I am looking for a step by step Sheet Set Manager tutorial that includes a dataset since there are many interdependencies that must exist to use certain features. Ideally it would be nice to have videos as well (YouTube is great but there are no datasets and it is too haphazard).
It appears there are some datasets provided with the product but I don't see any tutorials in the Help system.
Suggestions appreciated.
Here is a really good link to a 48 page pdf covering the sheet set manager that might have what you need.
or you can google sheets happen
http://heidihewett.blogs.com/my_weblog/files/Sheets_Happen.pdf
Craig
Thanks,
I have that tutorial. It does not have a dataset so it is difficult to follow without predefined blocks, etc.
Neil
Hiedi Hewetts document is the bible, take your time with it and you will not regret it.
Also, if you are interested. Jimmy Berkman has some blog and the Best tool I have seen for SSM (well worth the modes investment)
Joe Bouza
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Hi Joe,
I am struggling to come up with a strategy for using an XREF border for my sheet sets. All the tutorials seem to have us making the borders as a block. I don't want the border to be an independent block in each sheet dwg since it is not condusive to updating the block if I need to change it in all the sheets.
The way I think it has to be done is to make a border/title block DWG that has all the global project related text and attributes and Xref it into a layout in another file. Then I need to define the sheet dependent title block attributes in this second file and save it as a template to use when creating new sheets. I have added the 2 border DWGs to the sheet set so I can access the set attributes when setting up the fields in the title blocks.
I am unable to get the fields to update when I create a new sheet using this workflow. Do you see anything wrong with the workflow? If not it may be that I am doing something wrong when setting up the fields. Part of the problem may be that I am trying to use MText rather than block attributes for the fields in the template. Do I have to use Attributes for this to work? I'd like to use MTEXT so that the text can wrap to fit within the title block. I don't want these pieces of MTEXT to be independent text in all my sheets so I put them all into a block in my template. That might be the problem, but if I use attributes I don't get the word wrap capability I need.
Neil,
I had the same issues you were when I first started using sheet sets. I didn't want to have to change every sheet if the title block needed to be modified for what ever reason.
The way I got around it was to create a template file with my border file xref'd in. In the actual template drawing I placed MText with fields for current sheet name, current sheet number, current sheet set, etc (I also have different scale bars in the sheet template file so I don't have to bring those in also).
I have all of this information saved into a SHEETS folder that I copy to each project. Also in this folder is a blank sheet set. Once I have copied the folder to the project, I generate sheets using the New Sheet in the sheet set manager.
When I am generating muliple sheets of one type (such as plan and profiles) I will use the above process just once, and create multiple tabs.
I hope I wasn't too confusing. One thing I keep running into is that my border reference wants to look back at the original location, rather than looking at the current job. Haven't quite figured out the best way to fix that yet.
-Tucker
Thanks for the feedback Tucker.
I am following a similar workflow. One thing I am doing diffferently than you is I don't want the text in my sheet titles to be individual pieces of MTEXT. The reason being I don't want to have to go into each layout to change the text size/style etc. for each sheet title. By putting it all in a block I can globally update the title block text.
Of course that only matters if you have more than one layout per DWG which is what we are doing.
I haven't gone far enough to know how to use this strategy to create new projects.
My work flow sounds exactly like Tuckers. I'll add that I use a relative path to the border. It can be taken even further: lets say you have plan sets that you do all the time (that don't use PP sheets) like site plan sets- create them all in a project seed folder.
I create an entire project folder structure with sheets, sheet set, xrefs, excel, yada yada, all with relative paths. When a project starts , copy the seed folder, rename, populate the xrefs, save some views and you're 150% done with your 5% check set and 50% done with your 30% check set and its not even 11:00 am yet and of course if there are PP to be added, use the check box to add to an existing sheet set. And the there are custom field - your imagination is the only limiting factor there.
Discipline specific sheet numbers like SP-01, EC-03.... Sheet# of #. JTB world tools shine when you need both of those in a sheet set.
And to quote the late great Billy May "Wait! there's more." Detail views and detail call outs.. See Detail X on drawing Y.....
Explore !
Joe Bouza
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Your attribute issue sounds like you are defining the field in the enhanced attribute editor "value" and not the block definition "default" see Hiedi Hewets Sheets happen she goe to great lengths explaining that.
Joe Bouza
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And as far as videos goes. There are always a few on A.U., although most presenters screw it up, there is some valu to them. I'm pretty sure Hiedi did one a few years back. You can look up past years
Joe Bouza
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Joe Bouza
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Thanks for all the time you put into your replies Joe. I've seen some of your posts on the topic so I know you've put a lot into learning SSM.
I've been through all the relevant presentations I can find on AU Online but none of them seem to fit the workflow I am trying to use as far as the XREF'ed border. It helps to know you have made it work so I'm sure I'll get it figured out.
After mulling over the problem I'm having with the fields not updating I realize now that I'll have to use attributes rather than MTEXT with fields in my title block since I want to put all the text in a single block for easy updating.
Good point about relative paths. I was going to experiment with that once I got to that stage of the process.
HTH, Neil. If you have more questions I'll do my best to help. I'll say it again: The Sheets Happen white paper is the Bible"
Joe Bouza
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