Sheet Sets: Default path for publish pdf (part 2)

[jeff_rivers]

Some time back I asked this question  about the path used by SSM when publishing to PDF.  The fix provided worked, but I need a deeper answer now.  

When I create a new sheet set using my organization's sample / template Sheet Set and drawing, then initiate the publish command from SSM, the initial path for the pdf is always the same unuseable network path.  It's a valid path, but it's off on an admin drive that I can't write to.  Of course I can fix it in my sheet set, but I'd like to fix the sheet set template so this doesn't happen, and all new sheet sets point the publish command somewhere useable. 

To figure out where SSM gets the initial path for publish to PDF, I've tried creating several new sheet sets, both using the company Sheet Set template, and also using a working Sheet Set I created that uses the correct publish path.  And every time, for the newly-created sheet set, the publish to PDF path is the same: it's reverted to the unuseable drive.    

So where does SSM get the path for publishing a PDF when a new sheet set is created?  Even a new sheet set created from a known good sheet set reverts to the incorrect path.  

[Anonymous]

I found it in the registry in two places:

[HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-786743166-3343530840-1719132725-145873\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R23.1\ACAD-3000:409\Profiles\<<C3D_Imperial>>\Dialogs\BrowseforPlotFilePlotDlg]"InitialDirectory"

and

[HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-786743166-3343530840-1719132725-145873\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R23.1\ACAD-3000:409\Profiles\<<C3D_Imperial>>\General]"PLOTTOFILEPATH"

The first location used my Windows user name: "C:\\Users\\wudar\\Documents\\Pdf Plot\\"

The second used Windows variable for username: "%UserProfile%\Documents\Pdf Plot"

Note also the use of double backslashes.

I don't know if editing the registry (at your own risk) will work, or if this is information stored with the sheet template.

[jeff_rivers]

Interesting, thanks for checking that.  I am reluctant to edit my registry though.  

And my next question is what sets those registry keys? I assume when C3D is initially installed, there is a chance to enter the 'initial directory' value, can you or anyone confirm this?  I am not involved with installing/updating C3D, all that is above my pay grade, as they say.

[Anonymous]

The second registry key also contains several items related to the settings found in OPTIONS. there's a place there to Default location for plot to file operations, look at the Plot and Publish tab.

But that makes me think it was the first key that referred to SSM Publish default folder in particular. Certainly easy enough to check, change it in OPTIONS and see what happens.

[Joe-Bouza]

Hello Jeff not sure if this will work for you.

I set ours up inside a project tempalte folder structure. I created a predefined set of folders for any job where the user copies to prototype and renames the root folder according to the job ID.

inside this set of folders is an empty Sheet set that points to the publish folder within the prototype folder set. 

1. the sheet set is ready to add to even PP sheets.

2. the publish path alwatys point to the publish folder of the job

you may be able to find something in this work flow to get to where you want to be

[Anonymous]

Joe,

How do you get it to go to the Publish folder of each project? Like it was a relative path, but what I see is a browse button to a certain path - the one in the Project template folder.

never mind, i tested it and it acts like a relative path. this is very cool.

[Joe-Bouza]

It is cool, right!😎

Thanks

[jeff_rivers]

Hi Joe, I appreciate the writeup, but I don't understand where you are setting the path that SSM uses to publish to PDF.

Here's another test I did: 

1. Created a new blank drawing using my org's standard template. Saved it.
2. Created a new sheet set, using my org's standard sheet set template (or example, as C3D calls it).
3. Imported a layout from that new drawing into the new sheet set. 
4. Right-clicked the layout, selected Publish to PDF.  It defaulted to the H:\ drive (the place I can't publish to).
5. Changed the publish path to my desktop. 
6. Published the PDF. 

Now, I repeated all that with a new blank drawing, and created a new sheet set from the standard dst.  

This time, when I published, it used the path I entered above in step 5.  So far so good. 

I saved this "good" dst to my desktop. 

To really prove it, I closed and restarted C3D. 

Now I repeated all the above steps one more time, except when I created the new .dst, I used as the "example .dst"  that "good .dst" above that I previously saved to the desktop.  The one that should have a good working 'Publish To' path.

When I selected Publish, it defaulted back to the H:\ drive again.  The "good.dst" forgot its "Publish To" path. 

So wherever SSM is saving the 'Publish to' path, it's good only within a C3D session, it's not saved in the .dst, and it resets when C3D is restarted.  A .dst with a previously-good 'Publish to' path will forget its path when C3D is restarted.  This is frustrating.  

Joe, where are you entering the path to use for publishing?  Can you send me a screenshot?  

[Joe-Bouza]

Hello Jeff

I do not currently have acces to our network to get smaples but consider go to you ssm seed dst  and setting the publish path to something generic.

I also do not creat dst files from example I copt the starter dst with the project folders.

say I have folder structured

ROOT JOB#,

           sheet files

           excel files

           GIS data

           xref drawing

           publish plots

starter.dst

so in the starter dist the plot location is set to publish plots. I copy this setup and rename the root the starter dst keeps the folder location for publis plots

[jeff_rivers]

Joe, I think you're missing the problem.  Whatever I set for the publish path in my 'example.dst' to, it's reset the next time I start C3D.  Unless there's a hidden setting that I am not seeing.  

p.s. Don't you have autocorrect?  

[Joe-Bouza]

You right Jeff I cannot be sure what the issue on your end is. I can with a relative amount of certainty explain the SSM is very relative and the information you give it will maintaina that relationship. So in our system we publish to a plt folder (you may see the error in my folders... we renamed it to PDF Files) within the project root. we set that folder .

the screen cast demonstrates how portable the path can be so long as the path is relative.