Custom Title Block Woes

[Benson Shaw]

Suggested steps for creation of custom title block:

• open a new file named eg My Title Block

•create the 2d block with text

•create the record format

•link the text to the records

•create symbol from the block/text

• save and leave this file open

When this file active, the Resource Browser includes the new record format and the new symbol.

All good so far.

Continuing:

•Open the Standard Title Blocks.vwx file in Applications>Vectorworks folder (current version)>Libraries>Defaults>Sheet Border-Title Blocks.

Permissions problem (OSX account is not admin):

Error message that file is read only, do I want to open a copy with new name?

Solution is to close file, change permissions to Everyone - Read Write.

File opens with warning that file is Finger Printed. Accept.

ASME layer is active. (shouldn't it open the Arch TBs?).

•In the Resource Browser, activate the file My Title Block.

•Drag & drop the RB icon of the new TB symbol onto the drawing window of the Standard TB file

•Save and close the Standard TB file.

But Save fails. Error message asks if I want to save a copy to new location.

Tried to log out and log back in via an admin account, but that requires a new activation of VWX. I really only want one activation on this laptop.

Any ideas? Solutions? Experience?

Thanks

-B

[AlanW]

Don't try to copy the file go to your resource browser and export the symbol to the file in the program file. If you prefi it with 00- it will appear flist when you go to add it.

Better still add it into a user folder or workgroup folder as if set up correctly the program searches in order of priority user folder then work group folder them program folder. If your title block is in your user folder then it will open that first.

Set your user folder from preferences .

HTH

Also there are VAA title blocks and there are the ones that attach to the sheet borders.

I have used the Sheet border one for the simple title blocks and the VVA for my complex title blocks as you can do a document issue and have the transmittal automatically created from it. File / VAA revise issue print.

See attached as I have my title block (main one) in the VAA folder in my Workgroup folder.

When you open the file the drawing is blank but in your resource browser you Have all the title blocs you created.

The others are in the Sheet border file.

See Attachments.

HTH

Couldn't have got all this to work without the extensive resources of J. Pickup.

Edited August 6, 2015 by Alan Woodwell

[Benson Shaw]

Thanks Alan (and Jonathan PIckup)

I used the symbol export dialog to place the new TB in the Standard TB folder.

Too bad the tech tip videos in 2015 Help, KBase and YouTube show the drag and drop method - which does not work, at least for me.

-B

[Benjamin Weill]

my custom title block is just in my template file. I never don't start a new show from my personal template, so it's fine to just be in the file to begin with.

I also have multiple text blocks on different classes that auto populate depending on which plate I'm working on. I print all of my drawings from saved views on a single sheet layer, so the appropriate classes are automatically on inside the saved view.

[Guest Wes Gardner]

I use the User Folder with a file called "My Custom Title Block." This avoids overwriting when updating. You "see" it in the list with the other TBs.

[Benson Shaw]

The screen shot seems to show the usual defaults folder. "My Custom Title Block" does not not appear anywhere in that png, although there are icons for several custom/non standard title blocks in the Standard file.

?

Also, VW2015 help suggests one can save a user created file to the Defaults>Sheet Border-Title Block folder and access TB symbols in that file.

This process has not yet worked for me. I have parked files in that folder, but they are not available in the import TB dialog. Must be a trick I'm missing?

-B

Edited August 7, 2015 by Benson Shaw

[AlanW]

The file structure is exactly the same in your user folder as your program folder ( if set up properly) also if you use work group folder for an office setup. As Wes said put all your special stuff in these folders rather than the main program folder as when you have an upgrade to the program all will not be wiped by the upgrade.

When you call up for a new title block (or texture or wall style etc) the program searches User file first then Workgroup folder and last the program folder.

If you have your special title blocks in your user folder and all the files and folders named the same as in the program folder the program will stop at the user folder and show your special title blocks and won't continue to the program files.

Great way for limiting what you see, especially wall styles where ther are heaps in the program file.

HTH

Look at the sheet border. Jpg post earlier you will see the path to my workgroup folder and if you look at the program file structure you will notice all the names and folders ar same from workgroup on as in the program file right down to the name of the file "Custom title block.vwx". Has to match exactly otherwise it will not work.

Edited August 8, 2015 by Alan Woodwell

[Benson Shaw]

Thanks for more discussion, Alan.

But this thread is now more of a gripe or bug report or wish than a request for troubleshoot. The tutorials and help seem to indicate processes that do not work (eg drag and drop, user created file in program folder do not work). Config of user system can cause problems (list view required in browse window, column view does not work).

Video created in older versions but labeled as current version is OK if processes work, but it still seems cheap when the video is labeled 2015 and the icons are 2013. Better to label the video as valid for all versions back to xxx or xxx and above?

I wish that the processes described in Help and videos consistently produced expected results.

-B

[DJMDevon]

Hi All,

Hope this is okay to put in this topic.

I'm running VW2013 on PC. Ive got a working custom title block, but I would like to have 2 lines of text for the drawing title. I've inserted # at the end of the record format for the drawing title which does give me 2 lines of text from one text box. However, when I export to pdf the drawing title only gives me the first line of text and not the second line even though it's one text box.

Does anyone know how to get both lines of text to show as the pdf file name without adding it manually to the pdf?

Thanks