Attributes in X-Ref

[LarryS23]

I am having issues getting the attributes in my x-ref file title block to appear properly. I have wblocked the attributes but when I insert the x-refed title block into my drawing with the attributes, the attributes appear like ####.

[jeff_rivers · Accepted solution]

Something's not clear.  Are you trying to use Sheet Set Manager to control the contents of the attributes?  That's not how attributes & xref's work.  The attributes have to be in the top-level drawing to be able to see the Sheet Set information to know what to put in the fields.  You can't send field or attribute data through to the xref.  

[LarryS23]

Oh okay so I can’t use an x-refed title block to control the attributes for my sheet set manager then?

[Jeff_M]

Correct. What I have done is have a Title block with things that could change globally for a project (such as a dynamic visibility for "Preliminary - Not for construction" or the engineer's stamp) which is Xref'ed into all sheets. Then I have another block for the attributes which is inserted in to the sheets. This works quite well for us.

[LarryS23]

Thanks. Oh okay I see. So the template file only contains the linework and the objects that can change globally. You have to manually insert the attribute block for each sheet then right?

[jeff_rivers]

Yes.  It's using two (or three) blocks.  You have a block with your titleblock linework, a second block with just the global attributes (those that are the same on all sheets) and a third block with just the attributes unique to each sheet.

Or not.  My organization uses one block for the TB, and that block contains all the attributes. Global attributes (like project name, tracking number) and the individual sheet attributes (sheet number, author).  And that block lives in our drawing template, so any new drawing started with our production template automatically contains the titleblock and all its attributes.  There is no need to go hunt it down and insert it later.  

Either method works, it's just how much control you want over the information in your TB. 

Sit down with your titleblock and work out what info you need, and whether that info is unique to a sheet, or is global across all sheets.  Check it against all the available SSM fields, and map out the connections between SSM fields and your titleblock.  And you can always revise it if you don't get it right the first time.  

[Joe-Bouza]