Hi,

(sorry if this has been asked already...)

I’m looking to fill in info in the title block of my drawings in Autocad for Mac and have it automatically return and update (when changed) on every other title block/layout. (Like the address of the construction site and the name and address of the client). I’d like to fill it in only once, in one place.

I know the project manager makes this work, but I always have only just one dwg file in each project, including all the layouts already set up (including (automatic!) layout page number, etc) in that file. It feels redundant still having to insert these layouts in yet another file and having to fill in stuff there too. My projects are not that big and I work alone. I’d like to keep things simple and fast: one project, one dwg file. I do know the project manager has several advantages, but for now, I don't really need them it seems. (Example: you can easily number your layouts in the project manager, but I am/was already used to put the layout's page number in each layout's name, so I can retrieve it in a field in my title block using a diesel expression.)

I came up with the following “workaround” (for not having to use the project manager) for my needs:

In my template file (dwt) for all my new drawings, I create an empty layout named “project-info”. Like that, this layout will act as my “one place, fill in only once, custom project properties manager” in every new DWG I make and there I can fill in the stuff I want to return and update on all title blocks on all layouts within the file.

On this “project-info” layout, I will put all the blocks I need to return and update on the title blocks. In this case these are: one block with Mtext in it for inserting the construction site’s address, and one block with Mtext in it for inserting the client’s address. I make the Mtext & the blocks with the right text style and size(s), as if they already were part of the finished title block. I also fill in some appropriate “placeholder text”. (Notice that these are saved as blocks!) Next, I copy these blocks to the template-layout (for my drawing plans) in the dwt file on which my title block (work in progress) is residing. As I’m still working on it, this title block is not yet made into an autocad block (it’s still all loose objects). I position the copied client’s and constructions site’s blocks in the right place in the title block layout and then I turn all the loose components of my title block into one autocad block named “title block” - this includes the copied blocks I just mentioned. I then save my dwt (template) file, so I can use it for all new projects/drawings. Besides model space, I then have two layouts in it: my “project-info” layout which is (kind of like) my custom properties project manager (in Acad for Windows: the drawing properties/DWGPROPS) and one drawing layout with a title block, which I can then copy to make multiple pages/layouts with a title block.

Now, when I start a new project/drawing from this template, I can fill in the necessary information on the “project-info” layout by editing the blocks there with the appropriate Mtext in them and when I copy layouts with a title block, it will update all the info (construction site and client’s address) because the client’s address and construction site info are copied blocks from the blocks on the "project-info" layout. (Because, as you know: whenever a specific block is updated, all copies of that block are updated as well.) Suppose I notice I made a writing error in the client’s name when I filled it in: I go (back) to my “project” layout and correct the error in my “client’s address” block by editing it. And it updates on every layout's title block which includes a copy of that block.

For now I can not think of a faster/easier/simpler way to setup my template file or to fill in/adjust the stuff I want to in all layout’s at once in Autocad for Mac – without working with the project manager that is. What are your thoughts on my solution? Is there a quicker/easier way? (I really don’t want to use the project manager. Not yet. I just want to work with one file with multiple layouts.

Any comments/thoughts/ideas to improve?

Thanks in advance!

Jo