topic Re: Field showing actual tab in AutoCAD Forum

Field showing actual tab

jehd — Tue, 26 May 2026 13:54:29 GMT

As far as I understand, there is no field to display the actual tab name. The CTAB variable always display current tab which is fine in many cases, as for example when plotting. If you use an external software to manage your attribute vaules it will however display same value for all tabs, i.e. the name of the tab in focus when the drawing was saved.

Is there any proposal to add another variable that always display the actual value of the tab where the attribute/block is inserted?

Re: Field showing actual tab

BhaskarMurari — Tue, 26 May 2026 14:17:10 GMT

@jehd You are right. The CTAB variable in AutoCAD only displays the current tab name, and this limitation persists

Re: Field showing actual tab

jehd — Tue, 26 May 2026 14:24:53 GMT

Sure it does, but the proposal is to add a new variable that displays the value of the tab where the block/attribute is inserted. Isn't this the forum to propose improvals of AutoCAD?

Re: Field showing actual tab

jreidKVSUZ — Tue, 26 May 2026 14:48:37 GMT

what do you mean by: tab where the block/attribute is inserted? Can you give us an example? even if faked.

Would the block be inserted on the same CTAB you want the block to show the CTAB name?

Thanks, JRR!

Re: Field showing actual tab

pendean — Tue, 26 May 2026 16:31:10 GMT

@jehd Looks like you are finally ready to explore and start using SSM (SheetSet Manager) that's ben part of AutoCAD or decades now.

Re: Field showing actual tab

chriscowgill7373 — Tue, 26 May 2026 22:52:36 GMT

have you looked at the possibility of a Diesel string, or perhaps some sort of LISP to obtain the physical name of the tab if you are trying to use a field? If the I know that you could use LISP to write the value of the attribute instead of utilizing a field with a variable. That way, it would only change if you physically rerun the lisp routine.

Re: Field showing actual tab

jehd — Wed, 27 May 2026 11:36:41 GMT

@pendean Not for now, as I use an external software to manage and verify my attribute values. Else it would have been an option.

In the example below, the first drawing use field CTAB for attribute RITN_NR at one layout, the second at both layouts, and the third does not use fields at all.

Re: Field showing actual tab

jehd — Wed, 27 May 2026 11:43:24 GMT

@chriscowgill7373 I have previously not looked into Diesel, but from what I understand there is no useful solution. As I use an external software for attribute handling, I cannot use AutoLISP.

Re: Field showing actual tab

jehd — Wed, 27 May 2026 11:59:13 GMT

@jreidKVSUZ In the example below, I have added three drawings (seen in the FILELIST_HEADER) and loaded the drawing stamp block PR1-T1. Each drawings has two layout, both containg a block named PR1-T1. For testing purpose, I have modifed drawing A-40-P-01_med_field.dwg to use Field/CTAB at layout A-40-1-011 (but not at the other layout). I have also modified drawing A-40-P-02_med_field.dwg to use Field/CTAB at both layouts. The drawing A-40-P-03.dwg is unmodified with original block definitions and regular attributes at both layouts. All files are saved in TILEMODE 1.

Re: Field showing actual tab

jehd — Wed, 27 May 2026 12:04:37 GMT

@jreidKVSUZ Thus, I want the layout name to automatically display as RITN_NR (drawing number)

Re: Field showing actual tab

pendean — Wed, 27 May 2026 13:03:57 GMT

@jehd wrote:
@pendean Not for now, as I use an external software to manage and verify my attribute values...

Then you've hit an immovable wall. Sorry. Prompt your 3rd party software vendor to add those features in for you if you don't want to get into personal customizations outside of that software (and far away from DIESEL) to accomplish your needs (which by then you might as well adopt SSM).

Best of luck trying to fix or add to your 3rd party package without the authors.

Re: Field showing actual tab

jehd — Wed, 27 May 2026 13:21:47 GMT

@pendean My employer is the actual software developer, and the software relies on attributes which will not change. The block must be editable both in software and in the drawing, why no developed solution is possible. That is why I am investigating if there actually is a solution that I am not aware of. It seems not, and I follow the appeal of this forum "Ask a question, share your knowledge, or submit a product idea."!

My product idea is that Autodesk should provide an option to automatically get this value from the layout tab where the block is inserted, no matter which layout tab is set current.

Re: Field showing actual tab

ChicagoLooper — Wed, 27 May 2026 14:55:03 GMT

The variable CTAB is not global.

What does this mean? It means the CTAB varies from layout tab-to-layout tab. Or every layout tab will need its very own CTAB variable.

Right an attribute in your titleblock, then insert the CTAB variable as a FIELD to populate (or overwrite) the attribute You can also save that titleblock as a DWT file (template). That way every time you open that DWT and perform a SAVEAS (from DWT to DWG format), the variable will react to your custom tab label. Edit your layout tabs accordingly.

Re: Field showing actual tab

jreidKVSUZ — Wed, 27 May 2026 14:42:38 GMT

Your example, it looks like it worked for the last one but not the first two?

Maybe take the number 3 and copy what ever you have there that worked, and re-create one and two.

But question on the Model name. It that calling out Model Space?? or you have a tab called Model?

Just asking because CTAB will work in Model Space, but you cannot rename Model and your CTAB Block will read Model.

Hope this helps!

Thanks, JRR!

Re: Field showing actual tab

jehd — Wed, 27 May 2026 15:14:06 GMT

@jreidKVSUZ The three drawing are different for test purposes. As I described in one of my answers, the first drawing uses CTAB at one layout and a regular attribute at the other layout. The second drawing uses CTAB at both layouts and the third drawing uses regular attributes at both layouts. In a real world scenario, this would not be the case - I am just testing if our software displays any error under those mixed circumstances. It does not. I also thought this would better explain my problem! 😄.

If I copy the block from third drawing to second ditto, the attribute will be non-intelligent and I have to enter the drawing number manually. My intention is to populate the list automatically.

The drawings are saved in TILEMODE 1, why CTAB is Model and the list displays Model instead of the name of the actual layout tab.

My definition of regular attribute and attribute using field/CTAB:

Regular attribute - I have to edit the drawing number in the stamp manually

Attribute using field/CTAB - the value of current tab is picked up automatically and editing is disabled (unless editing the field). Right now in the image, the current tab is actually the tab where the block is inserted why it looks OK.

Indeed I could save in TILEMODE 0 and one of my layouts will display correct in the list. But the other layouts will display same value, as CTAB just has a single value.

Re: Field showing actual tab

pendean — Wed, 27 May 2026 16:20:02 GMT

@jehd wrote:
@pendean My employer is the actual software developer...

You are all wasting your time with CTAB and other non-relevant fields then if you are needing Autodesk to bow to your 3rd party add-on needs: best of luck.