Insert Dynamic Block from a Block Library

[parutter]

Our office has a library of title blocks on a shared location on our Company Server.  Is there any way to create a dwg, in this case our title block, that can be inserted into any drawing and have dynamic block properties.  the only way i have found to create a dynamic block is on a per drawing basis and we do not want to keep every title block definition in our standard template as there are too many and would unnecessarily weigh down every project dwg.

I'm looking to have a dynamic number of revision lines to not interfere with multiple layouts using the same title box.

Thank you for any help,

Patrick

[pendean]

What are you calling "dynamic block properties" when it comes to these titleblocks?

FWIW Most of us that create more than one sheet per job/project opt to XREF our titleblocks instead, and use SSM Fields for titleblock details per layout/sheet, less errors that way than a single unique standalone titleblock per output sheet. "weighing down" is not concern.

[Libbya]

I use an x-ref file for any titleblock objects that are the same for all sheets.  I also have a dynamic block that is added to each sheet for items that vary from sheet to sheet, e.g. sheet title field with a dynamic option to change the number of lines, index number, drawing scale with pulldown options including OFF and custom, etc...  That system works well for me.  

[pendean]

>>>...that vary from sheet to sheet, e.g. sheet title field with a dynamic option to change the number of lines, index number, drawing scale with pulldown options including OFF and custom, etc...<<<


SSM has all of that built-in: are you folks shying away from it or a reason?

[Libbya]

I do not shy away from SSM.  I do not believe that SSM allows custom formatting on a per sheet basis.  For example... my office has the sheet title in the bottom right of the sheet.  If the title does not fit on one line in the given space then it is split to two lines and the first line of the title is moved up one one.  You might think that one could use a multiline attribute justified bottom left in that situation, but nope.  In multiline attributes justified bottom-left, if the text includes characters that extend below (e.g. g, j, p, q, or y) then the line of text is shifted UP (DOH!) and the lines of text no longer match placement from sheet to sheet.  That issue was a deal-breaker.  The workaround is to use top-left justification and move the attribute UP one line of text as necessary.  That is not possible using just an x-ref'd titleblock and SSM.  It is easily accomplished with a dynamic block added per sheet and with the dynamic block added to individual sheets anyway, that makes all of the per sheet items easier to deal with via dynamic block than with SSM.  I still use the sheet set fields within the per sheet dynamic block and the sheet creation template has the dynamic block within it already so it is all as automated as I know how to make it.  

If you want screenshots of that text alignment issue I can accommodate but it is a bit of a pain to reproduce the issue.

[jtohill]

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@Libbya wrote:

In multiline attributes justified bottom-left, if the text includes characters that extend below (e.g. g, j, p, q, or y) then the line of text is shifted UP (DOH!) and the lines of text no longer match placement from sheet to sheet.  That issue was a deal-breaker.  

Is this with uppercase letters also, you could set to use uppercase only

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[timothy_crouse]

Sheet Sets are open to any formatting you need.

I would suggest creating a template drawing with multiple tabs.  Each tab would have the border you want at any given instance.  You can even have your standard blocks and view ports setup.

When you create a new sheet from the sheet set or just using the template alone you have access to the border you need.

The border in the template can be dynamic to toggle stuff on or off.  Or you could just pick a different tab when you create the drawing from the sheet set.

-Tim