topic Updating Sketch Symbols in Inventor Forum

Updating Sketch Symbols

ddimarco6AWM9 — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 17:37:55 GMT

Hello everyone,

We are using sketch symbols for our revision blocks. At some point the text and block height changed between the old and new drawings (this happened many years ago). When we encounter an drawing with the old sketch symbols we have to right click on the revision, select edit definition, then manually change the text height and the block height. We have three different revision blocks (1 line, 2 line, and 3 lines). I've attached a screenshot of our 1 line revision block. The bottom row is part of our title block and the top row is from the sketch symbol. Is there a way to update these revision blocks to our current standard, perhaps with one rule that will work regardless of what revision block is selected?

Thank you for you help!

Re: Updating Sketch Symbols

SharkDesign — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 18:15:47 GMT

You might be able to do it with task scheduler or design assistant for existing drawings.

If you change it directly in the templates by opening them, editing and saving, all new drawings will have the new sketches.

Your project file will tell you where your templates are saved.

Re: Updating Sketch Symbols

johnsonshiue — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 22:56:38 GMT

Hi! I could be wrong but I don't believe Task Scheduler has a task to do that. Update Design task only updates the styles per library.

The tool to use is Drawing Resource Transfer Wizard. It does have the ability to replace sketch blocks and other drawing resources like border and titleblock.

Many thanks!

Re: Updating Sketch Symbols

SharkDesign — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 05:36:00 GMT

Ah, yes of course! I knew one of the Wizards did it. Forgot about that one!

Re: Updating Sketch Symbols

A.Acheson — Sat, 25 Sep 2021 00:16:54 GMT

Can you please attach a sample file with the both the old sketch symbol 3types and the modified symbol 3types. Probably ilogic would be good at automating this. When you make the modification do you overwrite the legacy data or add to it? I assume your brief for the post is to avoid modifying the symbol manually so automate this portion and then manually adding the revision information?

Re: Updating Sketch Symbols

ddimarco6AWM9 — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 18:45:50 GMT

I've attached an example file with the old and new style revision blocks. When we make the modification we overwrite the old style. However, for the example file to show both of them a second set of revision blocks were added. Yes, we would like to avoid manually updating the blocks and have it automated. Ideally, we would want the automation to change box height and text height without overwriting the text for the existing blocks, because then we wouldn't have to manually enter everything all over again. The other revision blocks in the file we would want to be updated as well even if they aren't used currently.

Re: Updating Sketch Symbols

rhasell — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 00:44:57 GMT

Not that this is a solution, but have you considered using the internal Revision table?

Just as customizable as a block, but less room for error, also easier to update and upgrade.

The only reason I clicked on this, is I also have the need to update sketch symbols on occasion, and I am always looking for better ways to do it.

Re: Updating Sketch Symbols

ddimarco6AWM9 — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 16:46:04 GMT

I did not, in fact I didn't know there was an internal revision table. Could this be customized to be an exact copy of the blocks that we currently use?

Re: Updating Sketch Symbols

A.Acheson — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 00:20:08 GMT

Yes the revision block should be able to fit your needs, simply copy an existing revision style in the standards folder change the columns as per your old symbol rev block and then place a new revision table and select the options you need. You can drive the placement of this through ilogic and the switching of the options if you find that tedious to set up for each old drawing and have legacy data you also need to preserve. I haven’t got 2022 so unfortunately I cannot work with your template files but if you have a workflow you want help with post it up in bullet form and I am sure user can help piece it together.

Re: Updating Sketch Symbols

rhasell — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 00:36:32 GMT

I have made a small revision table for you based on your template.

take note of the styles.

This customizable in the styles editor. The table is not snapped in place, but it will auto snap to borders when you place it.

At first placement you have the choice of numbers or letters.

Right click on the table to add a new revision row, change the date in the iProperties, any blue entries in the rev table indicates an override, meaning that it is not an intelligent entry any longer.

The date and ECN are currently custom entries.

I had to play a bit with you defaults, as the lines and table were all in blue (STD symbol layer in your template)

Revision tags and title blocks will all be linked to this table.

Hope this helps you get started.

Regards

Re: Updating Sketch Symbols

ddimarco6AWM9 — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 15:15:26 GMT

Thank you for the help with the built in revision tables. After some testing and discussing the revision tables with my coworkers we feel its not the best option for our purposes and think iLogic to update the existing ones is the way to go. Could you explain what you mean by the workflow?

Re: Updating Sketch Symbols

rhasell — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 23:21:22 GMT

No worries, it was just a suggestion.

The workflow was just being able to use the iProperties more, as all your revision table entries were all prompted text entries.

My revision table is all linked to iLogic rules, so everything works very easily for me. (auto adding of revision rows, selectable common revision descriptions entries, I also have the date as a batch updateable object for batch printing and exports)

The only manual process for me is when there as is a state change in the drawing, and requires a change from numerical entries to alphabetical, the table does not do the change automatically. (Fortunately there are very few of these updates, and normally is a single change to Rev A, "As Constructed", once again, iLogic to the rescue)

Re: Updating Sketch Symbols

ddimarco6AWM9 — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 19:29:32 GMT

I've attached some screen shots of our new and old revision tables. The text height for the old style is 0.05 and for the new style it is 0.06. I don't think I can save my example file as a previous version so this is the best way that I can think of to show the differences.

I believe the workflow would be

Add revision block to drawing and notice that it is the old style
Run the ilogic rule to update the revision block style
- The rule would either update all 3 sketch symbols to the new style even if they aren't used on the drawing (ideal) or just update only the sketch symbols that are used currently in the drawing
- Also when updating the symbols it doesn't overwrite the text that's already there

Re: Updating Sketch Symbols

ddimarco6AWM9 — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 19:30:27 GMT

Here are the screenshots of the old style revision block

Re: Updating Sketch Symbols

A.Acheson — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 03:19:04 GMT

How is the information added to the revision symbol at the moment? Through prompted entry or by iproperties/custom iproperties? If all the information is added via iproperties this will make it easier.

The below are iLogic options that might work depending on how easy access is.

Replacing the symbol by searching the name and deleting and replacing with a new version is the easiest method to update the symbol . ( All contents is lost if data is entered through prompted entry)
If you need to keep the existing symbol this gets much harder as you need to work with the existing symbol and try and find the dimensions for the text spacing and update these. Then update font size.

Can you try and create a new symbol and simply delete the old symbol and then add the new symbol. If all information updates then a symbol replace is all that is needed.

I have limited time at the moment but if I get a moment we can see what can be updated.