Add sheet ## of ##, Why such a difficult task?

[chuck.bardsley]

Using AutoCAD 2024 and working in layouts, I simply need to add sheet ## of ##.  I searched and it seems that this is not a simple thing to do when I'm sure this is needed allot.  I've seen answers to questions that appear to require coding knowledge with lisp routines. REALLY for adding a sheet number?

Please help.  I'm really hoping that I'm missing a simple elegant solution.

[EricOlson1973]

I've been waiting for this function to be added to the SSM since 2006, among other things.  I don't know why they've never developed it further.

[chuck.bardsley]

@EricOlson1973,

I'm not even using SSM, I'm using one file with multiple layout tabs

[J-Porter]

Did you create a title block with these attributes in it?  Most users are using attributes (or fields if your using SSM) to accomplish this.  Take a look at the attached video for the attributes process.  Take a look at this blog if you want to mix it up with fields, but not in the SSM:  https://asti.com/blog/autocad-field-with-layout-tab-name/  

[chuck.bardsley]

@J-Porter 

Thank you but not quote what I'm looking for.  I can definitely use your scenario and am very familiar with doing it that way.  

Currently I found that I can pull the sheet number from the name of the layout tab using the system variable "ctab".  I would like to have a field actually count the number of Layout tabs that I'm using.

Thanks

[J-Porter]

Ah, makes sense.  I don't think that's going to happen since most situations don't have all the sheets in one drawing.  We work on very large projects and someone could be working in a drawing with 10 sheets while someone else is working on another set of 10 sheets, etc., etc.  So if there were a field to accomplish this then it would only read the total number of sheets in that one drawing.  That's why users prefer SSM for the sheet total.  You set it once and it updates all sheets.  

[Valentin_CAD]

@chuck.bardsley ,

I'm guessing you have already looked at this link:

• Total number of layouts as a field (Page 3 of 7).

[chuck.bardsley]

@Valentin_CAD ,

I did see that, however my version of AutoCAD (2024) doesn't have "totallayouts" as a lisp routine that I can choose from. That would have been perfect.

[Valentin_CAD · Accepted solution]

@chuck.bardsley ,

Download from https://www.cadstudio.cz/en/download.asp?file=TotalLayouts

See attached.

[J-Porter]

Nice lisp routine.  Haven't tested it yet, but this looks like the solution.  @Valentin_CAD, thanks for sharing.  

[chuck.bardsley]

@Valentin_CAD 

I appreciate the link and download, but I need to find a solution native to AutoCAD 2024.  I have a team that I will need to distribute this too and perhaps even have to download again next year when 2025 is released.

[J-Porter]

@chuck.bardsley, you simply need to download it once, add it to the startup suite, and you're good to go.  Have everyone in the organization add it to their startup suite or create a macro that does so.  You don't need to download it every year.  I have lisp routines that I've had since the 90's.  So long as the native commands in the lisp routine still work then the lisp routine itself will still work.  Otherwise, there is no native command for this.  This is why someone wrote the lisp routine in the first place.  You can either go to the AUGI wish list site (https://www.augi.com/wish-list) or the Start tab within AutoCAD and request it as a future command.  If it gets enough votes then Autodesk considers it.  Here it is in the start tab:

[chuck.bardsley]

This is all very new to me.  I've been able to get away with using standard CAD for a while now.  So I appreciate the help. I would be that when I was working for a large company, I was using their distributed lips routines and wasn't even aware.

So two questions

1. Where is the path to the startup suite, so I can copy that lisp over to it?
2. Do you have any links on how to create that Macro?
   • I've created Excel Macro's so I'm a little familiar with that.

Thank you @J-Porter 

[Valentin_CAD]

@chuck.bardsley 

• How to automatically load LISP routines in AutoCAD

[J-Porter]

That link that @Valentin_CAD is the best and easiest way to accomplish what you need.  I'm no macro guru because I've got some people much smarter than I am who usually do this for me.  I just bark the orders.  I don't always know how it works.  But I found several blogs and discussions that may help. Here are couple that I glanced over that look promising:

• https://www.cad-notes.com/how-to-automate-autocad-with-command-macros/
• https://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?101676-A-routine-that-loads-all-of-my-other-routines 
• https://blogs.autodesk.com/autocad/create-load-startup-lisp-routine/#:~:text=How%20to%20Create%20a,o....  

Hope this helps!

[Ali-pk]

Regarding the total # of sheets, is there a way to update the 2nd half of the total # of sheets on every page? For example, if I have 20 drawings, and I add one more page, then I have to open each individual file and update the 20 to 21. Any way to automate this?