Electrical 2015 - Previous/Next Sheet issues.

[pqphillips]

Okay, we just upgraded to 2015, and I noticed that in the title block setup (specifically, under the Drawing Values), there's now an option for previous sheet and next sheet. Our folks want to implement the Next Sheet function, so I reworked the title block to add an attribute for it and then redid the title block setup.

Unfortunately, the Title Block Update does not update this attribute, leaving it blank instead.

I think I may have missed a step or sone something wrong, but I cannot figure out what it is. Can anyone assist?

[pqphillips]

Never mind. Apparently you can't update the Sheet Number and the Next Sheet Number at the same time.

[pqphillips]

To elaborate further, given that the Sheet, the Previous Sheet, and the Next Sheet attributes are all linked to the %S variable, it seems like one must run the Title Block Update twice: Once to establish the Sheet attribute in the drawings (having it in the Drawing Properties alone isn't sufficient), and again to allow the Previous and Next Sheet attributes to fill in based on the in-drawing sheet values of the preceding and successive drawings.

Seems like something that Autodesk needs to look into tweaking to work on a single pass...

[dougmcalexander · Accepted solution]

Yes indeed. The previous and next sheet attribute values are copied from the project scratch database. If you haven't yet assigned the sheet fields a value the database will contain a value of blank for the %S value of each drawing. I assign sheet value each time I add a drawing to my project so my title block update fills in previous and next in one pass.

I've been doing it this way for years, using a lisp routine that I call from within the WD_TB attribute. But the functionality of 2015 works the same way, pulling the sheet assignments from the project scratch database. I have no need to use the lisp routine any longer. 2015 has rendered it unnecessary.

Note: It's a good idea to force a database update prior to running title block update, exporting to a spreadsheet, or generating reports. Type AEREBUILDDB at the command line and press Enter. Choose Full Rebuild.

Hint: One advantage of AutoCAD Electrical is that drawing data is stored in the drawing files. Thus it is hard for you to lose drawing data unless you delete it yourself. The database is only a collection of attribute values that the software stores for its own internal processes. So your drawing data is neatly tucked away in the form of attribute values and layer assignments, and sometimes in the form of extended entity data (xdata). But this method, while extremely robust, sometimes requires human action to force a database update prior to using a command or utility that will interrogate the project scratch database for information. The software functions this way to avoid having to open each drawing to compile the information it needs at that moment, but this means that the database must be kept up to date. This is especially necessary if you have used a plain AutoCAD command to perform certain edits.

[ccad2509]

Doug

As the ACADE expert could you please explain to me why it took autodesk up till the 2015 release to rectify an issue which at cursory glance at any product that produce pages has as a standard feature namely previous /next page

[Anonymous]

What do you have to name the attribute to get it to work. I cant seem to figure out what i have to name it to get the previous and next to update. 

[dougmcalexander]

I name the attributes PREVSHT and NEXTSHT.  Just map to them when you perform the title block setup.  Click on the Drawing Values button at the bottom of the Title Block Setup dialog.  Reference the attached screen capture for an example from the custom IEC training course I teach.