SSM Hidden Treasure.
The SSM Custom Properties can be a Treasure Chest.
You may even want to use SSM for a one-sheet plan set!
SSM - Sheet Set Manager
Most of us think that the sheet set manager (SSM) is meant for printing large sheet sets, creating sheet lists, creating detail sheets, and for populating title box fields. It may seem like too much effort for only a few sheets.
Treasure Chest or Used Envelope?
From a slightly different off-kilter perspective, the SSM is a treasure chest.
The SSM manager, in general, and the custom properties, in particular,
are a multi-source/drawing Data Repository.
Sheet Properties and Sheet Set Custom properties can be populated with discrete data from external sources or AutoCAD object properties from any drawing.
Yes, I know that you can do the same thing by keeping notes on the back of a used envelope.
Keeping the data in a SSM file makes them harder to lose track of.
Once populated, these SSM properties can be referenced by fields in any drawing included the Sheet Set.
You cannot do that with a used envelope.
As far as I know, this overlooked capability is the only cross-drawing reference mechanism that AutoCAD provides.
Sample Uses
Data automation is only one way, via fields, but it's still way better than the back of an old envelope.
I have over 100 SSM custom properties.
This includes external data such as project information, project team information, site information, floodplain information, etc. This is fairly common cover page and title block information.
For residential plans, I need to show building area, lot coverage, cut and fill volumes, retention volumes, etc. on my cover sheet. This information is available as properties of AutoCAD or Civil 3d objects that reside in several drawings. By storing this data in a SSM file, it is available to coversheet fields.
The following is a cover sheet in process. The grey areas are SSM fields.
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