Architectural Desktop 2005 integrates all of the new AutoCAD 2005 platform features for creating and managing Sheet Sets. One of the really powerful features is the new Field Codes which allow you to have dynamically updating text and attributes linked to various sources. These Field Codes are essentially the same technology as in Microsoft Word where you can add such things as a table of contents or links between various document sections.
Architectural Desktop 2005 comes with pre-configured templates that utilize these field codes with a title block based on the National CAD Standard, but you will probably want to customize this to suit your own office standard.
There are couple different approaches to creating your title block: attributes in a block, just MText with no block, or a hybrid of both. The out-of-the-box template uses the mtext only approach, but for this tutorial I will show using the hybrid with attributes using a real user's template (thanks to Jeffrey Ries).
Step 0 - Overview
In this first screen shot I have started with the out-of-the-box 'Aec Sheet (Imperial Ctb).dwt' so as to benefit from the many display system settings that have been done to work with the out-of-the-box content. Basically I copy/pasted Jeffrey's title block into the Arch D layout tab. You will notice there are several layout tabs in this template file. With AutoCAD/ADT 2005 a Sheet Set, or individual Sub Sets, can specify a specific layout to use when creating a new sheet.
Click thumbnail for full size image.
Step 1 - Edit Block in-Place
You will now want to edit the block representing the title block. The easiest way is to right-click and select 'Edit Block in-Place'.
Select 'OK' on the 'Reference Edit' dialog. This will put you into Reference Edit mode.
Step 3 - Adding Field Codes
We now are at the meat of this tutorial; inserting field codes. I will now walk through adding some of the various field codes you might want to use in a title block template.
Double-clicking on a block attribute definition will invoke the 'Edit Attribute Definition' dialog. Instead of leaving the 'Default' value blank, where users would normally manually fill in the value, we will insert a field. Right-click in the text edit box and choose 'Insert Field...' to invoke the 'Field' dialog.
There are many different types of field categories with fields for Sheet Sets, AEC Keynotes, and AEC Projects. The 'AEC Project' fields allow you to link to data in an ADT project, specifically the project's .apj xml file.
Here we are choosing the 'Project Number' field code and choosing a Format type of 'Uppercase'.
The next attribute in this example will use the basic AutoCAD 2005 'CurrentSheetNumber' field code.
For the CAD File attribute we will use the 'Filename' field code with the 'Filename only' option.
For the Author we will use the 'Author' field code.
For the Date we will use the 'CreateDate' field code.
Step 4 - Using Field Codes in MText
Block Attributes currently cannot wrap lines, so for the Project Name and Project Address we will use MText. Simply begin inserting a block of MText and right-click 'Insert Field...'
This template uses a copyright protection line in the border. Field codes will allow us to have the year be automatically inserted when the drawing is created. Field codes can also be inserted within MText. Simply place your cursor in the correct position, right-click, and 'Insert Field...'
Instead of using one of the pre-defined fields for CreateDate, we will create our own for yyyy to display the four digit year.
We have now finished editing this block definition. To save changes, click the 'Save' button on the RefEdit toolbar. In order to see the instance of this block updated, we need to either erase and re-insert the block definition, or go to the Format pull down> Blocks > Block Attribute Manager.. and then click the 'Sync' button.
Power Tip: Use "attsync" at the command line.
Step 5 - Sheet Title
For the sheet title we will not embed it in a block. While attributes in blocks are unique per block insert, graphics (including MText) are not, but we still want the sheet title to wrap lines. Since we may have a sheet drawing with more than one layout/sheet we need to have the sheet title outside the block otherwise every layout would display the same sheet name.
As before, we begin the MText command and right-click 'Insert Field..'
Note: If you happen to have attributes in your existing title block, then you will want to erase them first. Use the RefEdit command as described above.
Then we will use the 'CurrentSheetTitle' field code.
That completes the setup of our customized template. You would now want to Save it to your templates folder.
Step 6 - Modifying a Sheet Set to Use a Different Sheet Template
To have an ADT project use a specific template and layout for new sheets, you will need to modify the project sheet set. To do this, right-click on the topmost node on the Sheets tab > Sheet Set View and choose 'Properties...'
The 'Sheet Set Properties' dialog will appear. Click on the ... button in the 'Sheet creation template' property.
You can then browse to your sheet template and select a specific layout to be used when creating a new sheet.
Note: You can use the same procedure to assign unique properties to subsets. For example, for details you may want them to all be on 8x11 titleblocks.
Finished
That completes the necessary setup. Now when you create a new sheet through the Project Navigator all field codes will automatically resolve. Any changes, such as renumbering or renaming will also automatically change.
Thanks -
Chris