How to assign which layer attributes end up on?

[neeboy042274]

My company upgraded to Factory Design Suite 2017; unfortunately it is causing me a real headache when dealing with the attributes that appear in the AutoCAD blocks when the layout is synched from Inventor.  Please see the attached screenshots; both of those tags "ADSKFACTORY..." are ending up on a Layer called "Factory Properties."  This did not happen in 2016.  To make matters worse, I have a fancy LISP program (2nd screenshot) that can select any tags/attributes by the Tag name, but now that all of a sudden is NOT working in 2017; that window is completely blank.   ARRRRRRRRGH! 

Bottom line:  How can I control what layer these tags end up on?  I don't want the tags that say "Project.PartNumber to appear on any of my layouts.  The "W" is part of a numbering scheme that we have to use with all the blocks, i can't have those tags on the same layer as something else (particularly something that needs to be SHUT OFF)  I really do NOT want to have to individually go through each and every block in my conveyor layouts and switch the "Project.PartNumber" tag to a different layer.  That's what my LISP routine in supposed to do, and it worked GREAT in 2016.

Thanks in advance for any help, this is really driving me NUTS!

[neeboy042274]

as an additional followup...my drawings that come from Inventor do not have ANY blocks with attributes, according to AutoCAD.  At least AutoCAD thinks so, because I can't use the "BATTMAN" command.  That's just absolutely RIDICULOUS.

[petestrycharske]

All,

Good morning!  I worked with neeboy last Friday and I can confirm the same behavior on my end as well.  The descriptor, tag and sub tag are all available as attributes in AutoCAD 2016, but they seem unavailable in 2017.  Is there a way to expose these attributes again in 2017?  Otherwise they are inaccessible for manipulation via routines.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Hope all is well and have a most blessed day!

Peace,

Pete

[olegd.prod]

When creating assets in 2017 and later versions, you can designate certain asset properties to be displayed in AutoCAD: http://help.autodesk.com/view/FDS/2017/ENU/?guid=GUID-1B1851B2-6FC4-4DD5-B32E-5AD6C69F25FF - look for "display in AutoCAD".
Most of these attribute refences will be named "ADSKFACTORY:*" and will placed on the "Factory_Properties" layer. You can then move them to other layers as you see fit.
I said "most" because things like Asset Tags and Descriptors are have pre-2017 behaviors, so their names and default layers will be the same as in pre-2017 versions.

You can also control "display in AutoCAD" behavior per-asset-instance, using the Factory Properties panel.

Please note that this only affects AutoCAD behavior - Inventor drawings are a different beast alltogether 😞

Thank you,

Oleg

[neeboy042274]

The problem is that the tags DO NOT behave as attributes now in 2017!!  That is the whole problem, l shouldn't have to move them all individually!  Do you have ANY idea how long that will take in some instances, with drawings that have HUNDREDS of blocks in them???

The attributes MUST behave like attributes.  WHY on earth would something that CRUCIAL be messed with??

[neeboy042274]

My 2017 dwgs say that "There are NO attributed blocks.  RIDICULOUS!  Don't tell me to "move the attributes as I see fit" when your own program says that THERE.ARE.NO.ATTRIBUTES!

[olegd.prod]

Sorry you are running into issues with this.
By default, all properties' "Display in CAD" is turned off.
If you already had asset tags/descriptors in your pre-2017 files, those will default to "ON", since they are "already there" (and they would stay on whatever layers they were on).

I just dropped a Conveyor into ACAD, and set the "Title" property to "Display In CAD" = "ON". Here is a screenshot of the attribute:


These attributes are being added to block references, since different instances of the same asset may have different sets of attributes to display in ACAD

Oleg

[neeboy042274]

Please try the screenshot again, it was not attached to the message.

[olegd.prod]

Sorry, not sure why that didn't come through

[petestrycharske]

Oleg,

Good afternoon!  I've made a short video that illustrates part of the challenges that we're facing.  If we can crack this nut, then I think we'll be much further along.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Hope all is well and have a most blessed day!

Peace,

Pete

[olegd.prod]

After you turn "Display in CAD" ON for one or multiple properties, click the "Update" button at the top of the Factory Properties window - look for the button with a lightning bolt 

[petestrycharske]

Oleg,

That helped me get the properties to edit and keep the lightbulbs on, but I still can't access them via the attribute manager.  Please see the screenshot below:

[olegd.prod]

These attributes are being added to block references (not block definitions), since different instances of the same asset (block) may have different sets of attributes (attributes) to display in ACAD

If you need to manipulate them (programmatically or otherwise), you need to manipulate the block references

[neeboy042274]

All I know is our workflow system worked PERFECTLY in 2016, and now is completely TOAST.  My company is NOT happy!

[petestrycharske]

Oleg,

Thanks for clarifying.  Is there a way to access the Factory properties for each block reference, programmatically?  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Hope all is well and have a most blessed day!

Peace,

Pete

[olegd.prod]

Sure. Y can access each block reference's attribute references via blockRef.AttributeCollection - this will give you a collection of AttributeReference objects

Oleg