Sheet set template file - er-associating multiple layouts

[buddy.brooks]

Help,

I've been searching for an answer for 2 months and just cannot find the right information.

Our company uses upto 60 layout tabs (paperspace) in each drawing. We want to use fields to automatically update the title block information and sheet labels. Some of the information is sheet specific. Some of the information is drawing specific. If we try to use sheet properties for a template, we lose the information.

1. If we copy the dst file (or archive, or e-transmit) and rename it, the sheet associations break down. We can re-link them one at a time but that takes almost as long as just manually updating each sheet which defeats the purpose of using fields.

2. If we create a new sheet set from a template, we lose the layout data which contains the fields we aer trying to avoid recreating each time.

We are used to havuing a master template drawing that we copy and rename when we start a new project and then just update the relevent data on each sheet.

I cannot seem to find a way to preserve the layout structure and fiel associations without copying the template DST file to a new folder and then keeping the name Master_SS_Template (or whatever). As soon as we rename it all is lost.

a. Is there a way to reassociate all of the sheets in the set automatically to the new drawing file in the new folder, preserving the structure?

b. Is there VBA script that can do the updating, When the files are copied and renamed the only thing that changes is the filename. IE..

from Master_Template. dwg and Master_Template.DST
to Job12345.dgw and Job12345.dst

We are naming our layout tabs usinf the following convention:
01 Drawing Index, 02 Vicinity map, 03 Site Map, 04 Facility Map, 05 Facility Elevations, 06 Facility Plan, 07 Facility Details, etc... to "60 whatever" or more

We use the numerical prefix for automated sorting and renumber after adding additional sheets when needed. It also helps sort the sheets in the SSM (I'll have to find an automated way to do that one day as well).

We deal with many military and governent customers and cannot change our drawing package format easily so I really need to find a way to get things working with our current scheme if possible.


Help! What Can I do? How can I create a new file that is a dupliate of the template file complete with valid links and associations except with different filenames. There are no external references used. The title block is a block within the drawing.

Most of the fields come from the drawing properties:

project name, project location, project manager, project engineer, draftsman, description, revision, file location.

I want to pull the drawing number, sheet description, and sheet number from the SSM and maybe custom properties.

Can anybody steer me in the right direction?

Buddy Brooks
CAD Engineer / Designer

[RobertB]

Are you using placeholder fields in the template?

FWIW, SSM is "happier" with a single sheet, single layout, single drawing approach.

[buddy.brooks]

Hi Robert,

If I cannot find a reasonable solution then we may have to go to single sheets, but that introduces a whole new set of issues and I don't think it will help.

"FWIW, SSM is "happier" with a single sheet, single layout, single drawing approach."

Yes I am using Bock placeholder fields. I set the fields in the border title block "block".

Even if I set the fields in the drawing sheets I still lose the association to the sheet set when I give it a new name. It Seems like I will not be able to use fields from the sheet set to my advantage. If I understand the issue correctly, my problem is that it isn't meant to be used that way, therefore, there is no provision to make it easier. I think my only option is a little vba code to change the sheet property for associated file to the current filename that is open (assuming the file has been renamed which is the problem in the first plac).

Bud

[RobertB]

Yes I am using Bock placeholder fields. I set the fields in the border title block "block".

Um, nope, not block placeholders... sheet set placeholders.

[buddy.brooks]

Sorry,

I am confused. After reading the Autocad help to learn the difference and answer your previous question, I understood Block placeholers to be fields in the block that would be populated after inserting on the specific sheet. Which is what I am doing.


"Options for BlockPlaceholder Fields
BlockPlaceholder fields are only available when the Block Editor is open.
The following additional options are available when the BlockPlaceholder field is selected:
Block Name: Displays the name of the current block definition.
Temporary Value: Displays the value for the placeholder field in the selected format.
Block Reference Properties: Displays a list of block reference properties for the current block definition."

I am not sure that I understand the difference.

I am using Sheet Title for page title, Sheet Number for sheet number, Description for Drawing number, and revision for revision.

This allows me to create my index sheet using the Insert Sheet List Table Function once all of the layout tabs have been added. I can regenerate it if any additional sheets are added.


I guess that means I should have gone with the following quote from the help file:

"Options for SheetSetPlaceholder Fields
The following additional options are available when the SheetSetPlaceholder field is selected:
Placeholder Type: Displays a list of available placeholder fields.
Temporary Value: Displays the value for the placeholder field in the selected format.
For example, with SheetSet Placeholder selected in the Field Names list, SheetTitle selected in the Placeholder Type list, and Uppercase selected in the Format list, Temporary Value displays SHEETTITLE. When the drawing is placed in a sheet set, this field displays the title of the sheet."

even though they are used in a block and file in when used on a specific sheet?

I think I'm missing something here.... What should I be using and why?

[RobertB]

If you use a sheet(set) field, it "knows" what sheet set to which is belongs. The sheet(set) placeholder fields will allow you to create a sheet set template, because the placeholders are not tied to a specific existing sheet set.

[buddy.brooks]

Robert,

If I post a sample drawing and template would it help?

[buddy.brooks]

Here is a sample drawing and template drawing and sheet set. I had to add DOC to the sheet set name to get it to upload.

Bud

[archie.manza]

If you use a sheet(set) field, it "knows" what sheet set to which is belongs. The sheet(set) placeholder fields will allow you to create a sheet set template, because the placeholders are not tied to a specific existing sheet set.

I think Robert already solved it. You just need to update your Fields because it is attached by Hyperlink.

[buddy.brooks]

Archie.manza,

Perhaps you are correct. I will need to look at it closer and try a few things. For my particular situation, I need to copy the information that is in the current sheet set properties to a new sheet set with a new name that has the same initial data. The placeholder fields seem to link to the proper fields, but the data is not carried forward.

For instance; The drawing number for each layout sheet is a unique nimber based upon the type of data on each sheet it follows this format
For the layout tab that has the vicinity map data the tab name is 02 VICINITY MAP 1-1
the drawing number will be like this:

XXXX-PROJECT NAME-VM-2-A

Project # - PROJECT NAME - Vicinity Map - 2 of x - rev A
XXXX - PROJECT NAME - VM - 2 - A

WHere the Floor plan number would look like this:
XXXX-PROJECT NAME-FP-3-A

Project # - PROJECT NAME - Floor Plan - 3 of x - rev A
XXXX - PROJECT NAME - FP - 2 - A


We wanted to keep this data in the sheet properties but it gets lost everytime we create a new file. Unless we re-associate the sheet properties "expected layout" for each sheet which takes forever one at a time for 150 sheets. It would help if there were a VBA script that would cycle through the sheet properties and re-associate each sheet after channging the name. I have found code to cycle through the sheet set and change properties but I have not been able to learn what the variable is for the "expected layout". If I could find that then I think that I could write the code to go through the collection and update the file to the new name. That way we could keep the data that is recorded on in the sheet properties.

Or maybe I just need to learn how to use the placeholder fields correctly.

Bud