Drawing Label is not showing correct sheet number

[mr. iagea]

I'm having some drawing label trouble. Each time I place a drawing label either on a viewport or sheet layer, the sheet number NEVER shows me the proper ID. It always shows up as "A0", no matter which sheet I place a label on. Of course, this happens only when I have the bubble split to show item and sheet number.

Now, before you tell me to edit the sheet number in the OIP...that's not possible. The field is greyed out and uneditable. This is true no matter where I place the label. Now, I can certainly have a fully editable label if I place it on a design layer, but then the item number and sheet numbers no longer set automatically, so I lose the whole functionality of having the label's data auto-populated anyway.

I've set up many sheet layers and updated the title blocks on each to reflect the proper sheet number. Everything there seems to be working correctly.

I know this is supposed to work, but it's not. I've seen other posts about this, as well. Anyone have any ideas?

[mr. iagea]

Anyone? Please?

[mike m oz]

Try placing the label inside the Annotation Space of the Viewport. That is the only way it can determine which Layer the Viewport originates from.

[Pat Stanford]

This sounds like you are using a drawing border on your sheet also. Probably with a custom title block.

It sounds like the Sheet Number field is not using the name that the drawing border and Title Block are looking for.

I have played with it a little bit tonight and can't find the correct answer. Maybe someone else can find it or I will look in the morning.

Best Regards,

Pat

[Pat Stanford]

Mike I don't think that is it. If you put a drawing label on a layer (design or sheet) with a Drawing Border, it will try to get the Sheet information from the Title Block of the border. Does not matter if you are in a viewport or not.

The problem is that some title blocks don't use the correct Field Name for the sheet information.

Pat

[mr. iagea]

I can edit the text info manually if I place the drawing label on the design layer (where it'll show up in the VP), but then everything about it becomes a manual process. If I happen to change the order of several VP's placed on a sheet, I thn have to go back to each layer and manually fix the drawing labels to reflect their correct order position. That kinda defeats the nice automation of the whole thing in the first place, yes?

If I place the label inside the VP annotation, that's also where the label's sheet number is not reflecting the proper sheet.

So, I guess I'd like to figure out why this is happening because at this point, it's creating a little extra work and limiting the usability of my design layers (if I have to put a particular sheet's drawing label directly on the DL, then I cannot use that for a VP on a different sheet).

Edited December 18, 2008 by mr. iagea

[RubenH]

Interesting...

I have some points regarding this:

1. Never get the sheet number: I think it must to be the name of the Sheet Layer... Does this can be?

2. The drawing number: a number asigned to the viewport.

3. Scale: its ok.

4. Name: it's ok

5. Automatically update: Round update. If something changes, all elements get updated.

6. All this can affect the drawing border too.

Is there any solution to this?

[Pat Stanford]

If you use one of the NNA supplied title blocks (I tried ASME and US Arch Horiz) if you change the correct field in the Drawing Border, it shows up in the Drawing Label on the Sheet Layer.

I played with it a little more this morning. It appears that you must have a field in the record attached to your custom title block named S_Drawing Number (or just Drawing Number). It must be exactly this with the space. If you do, then you can change the field in the title block and it will automatically update the drawing label to match the title block on the sheet layer. This also works for Drawing Labels inside Viewport Annotations. They will get the Sheet Number from the Title Block on the Sheet Layer.

I don't know of any way to have the Drawing Label pull sheet information from the Design Layers referenced in the Viewport.

Pat

[RubenH]

Excellent I'll test, and let you know!

[panta rhei]

This makes sense, sort of, technically, but once again emphasises & underlines the sad fact that VWA is not intended for international use. Here in Finland we are, by a national standard, required to have titleblocks with attributes with certain names when we submit digital files in DWG-format. Not to mention other content and the layout of the titleblock.

Yes, Finland is a minuscule market... And so shall it remain.

Having something like this to be defined by the user would be so simple. Well, at least similar things are simple for me in my PIOs.

[mr. iagea]

Thanks for the suggestion, Pat. I did not add nor edit a Drawing Number data field to my title block. I'll experiment with that and let you know how it shapes up.

[mr. iagea]

I tried this, adding "S_Drawing Number" to my title block record, and the drawing label does indeed take up the info placed in that field when editing the sheet's title block data. Solves the problem, however it seems as though since there's already a S_SheetNum field, that the drawing label should take up that info, as that's the info that actually needs to be in the lower section of the drawing border.

Ah well, this solution works. Thanks, Pat! Just yet one more little thing to keep in mind, I guess...I yearn for consistency!

[Pat Stanford]

You should be able to redefine the record format to rename S_SheetNum to S_Drawing Number and then it should work with only the single entry.

Pat

[RubenH]

Can you write a step by step, Pat.

I don't get it to work, maybe I am losing something.

Thanks in advance!

[Pat Stanford]

Send me a VW file with your title block in it and I will take a look and let you know what you need to do to make it work.

Use the email in my signature.

Pat

[mr. iagea]

You should be able to redefine the record format to rename S_SheetNum to S_Drawing Number and then it should work with only the single entry.

Pat

That actually didn't work. I don't have time anymore to devote to this bit but I will try it later with a new title block. The solution that you gave before seems to be working, so I'll stick with that for this particular set of drawings. Thanks a lot for your help!

[HOUCAD]

I have a custom border I am using and I am not sure how far this can go. The sheet title line 1 is filled in when I create standard sheets and layers but the drawing number is not. I do have the number linked to S_Drawing number. I can edit the fields in my titleblocks but I was hoping it would fill the sheet number in too.

Is it possible to automate some of this?

When I create a drawing list am I supposed to be able to update info in my title blocks by editing the drawing list or is it just read only.

[RubenH]

Pat I've send you the file. Thanks in advance.

[HOUCAD]

Can someone please explain how the issue data works? If I use one of the default title blocks I can edit the issue data but I have tried to get this to work in a custom title block and it doesn't work. I have used the same format as in the default titleblocks but does it have to be linked to a record? With the default t-blocks they dont seem to be linked to any record and there is no field for :iDate etc.

How does this work?

Fixed: I copied the :i text from one of the default tblocks and it works.

I did not include an :iNo with my issue data line so this is probably why it didn't work. I am still unsure how this is supposed to work when setting it up from scratch.

Edited December 19, 2008 by HOUCAD

[HOUCAD]

Another issue question. Can I change the direction the issue data is filled in? New issue data is inserted above the previous line. I want it to go below. What governs this information.

When I use the issue manager the information is different. It defaults to Letters and the info I put in the issue manager does not appear on my title block. The edit issue data from the title block info pallet works fine. Are these 2 different things?

When I edit items in my title block and close the dialog the T-block flashes and there is a sound like bongos that plays as it cycles through all the fields in the title block. It does not do this on the default borders. It kind of sounds like an MRI machine. What's up with that?

[mr. iagea]

Can someone please explain how the issue data works? If I use one of the default title blocks I can edit the issue data but I have tried to get this to work in a custom title block and it doesn't work. I have used the same format as in the default titleblocks but does it have to be linked to a record? With the default t-blocks they dont seem to be linked to any record and there is no field for :iDate etc.

How does this work?

Fixed: I copied the :i text from one of the default tblocks and it works.

I did not include an :iNo with my issue data line so this is probably why it didn't work. I am still unsure how this is supposed to work when setting it up from scratch.

David,

Open "Vectorwork Help..." from the Help menu within Vectorworks to launch the installed online help system. Once there, click on the "Search" tab, then enter this exact text: "Creating a Custom Title Block in the Design Series" (just "title block" will also suffice). You should then be presented with several help entries that explain how to build a custom title block, including how issue data fields are entered and function. Specifically: #87 (Fundamentals), Creating a Custom Title Block; and #100 (Design), Creating a Custom Title Block in the Design Series.

The latter explains the issue data fields. Be sure to place them directly in your title block symbol, not in the title block record.

hth

[HOUCAD]

What determines the font that is used by the Title block? some text changes when I select the Tblock and change the font but some does not? When I edit my Tblock symbol defenition I am unable to change the class of some of the text. When I edit the default text in my record it doesn't change what shows on the inserted title block.

I am editing my title block definition on the fly but some things just wont change. Does everything have to be perfect in the border symbol definition before it is inserted in a drawing?

Is it just me or does vectorWorks not like to change things once they have been created? When I delete all my entries in the edit title block pallet and make sure I have the correct font set as default when I retype the info for each field the fonts appear correctly. This is very frustrating not being able to modify things once they have been created.

Edited December 19, 2008 by HOUCAD

[Pat Stanford]

Text objects that have the Pen Style set to Class Style will use the text settings of the overall Drawing Border. This means that the font, size, style will all be switched to whatever the active settings where when the Drawing Border was placed.

Text object that have the Pen Style set to anything other than Class Style will retain the settings they have in the Title Block symbol.

The same applies to other objects as well. Pen Style, Pen Color and Line Style/Thickness set to by Class will inherit the attributes from the Border Border.

[Pat Stanford]

Mr. Gog,

It looks like the only thing you are missing is that you have to insert your symbol as part of a VW Drawing Border object. You got the hard part about setting up the record and attaching it to the title block symbol.

Insert a Drawing Border object into your drawing. Select the border and in the Object Info Palette, click on the "Title Block" button (Second from the top in the English version). Choose your symbol in the resulting dialog box. It will automatically be moved to a folder called "Drawing Border Components" and will show up on the drawing.

Since you have included the border as part of your symbol, you will probably want to check the insert as Title Block Only box, or edit the symbol to only have the title block information.

When you double click on the border it will open up the Edit Title Block dialog box and you can change all of the fields in your record.

When you place a Drawing Label symbol and set it to use the Sheet information, it will automatically pull the Drawing Number field from the Title Block.

I hope this helps.

Pat

[HOUCAD]

Text objects that have the Pen Style set to Class Style will use the text settings of the overall Drawing Border. This means that the font, size, style will all be switched to whatever the active settings where when the Drawing Border was placed.

Well I tried setting everything to class style and it didn't change anything. I had to delete what was entered and retype the info in the fields with the correct font set.

The title block we use had a couple different fonts in it.