Fields and sheet index questions

This is a mix of autocad issues and programming, but its frustration with the feature so a programming solution is
needed.

When taking an existing project I create a field for the sheet number and the sheet title in my first sheet. Then I
wblock those fields and insert them into the rest of my sheets one at a time. What a pain. How come sometimes it works
and sometimes it does not? Most of the time the inserted fields will work but other times they will not update, its
like they are not linked back to the sheet set manager and I have to manually recreate the fields again? So why is
this?

Question 1: How can I make a one click creation of these 2 field items. It seems that I cannot make a generic .dwg and
insert this via a menu or toolbar click as it will not be linked to my sheet set manager. So what methods are available
for my standard setup.

2nd question: What are the character limitations of fields. This seems stupid to me, but shouldn't autocad prompt you
to say that "hey this character is not going to work in a field?" For example I cannot use # (pound) as in a sheet
title of "Building #1 Floor Plan" Only the text "Building" will show up in my sheet index table created by the sheet
set manager. There is a few others, but I forget.

3rd question: Can I change the color of the field background shade. Right now the shade box around a field is like
color 9. We use color 31 for all of our text and 31 does now show well on a gray background.

4th: How can I push out or auto configure a company standard table style. I don't want to have to teach everyone how
to use the table style editor to create the company standard style table on every job that they work on. What's the
power of autocad and standardization if I cannot setup one standard for everyone to use.

5th: When inserting a "sheet list table", how do I make the sheet index have other disciplines sheets in the list. For
example, I am the architect. How do I put the civil and electrical and structural sheets into my index. Our sheet
numbering standard is to put first the general sheets done by us, then the civil sheets, then the architectural sheets.
But we only have the architectural drawings, we don't have the drawings from other disciplines. I can't make dummy
blank drawings for the other sheets because then they would get published whenever we plotted or etransmitted the
project. What can be done?

6th: Has anyone figured out a quicker way to take a list of .dwg's and input the sheet number and sheet title? Going
through the sheet set manager is painfully slow on a 50 sheet project. We are having to do it over and over again on
all of our existing projects. Its a PIA right now to implement the sheet manager on jobs.


David

 

5th: On the properties of the 'dummy' sheet(s)
specify that it is not to be included in publish.

--
Autodesk Discussion Group Facilitator

the feature so a programming solution is

<snip>

 

so I have to create a bunch of dummy .dwg's just to get them into the auto setup sheet index?

"Jason Piercey" <Jason AT atreng DOT com>
|>5th: On the properties of the 'dummy' sheet(s)
|>specify that it is not to be included in publish.


David

 

Since the SSM is dependent on drawings that
exist so they can be added to the set and the
Sheet List is based upon what is included in the
set, I'm going to have to say yes.

 

ok so I think this is short sighted here
Is this going to be solved in 2006?

Can't we just have a table and some cells reference the SSM and other cells are just regular text?

"Jason Piercey" <Jason AT atreng DOT com>
|>Since the SSM is dependent on drawings that
|>exist so they can be added to the set and the
|>Sheet List is based upon what is included in the
|>set, I'm going to have to say yes.


David

 

Don't have a clue as to what is being addressed
in version 2006. I've decided to pretty much
leave the SSM alone as far as customization is
concerned. I'll wait and see what type of stuff
Autodesk does to improve it.

Haven't messed with the table objects for more
than a few seconds. They seemed to be lacking
features to me right from the get-go.

Here is to hoping that 2006 will have substantial
improvements in both of these areas.

 

so no one else has anything to add to this subject?

"Jason Piercey" <Jason AT atreng DOT com>
|>Don't have a clue as to what is being addressed
|>in version 2006. I've decided to pretty much
|>leave the SSM alone as far as customization is
|>concerned. I'll wait and see what type of stuff
|>Autodesk does to improve it.
|>
|>Haven't messed with the table objects for more
|>than a few seconds. They seemed to be lacking
|>features to me right from the get-go.
|>
|>Here is to hoping that 2006 will have substantial
|>improvements in both of these areas.


David

 

David,

Appears does not to many have been able to come with workarounds on the ssm.

I have done very little/or/nothing... since I prefer to wait for a more mature ssm system.

I tried to fix the need to rebuild every time a new sheet is added to the table list... that's is updated to whatever the ssm wants.

And use a simple reactor to grab the table dimensions... to being able to at least recreated to my needs.

I do not to much time to play with the table object, did just a very short sample on how to implemented, via code, in case you want to view the sample, please go to my download section on my web page at http://www.draftteam.com

I use extensively [just for say in it...] the ssm, my set of drawings per project are about 25-30 sheets.

What I have done in the index for my consultants drawings is to place the names in the cells... manually, my next step will be to use the same reactor I have for the table dimensions... but for now is not to much work to spent on that.

I have an old HP Plotter and the 20 or 25 pages... are plotted in a normal tme frame for me... I do not see that is taking to long....

Anyway.... just to come to the conversation, so you can have a little more paragraphs to read....

Luis Esquivel
http://www.draftteam.com

 

Thankx for the input. I'll look at your code.
The next issue I have is that I need to modify all the sheets paths in the sheet set file.
I wish the .dst was clear text so I could search and replace the paths.
I moved a project and now I need to redo all my sheets. What a waste.


Luis Esquivel <>
|>David,
|>
|>Appears does not to many have been able to come with workarounds on the ssm.
|>
|>I have done very little/or/nothing... since I prefer to wait for a more mature ssm system.
|>
|>I tried to fix the need to rebuild every time a new sheet is added to the table list... that's is updated to whatever the ssm wants.
|>
|>And use a simple reactor to grab the table dimensions... to being able to at least recreated to my needs.
|>
|>I do not to much time to play with the table object, did just a very short sample on how to implemented, via code, in case you want to view the sample, please go to my download section on my web page at http://www.draftteam.com
|>
|>I use extensively [just for say in it...] the ssm, my set of drawings per project are about 25-30 sheets.
|>
|>What I have done in the index for my consultants drawings is to place the names in the cells... manually, my next step will be to use the same reactor I have for the table dimensions... but for now is not to much work to spent on that.
|>
|>I have an old HP Plotter and the 20 or 25 pages... are plotted in a normal tme frame for me... I do not see that is taking to long....
|>
|>Anyway.... just to come to the conversation, so you can have a little more paragraphs to read....
|>
|>Luis Esquivel
|>http://www.draftteam.com


David

 

Tell me...

I'm doing two projects right now and I cannot work on the sheets, because I do not have all the paths here in my house.

So, I have to do everything on the base, and then exported into the sheets.... not a happy camper.... but what else....

 

just replicate the paths with network shares pointed back to your local hard drive

Luis Esquivel <>
|>Tell me...
|>
|>I'm doing two projects right now and I cannot work on the sheets, because I do not have all the paths here in my house.
|>
|>So, I have to do everything on the base, and then exported into the sheets.... not a happy camper.... but what else....


David