New to Sheet Set Manager

[johan_degreef1]

Hello, new to SSM here.

If we start to use it, everybody start to use it right?

What ifyou open a drawing the old way (bypass sheet set manager) and edit it, what will happen if you open it again through SSM?

Thx, Johan

[VincentSheehan]

Nothing should happen. I do it all the time. If you have fields linked to SSM, edit the data in SSM.

[johan_degreef1]

My worries are, if someone edits the drawing (and maybe titleblock) without using the SSM. What will happen when you open it again with SSM

[pkolarik]

It depends on what the edits are and how your fields/sheet set manager are linked. Certain edits to fields can break those links if your fields/SSM are linked in certain ways. (for example: Our sheet numbers are linked directly to our file names. If someone changes a sheet number outside of SSM it'll break that link)

[johan_degreef1]

But the general rule is:

If there is a SSM file for the project, everybody should use it.

Or can/should drawing be opened/edited without the use of the DST file?

[apjones]

Look into SSMAUTOOPEN (System Variable).  If set to 1 it controls the display behavior of the Sheet Set Manager when a drawing associated with a sheet is opened.

https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2024/ENU/?guid=GUID-81EC988C-AAEA-4CC8-ADC5-D636CE82F677

[pendean]

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@johan_degreef1 wrote:

My worries are, if someone edits the drawing (and maybe titleblock) without using the SSM. What will happen when you open it again with SSM

..If there is a SSM file for the project, everybody should use it....

... can/should drawing be opened/edited without the use of the DST file?...can/should drawing be opened/edited without the use of the DST file?

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I think you may be assuming too much from SSM. Any user can bypass SSM just to open files, there is no golden rule or strict requirement that only SSM must be used 100% of the time all the time to only open project DWG files.

And as always, training, training and more training so that 'someone' you are worried about follows the guidelines you set correctly all the time.

HTH

[johan_degreef1]

When a drawing is linked to a sheet set, with sheet set fields that control the drawing titleblock.

What will happen when the drawing is copied to elsewhere and opened there? will it preserve the titleblock fields or prompt an error?

[pendean]

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@johan_degreef1 wrote:

...What will happen when the drawing is copied to elsewhere and opened there?...

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No: think of SSM much like XREFs, once moved the link the SSM uses to access the DWG file is broken.

Why are you folks moving DWG file into different DWG files in a project? Always a bad idea.

Or are you trying to do something like setting up SSM Templates?

[johan_degreef1]

@pendean 

We are not using SSM for now, but I am looking into it, because it seems very usefull.

We have a AS IS buildings, with all it's drawing from different disciplines; P&ID's (not plant3d), HVAC, Architectural, Zones, etc (that is 1 set). We have renovation projects on these buildings, so we copy the set AS IS, to start a new project within the building. Afterwards we incorporate these modifications back to the AS IS plan set. I tend to start using SSM only on the AS IS set, as project managers copy drawings from this set to start their new renovation project. So each renovation project has is set of drawings, as well there is an AS IS set of drawings.

Or are you trying to do something like setting up SSM Templates? - Yes I think I might up ended with this task 🙂

PS: SSM is over 20yrs old, maybe there are new ways to do what SSM did in the past. Is Autodesk DOCS something? I do like the organisation of the files in 1 (dst) file, and use SSM fields to populate titleblock data over all drawings. But if there new ways, I sure like to hear them.

Many Thanks

[pkolarik]

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@johan_degreef1 wrote:

When a drawing is linked to a sheet set, with sheet set fields that control the drawing titleblock.

What will happen when the drawing is copied to elsewhere and opened there? will it preserve the titleblock fields or prompt an error?

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That depends. In our office, when our Civil3d guys move a file (and open it in C3d) it breaks the SSM link and all linked SSM fields show "#####". (I've never looked into what settings they have that may cause this) However, outside of the Civil3d users, ACA users can move a SSM-linked cad file and when opening/printing it the file will retain whatever info it had last acquired from the Sheet Set. (this works when we send out our cad files to other companies too;  they're able to open them and still see the latest SSM info in the linked fields)

edit: I should add that even if the info is retained when we move the file and open it in ACA, it is no longer a live link to the SSM;  you can't update the info in the SSM and have the .dwg you moved reflect those updates.