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Record Formats + Symbol definitions


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What is the best workflow for inputting the default field values for Records attached to symbols?

 

Example:

 

I create a load of symbols. I create a Record Format. I can attach the Record to all the symbols at once using the 'Attach Record' command.

 

I then want to set all the different default field values for the symbols. I can see that where the symbols share the same value I can split them into different Resource Folders then use the 'Change Field/s...' commands to set those values but this only takes me so far + is a little bit long-winded. Otherwise I'm going into each symbol individually > Attach Record... > select record > 'Edit Values...' then back out again.

 

I was wondering if I can do it using a Worksheet? I know I can edit record values of symbol instances in the drawing using a Worksheet but can I set the default values in the symbol definitions this way somehow?

 

Or is this a Data Manager thing?

 

Thanks

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I feel I am stumbling over this about 100 times a day.

Here are my thoughts:

 

5 hours ago, Tom W. said:

Otherwise I'm going into each symbol individually > Attach Record... > select record > 'Edit Values...' then back out again.

I fear this is the only way,- if you have 100 symbols with 100 individual default values, you need to handle each one individally.

 

6 hours ago, Tom W. said:

can split them into different Resource Folders then use the 'Change Field/s...' commands to set those values

Yes, I am stuck here too, this seems to be the only way to group symbols and change defaults for the groups. Could be better manageable...

 

6 hours ago, Tom W. said:

I was wondering if I can do it using a Worksheet?

No. In Worksheets you can only change the drawn instances, but not the default values of the symbols.

 

6 hours ago, Tom W. said:

Or is this a Data Manager thing?

If I understand the data manager right, you can create sets of predefined attachments. So this could be a solution: Instead of creating default values for each symbol you create an attachment list in your template file that automatically attaches the desired values as soon as the symbol is imported. I haven't tested this workflow, I think in the end it is the same amount of work like the individual attachments to the symbols in a symbol library.

 

Finally, ODBC could be a solution. But I haven't been successful in getting this running for years.

Maybe someone here  has got it running and can report how it works ?

 

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@halfcoupler thank you for yours thoughts/insights. At least I wasn't missing something simple by doing it manually...

 

Thanks for the Data Manager explanation. No I agree that doesn't sound a pragmatic solution but good to have a bit of a clearer understanding of how it works.

 

I wonder if it's something that could be scripted?

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There is a work around using worksheets in conjunction with a “make symbol unique” script.

 

Place symbols on layer

make worksheet of symbols

edit records of each symbol in worksheet 

run script on each symbol

 

. a copy of the original symbol is created in the rm but with the new record info

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I think you have to run the script on each symbol individually but the script is fast.

 

the script adds a “-2” suffix to the original symbol name so extra steps might be deleting orig symbols from rm and removing the suffixes from the née symbols.

 

Its not an ideal workaround but still quicker than the attach record option in the rm.

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