedule Tag to the Multi-View Block, the Property Sets of the properties referenced by the Schedule Tag are automatically applied to the Multi-View Block, and you can set up the Schedule Tag to apply additional Property Sets, if desired (either by using an invisible attribute in the Tag itself to reference a property in an additional Property Set, or by adding the additional Property Set in the properties of the Tool palette tool used to add the tag). If you are not tagging the Multi-View Block, you can set up a Schedule Tag tool that only adds Property Sets, and does not add a tag. You can also set up a tool that adds an AutoCAD block to your drawing and then explodes the block after placement. The contents of that block would be your Multi-View Block with the desired Property Set(s) already attached. It is also possilble, if you have the coding skills, to write a custom routine that automatically attaches a given Property Set to a specific object type every time an object of that type is added to a drawing. Richard Binning had written such a routine for Doors some time back, and posted the code in the AUGI discussion groups. I believe it was VBA-based, so the code would need updating for more recent releases (and you would have to load the separate VBA enabling module). Check out this thread if you are interested in this option.

    As for the Schedule Tables, set up a Tool palette tool to add a Schedule Table and it will import the Schedule Table Style from the specified source file if it does not already exist in the target drawing.

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