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Sheet Set Manager and Block Attributes not getting along

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Message 1 of 11
Palanlan
15269 Views, 10 Replies

Sheet Set Manager and Block Attributes not getting along

Hi all, I'm at my wits' end with this subject today.  I've read the 'Sheets Happen' blog (which was incredibly helpful) but I'm having weird issues nonetheless.

 

I'm trying to create a new titleblock for a company I just started with that wants to make the move to AutoCAD.  I have a couple of years drafting exp but I'm still learning the finer points of setting up a virgin system.  So, I've drafted a titleblock which I'm trying to add attributes to, and I think I'm very close to having it all sorted out but I'm stuck at the moment.  See below:

 

A breakdown of what I've done:

  • Created title block and added attributes for all values we'll be taking from sheet sets (i.e. client name, revision numbers, revision dates, bla bla bla).  This titleblock is saved as its own drawing and the attributes are in that drawing.  The attributes have tags only- no default data or prompts
  • Created a "Dummy" sheet set with all custom properties needed for future sheet sets/projects (i.e. client name, revision numbers, revision dates, bla bla bla).
  • Created a New Drawing using the sheet set manager, with our company's current drawing template.
  • Purged all old title blocks from the new drawing
  • Inserted  the new title block (Bullet point 1) with attributes into layout 1.
  • When prompted, I inserted the field for each corresponding attribute.

At first everything looked fine.  Sheet number was correct, sheet title was correct, even a couple of the custom properties were alright and displaying properly in the layout.  BUT THEN I noticed that a few attributes weren't showing up at all in the layout.  When I would edit the title block itself, all of the attributes would be there but when I would try to insert a field into their 'default' parameters, the 'custom sheet set' properties wouldn't exist (like this sheet was not associated with this sheet set).  But some of the attributes in the block WOULD be able to reference the custom sheet set properties, so that's not the issue.

 

I am totally confused as to what is going wrong because my issues are inconsistent.  Some attributes work, some don't, some update according to sheet set properties in the layout, others change in the block editor.

 

I guess my overarching question is:  Is all of this weirdness being caused by the fact that my attributes are within a block?  And does that mean that I have to define attributes in the Drawing template instead?

 

Thanks for any help you can give.  I'm bout ready to do a desk flip

Running AutoCAD Civil 3D
10 REPLIES 10
Message 2 of 11
Palanlan
in reply to: Palanlan

To clarify- I was planning on getting all attributes set with their fields and then saving this drawing as the new drawing template for the company (after removing it from the dummy sheet set, of course).  This was recommended by 'Sheets Happen" and seemed like a great idea.  Without detting all of the attributes refernecing fields properly, though there's not much point in moving on...

Running AutoCAD Civil 3D
Message 3 of 11
civman_daar
in reply to: Palanlan

When you say attributes, do you mean block attributes or fields contained within Mtext?  My experience has been to create the title block and add the Mtext fields to it.  Create custom properties in the sheet set manager template that reference the Mtext fields in the titleblock.  Take your new titleblock with fields and create a dwt file.  This way you can use Autocad Design Center (ADC) to drag and drop the title block layout to a new drawing or use the dwt file to cut sheets with the sheet tools.

Message 4 of 11
Lisa_Pohlmeyer
in reply to: Palanlan

We use FIELDS for the data from SSM. This is the process we use to create our templates.

1. Create linework for title block, logos, etc. and save that as a drawing (11x17 titleblock or what ever)

2. In the drawing that's actually going to be my template (Roadway.dwt), in the layout tab I Xref the titleblock as an overlay.  I then add fields for the SSM properties that I want to see on each sheet in the location where they should be on the title block.  

3. Add the viewports and be sure to set the viewport type for each one.

4. Add other blocks, notes, north arrow (over the edge of the viewport), bar scale, & legend.

5. Add what ever Civil 3D styles I need, layers, etc.

5. Save the file as a template

 

Now when I start a new drawing using that template, the title block is xreffed and the field are available to update when the layout is added to SSM.

 

I can send you an example of our template in 2012 version if you give me your email address.



Lisa Pohlmeyer
Civil 3D User
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Tags (3)
Message 5 of 11

After looking at the supplied sample drawing, here is what I would change.

1. Put the titleblock in paperspace on a layout tab.

2. Replace you block attributes with Mtext fields, custom properties.

3. In the SSM template, make sure your custom properties reflect the Mtext fields (custom properties)

    in your titleblock exactly.

4. Save the updated titleblock as a dwt file.

 

You can now add viewports, North arrows, or whatever to this dwt file.

You now have a titleblock template that can function through ADC or through the sheet production tools.

Message 6 of 11
gccdaemon
in reply to: civman_daar

Fields in model space do not update with the "CurrentSheetBLAHLBAH" fields set. They have to be placed in a layout. What I do is this:

 

- Create a Titleblock in Model tab with "Project specific" fields. These will have to be repathed based on the project using custom fields under the "SheetSet" Field group.

-Xref the titleblock into a template sheet layout.

- Add a block with Sheet specific "CurrentSheetBLAHLBAH" fields into the Layout.

 

You don't need an attributed titleblock. Just use mtext with fields. It makes repaths easier. Also make sure you don't have more than one sheetset open when repathing or printing because it can weird out on you and print the wrong sheetset information.

Andrew Ingram
Civil 3D x64 2019
Win 10 x64 Pro
Intel Xeon E5-1620
32 GB Ram
Message 7 of 11
Joe-Bouza
in reply to: Palanlan

I do not see any definition in your attributes! Go back to sheets happen. Heidi go to great lengths explaining the difference between the "Default" attribute and the "value" seen in the enhanced editor.

 

All the ssm definitions need to go in the "DEFAULT" of the attribute definition.

 

 

sheets happen.PNG 

PS. to get rolling I would take one of the OOTB Sheet set protos and tear it apart to understand it

Thank you

Joseph D. Bouza, P.E. (one of 'THOSE' People)

HP Z210 Workstation
Intel Xeon CPU E31240 @ 3.30 Hz
12 GB Ram


Note: Its all Resistentialism, so keep calm and carry on

64 Bit Win10 OS
Message 8 of 11
Palanlan
in reply to: Joe-Bouza

Thank you all very much for the help.  I ended up figuring out what was going on, turns out it was pretty simple.  Using BATTMAN command, I was inserting fields into the Default paramaters of each of the Block Attributes.  BUT, the block attributes, like layers in an xref, do not update once the block has been inserted into a drawing.  All I needed to do was to delete the block (NOT PURGE) and then reinsert it (WITHOUT REDEFINING IT) into the drawing.  And wouldn't you know it, all the fields showed up as intended for each of the Block Attributes.

 

The reason I decided to go for the 'Title Block with Attributes' method, rather than the 'Title Block as Xref' method, or the 'Title Block with Mtext/Fields' method was purely because that was suggested by the "Sheets Happen" Blog by Heidi Hewitt.  This is a fantastic document and is actually the reason I figured out that I needed to reinsert the block after changing default values for block attributes with BATTMAN.  It's certainly not the only way to get it done, but everything is working for my TB now so I'm stickin to it.

 

What I did was:

 

  • Created a new drawing from our standard template in our 'Dummy' sheet set
  • Used BATTMAN to insert fields from sheet set manager for all default Block Attribute parameters
  • Side note- For whatever reason, in the Sheet set properties, empty space placeholders 'Alt+0160' will not associate with block attributes.  Not sure why, but I ended up having to put something (in this case a letter) into each of the SSM properties I wanted a blank space placeholder to eventually go, insert all of the fields to their corresponding block attributes, and then go into the SSM and change the properties BACK to blank space placeholders 'Alt+0160'  A little grey box then displays on the TB for the attribute, showing the blank space placeholder, but does not print.  I used this for things like "Revision number" and "Revision Comment" where I wanted the TB to associate with those sheet set properties, but didn't want the little dashes showing up when there was no text entered in the SSM properties for those fields yet.
  • Moving right along- Once all of the default parameters of the block attributes were associated with the correct fields from the SSM, I deleted the block, (DID NOT PURGE) reinserted the block, (When prompted, DID NOT REASSOCIATE THE BLOCK) then sat back and smiled as all of the attributes displayed the correct fields from the SSM.
  • With the TB attributes functioning correctly, I removed the drawing from the sheet set.
  • I then Saved the drawing over the old company Drawing Template, thus updating the Company Drawing Template.
  • Now, whenever I create a new sheet set using our 'Dummy' sheet set  as a template, it references our new Company Drawing Template when creating new sheets.  And these sheets, by some miracle, come into the new sheet set containing all of the correct field info from SSM.

I'll be impressed if anyone took the time to read all of that!

 

Thanks again for all of your input.  Making the switch from LDD to Civil 3D has been a challenge but I can definitely see the light. 

Running AutoCAD Civil 3D
Message 9 of 11
Palanlan
in reply to: Palanlan

Sorry- Second line of my explanation should have said "DEFAULT PARAMETERS OF block attributes do not update once a block has been inserted into a drawing"

Running AutoCAD Civil 3D
Message 10 of 11
gccdaemon
in reply to: Palanlan

You might want to see if ATTSYNC updates the fields as well. It will keep you from having top reinsert the block over and over.

Andrew Ingram
Civil 3D x64 2019
Win 10 x64 Pro
Intel Xeon E5-1620
32 GB Ram
Message 11 of 11
mbickelVMG55
in reply to: Palanlan

Nailed it! However, I had to read some other posts to comprehend that I have to be outside of block editor to do this.

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