Create Drawing Index Using Block Attributes

[apotenza92]

Hi all, we're trying to make an automatically updated list of drawings by linking field text in a table to title block attributes. We create title blocks in model space, and name and number them using block attributes as per below.

As part of this system, we have an on-off switch for the title blocks so people can easily know what drawings aren't being used. The on-off switch makes all these attributes disappear visually but thus far we haven't been able to figure out how to get their attributes to stop being used in the field text in the table, we'd like the table entry to be removed if the visibility state of the block is 'off'.

For example here is our list of drawings and the text shown are fields linking to the block object attribute from the screenshot above. Despite flicking the 'off' switch on the title block, this text remains unchanged.

We attempted to use the Block Properties table in the title block, linking the attribute text to the visibility state of the block. This works fine for switching it 'off', we can simply make the off state correspond to the attributes being empty (see screenshot below).

The problem is if you switch it back 'on' the text has to be manually input (shown as ??? below).

This solution would work if it was possible for it to remember what the text was before it was switched it off, so that it would return to the original text if switched back on?

This is preferred because we have a lot of pre-set drawing titles and numbers set up that are ready to go. We don't want to have to rewrite drawing numbers and titles if we decide to switch a viewport back 'on' again.

Is there some other solution or alternative to this problem that I'm unaware of? We'd optimally like to keep model space title blocks with drawing names and numbers for convenience, while still being able to have an automatically updating list of drawings in a table somewhere that can have entries dynamically filled based on which drawings we want 'on'.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[pendean]

??? means your FIELD (the shaded text in your screenshot) lost connection to the item it was supposed to be seeking information from. Nothing more.

If a REGEN or REGENALL does not help restore the data, then the source of that data is missing, so your users are then forced to manually edit/enter new information.

HTH

[apotenza92]

Apologies for not being clear, the '???' I put in as a way to ask what I could put into that block properties table that would restore the original value of the attribute. e.g.

1. I have made a bunch of title block blocks in model space where their drawing title is an attribute in the block that can be typed in e.g. Drawing title: S03

2. I have a visibility component that lets me turn these blocks 'on or off'. 

3. When 'off', I want that drawing title attribute to be cleared away so that it doesn't show up in other fields.

4. If turned back 'on' I want the original drawing title attribute to be restored to what it was before (S03).

I'm doing all this to create a dynamic list of drawings that can be changed in model space. If there is some other method to achieve this let me know! Thanks.