Fields Updating Incorrectly

[Anonymous]

Civil 3D 2018, Win 7

I have a piece of MTEXT that takes the name of the PS tab (field: system variable, ctab) and uses it for a sheet number in the PS border. I have more than one PS tab. The problem is that when fields update (FIELDEVAL=2, update on save) they *ALL* update with whatever PS tab I'm in, or with the value MODEL if I am in MS. The diesel expression $(getvar, "CTAB") behaves exactly the same - it returns only the name of whatever space I am in at the moment when fields are updated.

What can I do to get the fields to update with the name of the PS tab they are in only?

thanks

[jeff_rivers]

You create a custom property which is a property of a SHEET (not a property of the SHEET SET).  

Create a new sheet set (or open an existing one), right-click the sheet set in the top of the sheet set manager pane, then select Properties... Edit Custom Properties.  Click the bottom radio button for Owner:  SHEET.  Create a new custom property. 

Before doing this you'll first have to have set up your titleblock with fields, including one field for the Sheet Number.  

Then within Sheet Set Manager, you should be able to select that field and assign it to the Sheet Custom Property you just created. 

It's a confusing process, and my experience was that for unknown reasons, about half the time SSM would fail to see the custom properties as I was setting up the template.  Once the template & master .dst were finally set up, it worked flawlessly every time after. 

[rkmcswain]

Maybe I missed something in the long thread, but why would you need a custom property, when "SheetNumber" is a built in sheet property?
Thanks.

[MMcCall402]

Note: When you start adding custom properties to your sheet you should save a sheet set template file (*.dst) for future use so all your new sheet sets will have those custom values from the beginning.  Just as you have template files for drawings, this will be a template file for the sheet sets.

[jeff_rivers]

I may have made my answer too complex.  In my template the sheet number is in the custom properties section, but it's been a while since I created the template and you may be right.  It could just be an out of the box property.  

[Anonymous]

MMcCall402: How do I do this? I have a couple custom fields I would like to use. I found a way to add a .dst to my project template with the fields defined. Testing it, though, the new sheet set is still lacking the custom fields. Where is the dst template kept?

[MMcCall402]

We store our .dst file in a central network location for all users to access.

When you start the process for making  a new sheet set the first thing you're asked is if you want to start it from an example set or another existing set. Choose example set and the next screen will ask you for its location and name.

[Anonymous]

When I use plan production tools I don't really get that option - to start from an example pst. And I like plan production tools (General (pulldown)>Plan Production Tools>etc.)because they are so easy and fast. My workaround is to create a dst with custom fields and put it in the project template. Then when using General>Plan Production Tools>Create Sheets add to that dst instead of creating a new one. Drawback is that the dst name is generic and not project specific.

[MMcCall402]

I don't use the plan production tools as it doesn't fit our out projects. (ours are too small and not linear)

I see in the sheet creation tool that there is the option to create a new sheet set but no option to specify a sheet set template to use as a default.  There is an option to add the created sheets to an existing sheet set so maybe the approach for using a custom sheet set template is to make the sheet set from the sheet set manager where you can select a template to use and then use the plan production tool to add the sheets it creates to that now existing sheet set.

[jeff_rivers]

When you create a sheet set (.dst) you tell the Wizard (if you select New Sheet Set) where to look for a master .dst or a sample .dst to use.

Then after the sheet set has been created, you tell it where to look for the drawing template (.dwt) to use.  Point the path toward your template which contains the fields you've defined in your titleblock.  

Assuming you created the .dst using that titleblock and correctly linked all the custom titleblock fields to SSM, every new sheet you create will pull that titleblock and populate the fields.  

[jeff_rivers]

You can also set these paths using the FILE tab of the Options panel: 

Also in SSM, there are two more places to enter the paths to use to tell SSM where to seek the .dwt.  

Right-click the sheet set in SSM, and see the 'Sheet Creation' section, about halfway down.  

Also, someone really needs to make a Sheet Set Quick Start guide for people new to SSM.  

[MMcCall402]

I think the issue is with using the plan production tool to create the sheet set file vs using the sheet set manager to create it.  The sheet set manager gives you the option to choose a template file to use but the plan production tool does not.  I don't know where the setting is that stores the template file for sheet sets that the plan production tool uses.

In Options, file search paths, I do see a location for specifying where sheet set template files are located but nothing specifying a default file to use.

I stumbled across a doc from FDOT for their implementation of the plan production tool usage and they have the user making the sheet set with the sheet set manager and then using that existing sheet set in the plan production tool.

[jeff_rivers]

Here's the Seattle DOT/Public Utilities CAD manual.  It also discusses starting a drawing using SSM.

http://www.seattle.gov/util/cs/groups/public/@spu/@engineering/documents/webcontent/spu01_006359.pdf

Also, are you committed to using Plan Production?  Based on my queries a few months back, it offers more difficulties than solutions.  Few people use it to my knowledge.  

[Anonymous]

Plan production tools do give you the option to add to an existing .dst. I have a simple routine that creates a project folder structure with all the folders and files needed to start a new project. in it i stuck a .dst with my custom fields set up. When I lay out a sheets series with plan production tools i tell it to add to an existing .dst - the one that was created when i created my project folder setup.

[jeff_rivers]

Interesting.  The ability to create the drawing folder structure is a neat feature.

When a new project is initiated here, our admin staff create the project data folder structure for us, including the data shortcuts folder.  I'm still not sold on Plan Production but I'm holding out hope that future versions will improve its useability.