topic Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM) in AutoCAD Forum

Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

SeeMSixty7 — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 19:17:33 GMT

Hello everyone,

I am putting together a blog post for a recent survey I posted online to in regard to index sheets. One of the options was for utilizing Sheet Sets to generate drawing indexes.

I was hoping to get some feedback on how people utilize the sheet sets and some of the functionality they use of Sheet Sets and Sheet Set Manager.

If you use Sheet Sets, please let me know what your general process is and what benefits you get from using them.

Here is the Survey

Thank you and have a great day,

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

SeeMSixty7 — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 20:02:43 GMT

Also - If you don't use Sheet Sets, Let me know you don't and if you have a reason you don't that would be great too.

Thanks!

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

SeeMSixty7 — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 15:53:50 GMT

Giving this a bump since Friday probably was not the best day to post. Really would like some feedback on Sheet Sets from those of you that use them.

Thank you in advance and have a great day,

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

ArchD — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 19:03:14 GMT

Not sure what feedback you are looking for, but here is my general thoughts on the SSM.

Pros:

Manages title block text with more flexibility than an xref.
Quickly rearrange reorder, remove or add sheets to the sheet set
Dynamically linking detail and cross section numbers allow for sheet to be renumbered and all links update without having to open the drawing and manually change the detail number and sheet number callout.
Quickly plot sheets in the background while continue working
Plot sheets with overrides, allowing full sized sheets to be sent as half size without having to open sheets, or do an Publish.
Quickly create eTransmittals and Archives
Keeps a list of current projects as opposed to current individual drawings.
Create Sheet Indexes and update them relatively quickly.

Cons:

Sheet titles are limited to 64 characters
Sheet titles cannot use special characters
Title blocks in a Sheet Sheet Manager are typically blocks so you loose the ability to have an xrefed title block linework (unless you create a block with a nested xref linework dwg into it, with a relative pathing (it's complicated)).
Companies with multiple offices might have issues keeping drawings linked to it unless Vault is being used or a server synced to each office, mapped the same in each office.
Sheet Set templates can take some time upfront to create depending on how many custom properties you want to implement which are based on your title block information.
Similarly, Title Blocks can take some time to setup upfront as well.

I've been using the SSM for around 6 years and swear by it. The real efficiency happens when you have a large number of sheets with detail callouts dynamically linked. Under this circumstance, you can add new sheets to the set, renumber the sheets, and send them to plot without ever opening a drawing to update referenced sheet numbers.

My biggest complaint is the 64 character limit and no special characters in titles. I use a 3rd party program in conjunction with the SSM that edits dst files in it's own environment.

Using this program, not only can you have titles longer than 64 characters and special characters, you can also quickly renumber a set of sheets by giving it a start number, increment and prefix and/or suffix.

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

SeeMSixty7 — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 19:19:30 GMT

That is very close to what I'm looking for. Pro's and Con's are great. Thank you.

I'm looking for the Process as well that people use. Not an intricate step by step guide, but a general flow of how you use Sheet Sets.

As with Any Feature in AutoCAD, it can be used in many ways. I'm trying to get an idea of how people use SSM. I've studied it and worked with some of the features, but I'm used to utilizing a Database system to handle the same processes.

The other tool you referred to, I assume that is the JTB tool?

Thank you for your feedback, It is greatly appreciated.

Clint

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

ArchD — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 20:09:00 GMT

A general workflow for me, assuming sheet set templates and title blocks are created in advance would follow:

During the Sheet Set creation wizard:
1. Choose the Sheet Set template
2. Choose the directory to save the dst
3. Set custom properties, including project description, location, drawn by (me), and any other properties that are common throughout the projec
Once the sheet set wizard is done:
1. Import layouts from sheets that I would like to include, such as plans, cross section and detail sheets
2. Rename and renumber them
3. Once imported and renamed and renumbered, I open the sheets through the SSM and drop in a title block from my tool palette and watch all the fields snap to their proper information based on the SSM properties.
Create dynamic links to details and sections by:
1. Creating a VIEW for each one with the detail or section title.
2. Save the drawing that now contains the view
3. Rename and renumber the details and sections within the SSM Sheet View tab.
4. Drop in a label by right-clicking on the freshly renamed view and 'Place View Label Block'
5. While creating reference text to the details or sections, I add a field that references sheet set information to link the sheet views and sheet numbers.
Plotting from the Sheet Set Manager
1. Layouts have the most used plot set up and is 'Applied to Layout', this allows it to use that setup when 'Publishing to Plotter'
2. For overrides, I link a template that has all of our intended overrides into the properties of the sheet set.
3. For PDF or DWF, I go to the PDF/DWF publish options to make initial settings such as save location, then simply 'Publish to PDF'

I believe a key to being efficient with the SSM is to take the time to create templates with custom properties to fulfill each of the title block element requirements. Once that is done, a title block that holds fields linked to those properties should them be made. These two things take time to do, and a little bit of frustration, mainly because your custom properties do not show up in the block editor. You may need to keep a list of them in note pad or OneNote (recommended) as you make them in your sheet set templates. That way you can copy and paste them into the attribute fields in your blocks to ensure they match exactly as they do in the dst, otherwise they will not work.

Database systems work, but are not integrated into AutoCAD nearly as well, so dynamically linked reference numbers and being able to drop in blocks that link to them are not as quick. While you can typically create a field to link to these databases, you still lack the ability to quickly drop in blocks with placeholders in them. Vault however does have this functionality and integrates seamlessly into AutoCAD and the SSM.

Yes, the 3rd party software that I use is the SSMPropertyEditor from JTBWorld.com.

I went ahead and bought my own license so that I don't have to rely on any companies willing to pay for it or not.

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

SeeMSixty7 — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 12:57:58 GMT

Archie,

Thank you. This will be great for my research effort. I am hoping some others will step in and provide their input as well.

Have a great day!

Clint

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

oswaldodcb — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 15:08:25 GMT

Hello @SeeMSixty7

Below you will find some links where you will find valuable information for your project:

7 Benefits of using AutoCAD Sheet Set

http://www.cad-notes.com/7-autocad-sheet-set-benefits/

To Create a Sheet Set

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/AutoCAD-Core/files/GUID-F39C5BFC-07F4-4798-A59A-58D2CCD9AE5D-htm.html

About Sheet Sets

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/AutoCAD-Core/files/GUID-34D889BC-19AD-4CD1-ADB1-F359D9B515FB-htm.html

To Prepare for Creating a Sheet Set

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/AutoCAD-Core/files/GUID-1CF98963-5C9E-4D61-9F6D-5B7CC7D013D4-htm.html

I hope the information is of your help,

Oswaldo Caballero

Instructor ATC

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

SeeMSixty7 — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 16:25:55 GMT

Oswaldo,

Thank you for the information. I will dig into those. do you think the information form these is pretty typical how people actually use Sheet sets?

Thank you,

Clint

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 18:24:08 GMT

We use SSM just as you posted as well as SSMPropEditor. I need to add characters to a view title but don't see where to change that is the program. Have you added a field to your label so it shows up in the editor?

Regards,

Kelly Stallman

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

john.vellek — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 19:30:02 GMT

HI @SeeMSixty7,

In some office, I used sheet sets with Custom Properties, callout blocks and views, templates etc. This can take quite a while to setup and train users for it to work properly.

In other offices, I merely used it to manage sheets and subsets populate a sheet number and sheet title on a Xref'd Titleblock that had thing such as dates, project name & number stored in attributes. This was very fast and got the job done.

In both situations, I found that publishing and archiving to be the most valuable features.

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

SeeMSixty7 — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 19:34:49 GMT

@john.vellek Thank you for the response. I'm thrilled that I am starting to get some feedback on this subject. AutoCAD offers so many features and often times they are used in so many different ways.

Thank you,

Clint

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

benboggs2053 — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 19:58:10 GMT

We just use SSM to manage the sheets in our bid set. I wasn't aware you can link views? Did I read that right? I may have to do some digging!!

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

john.vellek — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 20:00:37 GMT

HI @benboggs2053,

Yes, placing model views with callouts is pretty slick. It is not as easy as if you are working in Revit but once you figure out the nuances it works pretty well. Let me know if you need some articles or resources.

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

ArchD — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 20:26:57 GMT

No, sheet views still cannot add special characters. I use ' x2 to get an " but / I use alot and can't get it to work.

I've contacted JTB about this and also if he could add the ability to renumber sheet views like you can with the sheet indexing option. He said it's possible if I fork up the dough. Unfortunately for him I get paid hourly.

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

ArchD — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 20:39:50 GMT

Yes, creating views for each detail and cross section on layouts associated with a Sheet Set adds them to the Sheet View tab in the SSM. From there you can drop in labels and other blocks that have place holders for sheet views and they link to them. You can also link to these sheet views while creating text just by adding a field that links to sheet views and sheet set drawing numbers as well.

If you create a view in model space, you can drop it into a drawing similar to dropping a label from the sheet views, but with model views, it will actually create an xref to the drawing that has the view in it, create a viewport and while it's dropping in you can right-click and set a scale, once you choose a location for the view port, it also creates a named sheet view and drops in a label all at once.

This comes in handy if you are the designer and you have a base file that you need someone to create different sheets for, grading plans, dimension plans, ect. You set the layers that need to be shown on those sheets in your base file, create the view and the extents of what needs to be shown. After that you can pass it on to whoever does the layout sheets and they can drop them in without all the guess work of what layers need to be shown and how much of model space needs to show in your viewport. Pretty slick, especially if you use a single base file and freeze layers depending on the layout you're creating.

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

SeeMSixty7 — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 12:23:43 GMT

I'm in the process of writing my blog article, but would like some clarification on the Title Block Links.

From what I see the Sheet Set Manager controls the title block attribute values (using Fields that tie back to the SSM data). So in order to update Attribute values and maintain the connection I will need to use the Sheet Set Manager or Third Party tool like the one from JTB to change the Data that drives the Title Block attributes. Is that correct?

If so, that means I would want to lock the attribute values in the title block to keep them from being edited manually, right?

Thank you.

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

benboggs2053 — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 12:29:44 GMT

Yes - some info and links to how to do this would be awesome! Anyway that we can begin to automate our plans would be great!

Thanks!

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 13:23:24 GMT

We don't use Sheet sets. They don't do anything for us we haven't already accomplished by different means. Drawings are only a small part of project documentation that requires management (storage, retrieval, version history, revision history, transmittal, tracking, progressing, etc.).

Re: Collaboration: How do you use Sheet Sets (SSM)

ArchD — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 13:51:29 GMT

You are correct that the attributes should be handled through the SSM dst file, either by the SSM or a third party program such as the one from JTB. As for locking the attributes though, I would leave them open to be edited unless you plan on enforcing use of the SSM 100% of the time. In our office, I set it up that it can be overwritten if needed to maintain some flexibility. Some users here feel that a very small sheet set or working file does not need to be used in the Sheet Set Manager, so in those cases they can manually override the information.

But, this is a decision that is best decided by each individual company.