Sheetset will not "see" drawings

bobFJBXT · ‎07-30-2022

I asked this question about a year ago and never got an answer, but I need to try again.

I am running AutocadLT. Completely updated. I have this problem on my older computer (4 years old) and my new computer (4 weeks old). The basic problem is about 50% of the time I run SheetSet (SSM) it will not "see" a file/drawing in my chosen directory.

Details (I will be as detailed as I can)

How my drawings/directories are set. I will have a project (.DWG) directory. 98-100% of all my drawings for that project will be in that director. Each detail (standard or job specific) is its own file. My plans are also in individual files (I do not stack floor plans on the same drawing file) although I may x-ref a plan into another (Example: a floor plan is x-ref'd into my roof framing or electrical plan as a base). I then create a (what I call) drawing sheet Where I will xref into model space the various drawings I want on that sheet and Xref in my title block into paper space (1:1). Using viewports and scale factors I place the individual drawings in my title block in paper space. Typically, each plan will get its own sheet/.dwg file but drawings like Building Sections and Elevations I will create multiple sheets (paper space tags) in the same .dwg "sheet file". Ok now that we are done with that.

Problem #1:

I put a drawing set together and get ready plot/publish the set.

I use command SSM

Pick "new Sheet set"

Click "existing Drawings"

Name sheet set in "Sheet Set Details"

I will then browse to my dwg directory in the project in "Choose Layouts" and hit "OK"

Then the files in that directory appear in the window and I can check/uncheck the drawings I do and do not what to be part of the Sheet Set/plot.

Here is the problem sometimes one or more of my sheet .dwg will not appear in the dialog box and as a result I cannot print a set of drawings using Sheet Set with that drawing(s) in it.

Problem #2 (although it is related)

I will have an existing set of drawings that I successfully made and plotted from a sheet set. For whatever reason down the road changes must be made and drawings replotted. When I pull up my existing saved Sheet Set for that project there will be a will be one or multiple drawings in the sheet set list that are not highlighted (they are not as bright as the other sheets on the list). If I publish/plot the sheet set those drawings will omitted to the plot set. This happens maybe 50%. Otherwise SSM works like a charm.

Does anybody know what I am doing wrong and/or what variable I can change in the system or to the individual file to all Autocad LT to "see" and print that file. Sheet Set can always see ALL of my individual drawing files in the directory, this only seems to affect my "Sheet" drawings, so I figure it has something to do with my plot settings/layout on the individual drawing sheets, but I have tried everything I can think of to solve this problem but to no luck.

Any Help would be greatly appreciated.

pendean · ‎08-01-2022

Your other post had replies to it similar to what you are going to get again

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-lt-forum/ssm-will-not-see-all-dwg-files/m-p/10106430#M188438

1) If a layout from a DWG file does not appear, then it does not exist or you have that file open and unsaved. if the DWG file does not show up in that folder, then it is not a DWG file or you have the wrong folder open. We can't help you there, but you can help yourself by ensuring file extensions are always turned on in Windows File Explorer so you are not ever fooled by file descriptions.

2) Someone forgot to updated to SSM list to capture the changes they made in new files or layouts.

bobFJBXT · ‎08-01-2022

Okay

I am in the correct directory

All of the files I want to plot are .dwg

I am the only person who works on my files / drawings (I am an architect who work alone out of my home office)

I have been using AutoCad and AutoCad LT since 1992.

So I just tried to create a SSM. All the files in the director showed up EXCEPT my sheet files appeared. Just to prove it, I have attached is a screen shot of my directory in Explorer. Also atttached are two screen shots of the SSM dialogbox I just tried to create. Just for your information all files with an "x-" are individual drawing to be x-ref'd into my sheet drawings. The files that start with "2216" (the unique job number for this project) are my "drawing sheets" the "Ax" is the sheet numbers in that drawing file. So you can see some of the 2216 drawings have more than one paperspace (sheet) drawings. With that said on the screen shot of explorer you will notice 11 "2216" dwg files. Now look at the dialog box screen grabs - I did 2 of these screen grabs so you can see almost all of the files - my "2016" drawings are not to be found. BTW If you look at the the explorer screen grab you will also notic none of the files are currently open and as such are saved.

Just FYI: this is the first time that all of my sheet set drawings would not show up in the dialog box. Normally when this happens I will get mot of the "Sheet Drawings" to show up in the dialog box with 1 or more missing.

I fully admit I am making I am most likely making a mistake somewhere, I just need a little help determining where I am screwing up and how to fix it.

pendean · ‎08-02-2022

hard to tell just from your screenshots: I suspect you will need to post your actual DWG files and your SSM's DST file here for someone to explore your files.

And I am still wondering why you don't turn on file extensions in Windows File Explorer, here is how you do it

bobFJBXT · ‎08-02-2022

First: I did ot have the file extentions turned on becuase as I said above my current computer is only about 3-4 weeks old and it is running Windows 11. Explorer is set up differnetly that 10. File extentions were turned on for my previuos computer, and to move the conversation along I figured out how to turn them on in Windows 11. That is taken care of.

For the record the issue of SSM not displying all files in the dialog box has been a problem for over 3 years, for 3 computers and every version of Autocad LT from 20-23

I can not make a DST file using SSM becuase the dialog box does not display all the files in the director that I need.

Is there some type feature on in SSM that will not allow files/layouts that are not set up in some way exactly with the same settings that will prevent SSM from displaying none matching files?

Is there a command where in I can list the plot and layout properties currently assigned to my .dwg files, so I can compare?

Is there someway I can actually get some tech support from someone from the company I have spent 10's of thousands of dollars on over the past 28 years?

pendean · ‎08-02-2022

@bobFJBXT wrote:
For the record the issue of SSM not displying all files in the dialog box has been a problem for over 3 years, for 3 computers and every version of Autocad LT from 20-23

Never seen that issue with any of our users in any of our offices in AutoCAD/LT/ARCH 20xx through 2023, sorry.

@bobFJBXT wrote:

Is there some type feature on in SSM that will not allow files/layouts that are not set up in some way exactly with the same settings that will prevent SSM from displaying none matching files?

No such feature exists: but SSM will not work if there are no Layouts set up in your DWG files. Is that the problem?

@bobFJBXT wrote:

Is there a command where in I can list the plot and layout properties currently assigned to my .dwg files, so I can compare?

PAGESETUP command in each tab in each file will show you all that you need about each.

@bobFJBXT wrote:

Is there someway I can actually get some tech support from someone from the company I have spent 10's of thousands of dollars on over the past 28 years?

We've all been able to access Autodesk Support during your 2020-2023 problem era by starting a support ticket through the subscription portal as explained here https://knowledge.autodesk.com/customer-service/account-management/users-software/support-options#:~....

HTH

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Sheetset will not &quot;see&quot; drawings