Frustrated! How do you edit a custom properties field name?

[gak19043]

Hi. Our company uses a titleblock that utilizes field names to fill in certain parts of the titleblock. We are NOT using sheet sets just to be clear. I've attached a screen shot of the fields (I used the FIELD command to get to this dialog box BTW). I am specifically interested in ONLY changing the field NAME and ONLY the one called "cratecopy". I cannot find anywhere any info on how to do this. This titleblock was created probably more than a decade ago by someone we can no longer contact. The titleblock has and continues to serve us well. If I select that particular field, I can see the "code" for it at the bottom but it is not editable (I've tried right and left clicking). Can anyone help?

Thanks

[vinodkl]

Hi,

You need to fill the details for this field from drawing properties. Type in the command "DWGPROPS" and then click on "custom" tab and there you will find the custom field "cratecopy" now fill in the value. You need to REGEN to update the field value.

[Anonymous]

Dear Sir,

Ref. to your question , Kindly note that following:

1. The tittle block is supported of attribute definition by tag and prompt attribute which can be edit later by just a double click on title block or from the single attribute blocks which will appear dialog box named enhanced attribute editor and you can edit any title block from the value box.

2. The field title box dialog box must be operated to select object and choose the title box name tag which you want to figure it with any properties you want to choose format box.

By using title block field it will automatic modify any title block which had been changed by value attribute editor but if it didn't handle it just press r+e + enter (Regon command) to regenerate the drawing file.

I hope you find your way.

Thanks.

[gak19043]

HI. Thanks for the effort to answer this BUT that does not answer the question. If you re-read my question carefully note that I said I want to change the field's NAME ("cratecopy") NOT the VALUE. I know how to change the value.

[gak19043]

Thanks. I need to change the field's NAME not the value. I know how to change the value.

[vinodkl]

Hi,

Sorry, the customer properties name cannot be changed. You can just add a new one. There might be some plugins/lisp that would do that. 

Not sure if this helps. Check this plugin: https://jtbworld.com/jtb_batch_change/help_1.0/Help.htm#Usage

[gak19043]

Thanks. Looks like we're going to need to modernize/update our titleblocks so they are not so cumbersome or frustrating or mysterious to revise. Would you know where I can get info on creating titleblocks that are easier to create/work/edit (we use AutoCAD 2018 and 2020)?

[pendean]

Post your titleblock, someone here might be interested in "fixing it" for you.

[gak19043]

Ok. I've attached my template (.dwt) file that has the titleblock. Hopefully someone can tell me how to change the "cratecopy" field name to say "rentpartnum" (this stands for "rental part number") - the correct way that is.

BTW, I worked around the problem by simply doing a block edit on the titleblock (the title block is a block) and replacing the words "crate Copy (qty 2)" with "Rental Part Number" however if you go into the Drawing Property and then go to Custom you will see that the field "cratecopy" is obviously still there and now I just need to remember that "cratecopy" really means "rentpartnum". This "fix" just isn't right to me. I want that "cratecopy" field name to be "rentpartnum".

Thanks.

[TerryDotson]

Try the attached DWT file.  I used the DotSoft's ToolPac Property Editor.  Renaming a custom property header is just one of many capabilities.

[gak19043]

Thanks. Didn't work. I see you renamed the field's name to rentpartnum but when I enter a value and then regen the value I entered doesn't appear.

[vinodkl · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I think you need to get to know how this works. @TerryDotson has changed renamed the custom property from "cratenum" to "rentpartnum". But in the title block its still referencing to "cratenum" which is no more in the drawing. 

In the title block there are two thing one is mtext with field and this layer is turned off/frozen and also there is overlapping RTEXT(remote text)(Not sure why and who did this). Since the "cratenum" property is no more the RTEXT is disappeared. So you need to create a new RTEXT and then reference that to the newly created property "rentpartnum".

I have modified all these in the template attached.

[TerryDotson · Accepted solution]

@vinodklhas explained the situation well.  To add a bit of advice, absolutely NEVER use RTEXT.  It's a proprietary custom object meaning recipients of your drawings are LIKELY to have problems.  I would have hoped the 'desk would have removed this mistake years ago.

I will enhance our tool with an option to track down annotation that has fields that reference custom record headers, but your title block is still less than optimal.  As one example, you cannot harvest the title block content because the objects are mtext objects, not attributes.

[gak19043]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! You all are great! Thank you for taking the time to look into this, much appreciated.

I've often wondered how this was constructed and this at least gives me a glimpse into the inner workings of it, some of which is still confusing to me. Like when I click on it to block edit this titleblock I now see "texts" lying on top of each other (one an Rtext and one an Mtext) each on their own layers.

Anyhow we will use this , going forward, and maybe someday creating/finding a more optimal titleblock.

I will save this exchange of helpful comments for the day when I can focus on re-creating a new titleblock.

Thanks!!

Paul