titlblock set up

[april_herr]

I went through the steps of setting up a titleblock, usind a WD_TB file.  I have all the info matched up, but I must be missing a step because it isn't a block? What am I doing wrong?

[testsubject]

April,

Can you post a copy of your titleblock to look at? Maybe we can determine what is not working...

[april_herr]

I just got it to work... I redid my WD file, purged, started a new dwg, started from scratch and it worked!  Since we are on the subject though, I really want to be able to use my new template in paperspace.  95% of all our drawing are in paperspace.  Is it possible?  What do I have to do?

[testsubject · Accepted solution]

Well, I would copy the titleblock to paperspace in your template. It works just fine if it is there. I have found that having the titleblock in paperspace makes it much easier to do multiple views of the same drawing across multiple pages. The only caveat with using ACE is that you need to plot from either modelspace or paperspace for all drawings in the publishing package.

You mentioned that you do 95% of your drawing in paperspace. Might I recomend that you do your schematic/panel drawings in model space and Titleblock/plotting from paperspace? That way, you do not have to worry about rescaling the titleblock. Everything can be drawn 1:1 and you then just scale the viewport in paperspace. I ran a script that checked the viewport scale and inserted that value for my Scale attribute. Others have different thoughts on the Modelspace/Paperspace debate. I just found it easier to do it this way.

<climbing off soapbox>

[april_herr]

Thank you very much!  I will try my schematics in model space

[sonny3g]

I just finally got my boss to give up on using the wd_tb block and use the .wdt file instead.  Once I demonstrated the greater flexibility we had using the file he was good with it. I find it easier to work with the .wdt and .wdl files over working with the wd_tb block.

Scott

[april_herr]

Could you explain a bit further?  I'm still very new to this new to electrical.  Maybe I would be better off...

[davidhall]

Having not looked at using the files,  I am all ears as well.

[sonny3g]

To begin with, be sure to look up default_wdtitle.WDL and default.WDT in the help files for a fuller explanation of these files.  There are a series of default.wd* files that are available to you.  These two .wdl and .wdt and all of the other files can be left as default or copied to the project directory and renamed for that project.

Here is a sample of the contents of an old default_wdtitle.wdl file I used at a previous company.

LINE1=Project Number

LINE2=Drawing Number

LINE3=Customer Name

LINE4=Project Name

LINE5 =Drawn By

LINE6=Drawn Date

LINE7=Engineer

LINE8=Current Rev Level

LINE9=IEC Project

LINE10=IEC Inst/Func

LINE11=IEC Location

LINE12=Scale

LINE16=First Rev - REV LINE

Note that line numbers can be skipped and on the file this is taken from I have 81 lines defined.  These lines replace the LINE number in the dialog box when you do a title block update and when you do Descriptions from the Project Manager.

The default.wdt file has a large information header block in it with samples and instructions on how to use it.   Following is a small sample that went along with the default_wdtitle.wdl above.

BLOCK = 610-00

DRAWING = FULLFILENAME

SHTNO = SHEET

OF = SHEETMAX

TITLE3 = DD1

PROJ = LINE1

DRAWING = LINE2

TITLE1 = LINE3

TITLE2 = LINE4

NAME = LINE5

DATE = LINE6

ENGR = LINE7

PMGR = LINE8

EMGR = LINE9

CKD = LINE10

SCALE = LINE11

DRAWING = LINE20

The DD#s are from the drawing properties dialog box.  Sometime you should open one of your project .wdp files and check it out. The === lines correspond to the DD1, 2 & 3 lines above, which in turn correspond to Description Lines 1, 2 & 3 in the drawing properties box.

Like I said earlier, your best resource is in the help files.  Good luck.

Scott

[april_herr]

Thank you! I am going to the help menu now. 

[april_herr]

I am having trouble with my titleblock again.  I'm afraid to post it tho.  If I run the title block setup, choose all of my titles, I should then have a block- right?  If I just save-as, all my attributes are still there.  I have to insert the drawing.  Not much of a problem except whem I want to setup my .dwt file.  I have been working on this for 3 weeks trying differnet things.  I'm missing something somewhere.  Help!  Please

[testsubject]

If you have the titleblock drawing set up just the way you want it, all you need to do to create the template file is to save the .dwg as a .dwt. Then when you create new, select the newly created template .dwt file. You do have to point ACE to where your template files are stored if you are not using the default fileplath...

That is all there is to it.

[april_herr]

Also, when I try to run the title block update, it says there is no WD_TB file.  I can see and click on the WD_TB file in the lower left hand side tho?

[Icemanau]

I have used a mixture of both paperspace and modelspace in the same project with no problems. It all depends on how you do your page setup for each individual dwg file. when you plot, you just need to plot according to how the file is set rather than specifying a totally different setup.

There is also a problem with paperspace in that ACADE will only update the first paperspace layout in each dwg file during a project wide title block update. You will have to manually run the title block update on each additional layout. The max sheet variable will also not count any additional paperspace layouts in it's total.

Personally, I use modelspace for the complete schematic dwgs including title block. Paperspace is confined to the title block for layout and metalwork dwgs and the rest of these drawn full scale in modelspace.

Regards Brad

[april_herr]

I did do this, but my attributes are still showing when I open a new drawing using my new template.  I am using modelspace for everything except my panel layout.

[Icemanau · Accepted solution]

The title block needs to be inserted as a block for the attributes to work properly. If you have just saved your title block as a template, it won't work.

Step 1 - Make sure you have a copy of your title block saved as a DWG file.

Step 2 - Open a totally blank dwg

Step 3 - Insert your title block DWG as a block into model space. position it so the bottom left corner is at 0,0

Step 4 - Set up your layers, text format, dimension format, table and multileader Style. Also set any ACADE settings you require

Step 5 - Save as a template

Step 6 - Go to the ACAD Options and enter the Files tab. Open the Template Settings sub folder and go through setting the directorys and such to point to your new template.

Step 7 - Open a project and add a new dwg. It should open to your new template. If it does, check all your settings and the title block to make sure they are correct. If it doesn't open up with your new template, check your settings in step 6.

Best of Luck

Regards Brad

[april_herr]

I am cheering at my desk!

I missed the step of inserting my new dwg, then saving to .dwt

Thank you!!

[testsubject]

Brad, thanks for picking that up. I assumed that she had already inserted it as a block.