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Adding new sheets to a DWG with SSM and Vault

33 REPLIES 33
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Message 1 of 34
PaulMunford
1400 Views, 33 Replies

Adding new sheets to a DWG with SSM and Vault

Does anyone have experience with the AutoCAD Sheet Set manager and Vault?

 

What is the recommended workflow to add a new sheet to a DWG file?



I've set up our AutoCAD projects using the SSM as usual. I've checked them into Vault and so far the workflow is working well.

the Issue I'm having is when we want to add a new sheet to a drawing file.

In the SSM this is a bit of a kludge already. We usually copy a sheet within the DWG and then use 'Import layout as sheet' to get the new sheet into the SSM. We can then re-name the sheet using the SSM's rename tool.

This works with Vault, but when you come to check the file back in Vault won't bring the new sheets in  - claiming it has an 'Xref error'.

The only workflow that seems to work is deleting the sheets that are in the DWG from the SSM first, then adding in the new sheet, then importing the whole lot back in to the SSM before re-naming and checking back into Vault.

This doesn't always work, and it's frustrating not knowing why.

Has anyone used the SSM with Vault? Did you come across this problem?

 


Autodesk Industry Marketing Manager UK D&M
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33 REPLIES 33
Message 21 of 34
PaulMunford
in reply to: achintam

Hi Anil,

 

Thant sounds promising - I hope that it is something to do with my set up, then we might find a fix 😉

 

I have noticed this with every sheet set that we are working with.

 

  • In your test, did you import a layout from a DWG file that already contains multiple vaulted sheets?
  • Do you have 'Enforce Unique File Names' turned on?
  • Are you using Inventor/Vault workgroup 2014?

We are sure to find the culprit somewhere!

 


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Message 22 of 34
achintam
in reply to: PaulMunford

Hi Paul,

 

Here are my answers:

 

  • In your test, did you import a layout from a DWG file that already contains multiple vaulted sheets? Yes
  • Do you have 'Enforce Unique File Names' turned on? No
  • Are you using Inventor/Vault workgroup 2014? I was using Vault Professional 2014 and AutoCAD 2014. For this particular workflow, there shouldn't be any difference between Vault Workgroup and Vault Professional.

 

Regards

Anil Chintamaneni

Message 23 of 34
PaulMunford
in reply to: achintam

Hi Anil,

 

So - do you think 'Enforce Unique file names' could have something to do with it?

 

On a side note:

 

We've noticed that, when you open a sheet set from Vault, Every file that is associated wth that sheet set is downloaded - Even Inventor files that AutoCAD can't open. Is this right?

 

SSM & vault download box  .png

 


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Message 24 of 34
scottmoyse
in reply to: PaulMunford


PaulMunford wrote:

 

We've noticed that, when you open a sheet set from Vault, Every file that is associated wth that sheet set is downloaded - Even Inventor files that AutoCAD can't open. Is this right?

 

SSM & vault download box  .png


The sheets contain views of the Inventor parts and assemblies though don't they? In which case it needs them otherwise the views will fail.


Scott Moyse
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Message 25 of 34
PaulMunford
in reply to: scottmoyse

HI Scott,

 

Well - when you open a DWG in AutoCAD that contains Inventor views, the views created in Inventor aren't updated in AutoCAD. So I wouldn't have thought that AutoCAD needs to download the Inventor parts that go with them.

 

If you open the DWG up in Inventor then you will need them - of course. 

 

I'm not saying that it's a bad thing exactly. However - if you open an SSM from Vault and it downloads every file that is referenced by every drawing in the sheet set, this is a lot of traffic and a lot of files on your local disk that you might not even need to do the work you need to do that day.

 

It just seems like it ought to download just the files you need. Is this possible?

 

Paul

 


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Message 26 of 34
scottmoyse
in reply to: PaulMunford


@PaulMunford wrote:

 

Well - when you open a DWG in AutoCAD that contains Inventor views, the views created in Inventor aren't updated in AutoCAD. 


Are you talking about an AutoCAD DWG with views of Inventor models placed within them, or an Inventor DWG?


Scott Moyse
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Message 27 of 34
PaulMunford
in reply to: scottmoyse

Files are created in AutoCAD using the SSM. All title block information is created and filled out in AutoCAD.

 

DWG's are opened in Inventor, views are created and annotated.

 

DWG's are then opened back up in AutoCAD for changes to title blocks and batch plotting.

 

 

It looks like Vault will download all files that are related to the sheet set, including inventor files that are related to DWG files that you haven't worked on, but are part of the sheet set.

 

This is logical, but not sensible, because it means that I have to wait for Vault to sync a whole load of files that I don't necessary need. It would be better if Vault only sync'd files when the DWG is opened up in Inventor - wouldn't it?

 


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Message 28 of 34
scottmoyse
in reply to: PaulMunford

If you Get/Check out the Sheet Sets from the Vault Client, you will be able to download just what you need and turn off all dependencies. That is how I Get/Check Out as a matter of process. I hate the CAD Add-Ins for most things. I only check in through them.


Scott Moyse
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Message 29 of 34
PaulMunford
in reply to: scottmoyse

Great Tip Scott - thanks!

 


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Message 30 of 34
rwinokur
in reply to: PaulMunford

Paul,

I've learned a lot from this post, thank you.

 

We have used SSM for many years; we like it for placing views because of the linked view tags will update if you move or rename them as well as batch plotting etc.. We've thought of trying to upgrade to Vault Workgroup from Vault Basic to enable our sister company, that is in another country, to work with SSM.  (Right now we have them manually take the SS from our server while they use it and then put it back, which of course means no one else can use it during that time). I've not found a good explanation, video or otherwise, of how Vault and SSM work together.  Can you recommend one?

 

Many thanks

Ritch

 

 

Message 31 of 34
PaulMunford
in reply to: rwinokur

You could start here?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMKEfBcZIyg

 

Then this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhu-wIuuCRc

 

 


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Message 32 of 34
rwinokur
in reply to: PaulMunford

Paul,

 

Thanks very much for this info!  From what I saw in the second video it seems that the user had a different DWG for each sheet. Is this the necessary workflow?  I noticed this because he was demonstrating getting the latest version of a "sheet" from vault as opposed the getting the latest version of a "drawing" from vault, which is what we do now and we have multiple sheets in each DWG. 

Message 33 of 34
PaulMunford
in reply to: rwinokur

Hi @rwinokur,

I haven't used the Sheet Set Manager in AutoCAD for a while, so please test this out for yourself...

 

As I recall, one DWG per sheet is the default for the SSM. For example, if you use the SSM to create a new sheet, it will automatically create a new DWG file. SSM assumes that the drawing views are being referenced from a 'Model' file. SSM automates the use of Xrefs to tie all the views and sheets together - so this isn't a problem if you follow an Architectural style workflow.

 

We used SSM for managing drawings in a manufacturing environment. We often had one file (DWG) with multiple drawings (Sheets). You can include multiple sheets in the SSM, but it's more manual. First you create the new sheet in the AutoCAD DWG, Then you add it to the SSM, then you can use the SSM to re-name and number it.

 

We used the SSM to plan projects, creating all the DWG files in advance using templates that already had multiple sheets set up. As the project progressed, drafters would navigate to the blank drawing for their part of the project, open the sheet and start work. We could then use the SSM to report:

 

' We predicted that this project would require 50 drawings. We have so far created 25, of which 15 have been issued, of which which five have been returned approved and have be issued to manufacturing'.

 

It's worth noting that Vault also expects one DWG file to reference a single sheet. It will happily work with multi sheet drawings, but you lose some functionality - for example bulk updating drawing title blocks through Vault.

 

This is complex, and very specific to your workflow. I suggest that you map your current workflow, map the future Vault based workflow that you'd like to move to, then call your local Autodesk Reseller or consultant to help you figure out how to use the technology to Automate your process.

 

Does that help?

 

Paul

 


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Message 34 of 34
rwinokur
in reply to: PaulMunford

Paul,

This is very interesting, thank you.  We've been using SSM for at least 12 years and have always used it with drawings that have multiple sheets in them. We do not create sheets from SSM, we import sheets from DWGs into SSM. We are a Architectural Millwork Company that produces fabrication drawings for our shop and I can't see the SSM default workflow you describe being useful for us. 

 

I will take your advice and map our process and talk with my re-seller to see if Vaulted SSM works fro us.

 

Thanks again for your help with this!

Ritch

 

 

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