title date block

would anyone know how to make a current date block? I know there's a way of doing so, I just haven;t found the corredct way to do it.

I've also looked for the file location block attribute. I know it exists cuz the architect in this office used to have it. When he quit, he took it out of the pc's =/

anywho, any info on these two thingies would be more than greatly appretiated

I'm using Archtiectural Desktop 2.0

Freddy

would anyone know how to make a current date block? I know there's a way of doing so, I just haven;t found the corredct way to do it.

 

I've also looked for the file location block attribute. I know it exists cuz the architect in this office used to have it. When he quit, he took it out of the pc's =/

 

anywho, any info on these two thingies would be more than greatly appretiated

 

I'm using Archtiectural Desktop 2.0

 

Freddy

Do you mean plot-stamp? Shows up in the corner of the drawing showing file name, location and time/date when printed? If so it is built in AutoCAD.

F7

would anyone know how to make a current date block? I know there's a way of doing so, I just haven;t found the corredct way to do it.

 

I've also looked for the file location block attribute. I know it exists cuz the architect in this office used to have it. When he quit, he took it out of the pc's =/

 

anywho, any info on these two thingies would be more than greatly appretiated

 

I'm using Archtiectural Desktop 2.0

 

Freddy

 

Do you mean plot-stamp? Shows up in the corner of the drawing showing file name, location and time/date when printed? If so it is built in AutoCAD.

 

F7

F7 is binded to grid on/grid off, at least in Architectural Desktop

would anyone know how to make a current date block? I know there's a way of doing so, I just haven;t found the corredct way to do it.

 

I've also looked for the file location block attribute. I know it exists cuz the architect in this office used to have it. When he quit, he took it out of the pc's =/

 

anywho, any info on these two thingies would be more than greatly appretiated

 

I'm using Archtiectural Desktop 2.0

 

Freddy

 

Do you mean plot-stamp? Shows up in the corner of the drawing showing file name, location and time/date when printed? If so it is built in AutoCAD.

 

F7

 

F7 is binded to grid on/grid off, at least in Architectural Desktop

no, F7 is my screen name

Were you refering to plot-stamp?

F7

In AutoCAD there are various time/date options.

The TIME command can be used as follows:

TIME displays the following information: 

Current time:    Wednesday, September 03, 1997 at 9:54:51:406 AM
Times for this drawing:    
     Created:    Friday, July 25, 1994 at 1:21:36:203 AM
     Last Updated:    Wednesday, September 03, 1997 at 9:49:19:208 AM
     Total Editing Time:    0 days 06:44:10.520
     Elapsed Timer (on):    0 days 00:07:05.312
     Next Automatic Save In:    0 days 01:59:15.570

Since each of these options is also a system variable, they could be called from a LISP routine and added to a drawing as text or an attribute value.

The system variable CDATE stores the current date and gives a response like this:

CDATE = 20030106.22273813 (read only)

The system variable SAVENAME stores the name and path of the current drawing when it has been saved and gives a response like this:

SAVENAME = "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\CADTutor..." (read only)

This only works after a save in the current drawing session. Using SAVENAME on opening an existing file gives the response:

SAVENAME = "" (read only)

Not particularly helpful.

However, using a bit of lisp, you could easily use these two variables to do what you need.

well, I work for an even planning and management company in Downtown Miami. Cool. When you have one client per day, changing the date is not really a hassle at all. Or 5 or even 10. But when you get to having to print current dates on 75+ clients per day, having a script like in Microfot Word, that will automatically update the date, be it in a block with a date attribute, or something, taking it from the Windows OS system date, or probably having the title block on my root CAD folder and X-Refing it into all the drawings are optiongs I've pondered, being that I'm doing the work 3 people used to, in 1/3 the time they were given. Now, X-refing it, would imply I'd have to go though each and every drawing, and that is a LOT of work, which I've been trying to avoid =/

so, there's the situation. I hate golf tournaments :evil: ok, not hate, but greatly dislike. 75+ clients on 4 different tournaments is somewhat reather getting to me. From studying architecture, to working doing table layouts, well, it's what I was expecting when I got to miami

so, comments, anything

Freddy

would anyone know how to make a current date block? I know there's a way of doing so, I just haven;t found the corredct way to do it.

 

I've also looked for the file location block attribute. I know it exists cuz the architect in this office used to have it. When he quit, he took it out of the pc's =/

 

anywho, any info on these two thingies would be more than greatly appretiated

 

I'm using Archtiectural Desktop 2.0

 

Freddy

 

Do you mean plot-stamp? Shows up in the corner of the drawing showing file name, location and time/date when printed? If so it is built in AutoCAD.

 

F7

 

F7 is binded to grid on/grid off, at least in Architectural Desktop

 

no, F7 is my screen name

Were you refering to plot-stamp?

 

F7

as far as saying that, I'd have no clue. Although I've been working on AutoCad Since R12 for DOS, I've never really had the necesity to know how to work those details and inner workings of AutoCad/Arch Desktop. The manuals don;t really help, and this is the only site that anyone seems to at least have an idea what they're talking about

ez

Fredz

would anyone know how to make a current date block? I know there's a way of doing so, I just haven;t found the corredct way to do it.

 

I've also looked for the file location block attribute. I know it exists cuz the architect in this office used to have it. When he quit, he took it out of the pc's =/

 

anywho, any info on these two thingies would be more than greatly appretiated

 

I'm using Archtiectural Desktop 2.0

 

Freddy

 

Do you mean plot-stamp? Shows up in the corner of the drawing showing file name, location and time/date when printed? If so it is built in AutoCAD.

 

F7

 

F7 is binded to grid on/grid off, at least in Architectural Desktop

 

no, F7 is my screen name

Were you refering to plot-stamp?

 

F7

 

 

as far as saying that, I'd have no clue. Although I've been working on AutoCad Since R12 for DOS, I've never really had the necesity to know how to work those details and inner workings of AutoCad/Arch Desktop. The manuals don;t really help, and this is the only site that anyone seems to at least have an idea what they're talking about

 

ez

 

Fredz

R12 Nice! I started on r10 on Dos as well. Big change since those days. Yeah, those manuals are pretty weak. I see what you are talking about now and I am sure somebody will come up with a solution for you. This is one of the best AutoCAD user site out there bar none! Welcome aboard.

F7

Post a message for 'Fuccaro', he seems to be a bit of a AutoLISP genius.

'By the way' (Glasgow Slang) how deep can these nested posts get ?

Nick

PS Updated my tips section on my site http://www.autocadzone.com

there is a great little program called ltext.

its free somewhere on the net,and it updates with every save or plot.

there are many options that you can set,not just the date,but others like,who plotted the dwg,dwg location,etc.

it was passed on to us by a friend,its really simple to set up, create a block with the desired text and leave it in block form on your title block.

then when you plot/save, the block changes automatic.

dot know where we got it from. i will check the program later today and fine out who wrote it.

G

awww, ok, that does it. No more cad forums searchingfor me

The most reasonable idea, with in reach, is having the title block and x-refing it. It would just be one date change per day, first thing I'd have to do in the morning as I turn the PC on. I mean, it's 6 years worth of work I just inherited, and I certainly don't intend on going file by file, layout tab by layout tab, changing it all

I tried reading about LISP routines, but they're pretty far from the result I'm after. Yes, I'm extremely anal about presentations and everything being done right(and in the least ammount of time possible)

I'll be checking on the rest of the forum, if I could be of help on anything, you;ll more than sure see a comment on my end

Freddy

I can't help you with your old drawings. Our practice: we insert a block in a corner of every dwg. That block contains the file name and the path, the current date and hour, the user who opened the drawing. So we can trace every printed document. The block is updated automatically. It's easy to write this block, but you need the AutoCAD Express Tools. At command prompt, type RTEXT (enter). AutoCAD will answer:

Enter an option [style/Height/Rotation/File/Diesel]

Press D (enter)

A new window will appear (named "Edit Rtext")

Type (or copy-paste) the following

file: $(getvar,dwgprefix) $(getvar,dwgname)

date: $(edtime,$(getvar,date),MON DD"," YYYY HH:MM)

user: $(getvar,loginname)

You may place here any other text, if you wish

Press OK

Click on your screen, press enter.

Type WBLOCK and save on your disk the rtext you just created

Inserting (in the usualy way) this block in a drawing, the text will change automatically containing correct information.

It works in AutoCAD2000 but I can tell you nothing about earlier versions.

You may try to save this block in a template so it will be impossible to forget to insert it.

I know that the plotter can be configured to print automatically the date and other information on the paper margin, but I never used this. (HPCONFIG?)

Hey, Fuccaro that's really neat

I never thought of using Diesel strings but it makes perfect sense. Great tip.

I reckon that if SyntaxError adds this to his XRef, that should solve his problem.

they say everyday you learn something new.

indeed an interesting command, but it's giving me a wrong path =/

the file is stored under c:\werk\(prject)\ yet is shows as being under something comepletely different

if this was the command the previous architect was using, how would I purge the dwg of this, and insert the correct location?

Thank you, CADTutor! Great feeling, to read your words.

You don't need to use XRef, just insert the block in any drawing.

SyntarError, sorry but I don't know how it's possible the diesel expression return the wrong path. However, you may try to copy-paste everything from the drawing in a new one, and save it over the old file -attention at frozen and off layers!. Or better save it first with different name and replace the old file just if it is OK.

But let me ask: why do you consider the wrong path is a problem? You mentioned just about the date, right? -Ok, you don't need to answer, I am just trying to be evil...

attention to detail i guess. asides from the fact that it helps me locate a floorplan if need be I have to use it for future reference, or anyone else would need to access it(I have special, messy but organized ways of saving projects. I've had to do so cuz when they fired the last architect, he had files all over the network and I've had to make some things up as I've gone, and I haven;t been given the liberty of reorganizing the filing system. Already got yelled once for it, so I've gone with the flow)

the date thing, well, it's more of a trying to ease the work load I've got. In the end, that's what AutoCad is about. Helping speed up the process of design, and being accurate about it within a reasonable ammount of time.

I'll keep looking, and thank you a LOT Fuccario for the RTEXT command. I'll work on it and see what end results I get. Btw, where coul I find the stings used as vars? It does seem LISP orientated, and I'm not a big LISP user(not anymore)

ez

Freddy

they say everyday you learn something new.

 

indeed an interesting command, but it's giving me a wrong path =/

 

the file is stored under c:\werk\(prject)\ yet is shows as being under something comepletely different

 

if this was the command the previous architect was using, how would I purge the dwg of this, and insert the correct location?

Just a thought. Is the reported path the one for the XRef rather than for the current drawing?

I forget to mention something and it can be important to you. If rtext is used in a dwg and you wish to open it on an other computer, the expres tools must be installed on both of computers!

SyntaxError

I told you (as an advice) to use Diesel expressions in the Rtext (Direct Interpretively Evaluated String Expression Language). My self I know just few things about, so if somebody find out a good resource, I will be happy to know.

Can anybody advice me, how to set up the plotter to print the date automatically on each drawing? As I mentioned before, I know that it is possible. But how?

Here is a way for people without Express tools using MS Word.

First open the MS Word and in a new document: Insert > Field... from the left panel chose Date and Time and in the right panel: Date. The current date appears in the document. Place here more text if you wish. Save the file in the Start Up folder.

Open AutoCAD and go to Insert > OLE Object... >Create from file. Push the Browse button and navigate to the document you just saved. Check the Link box and push OK. The current date appears in the drawing.

Two disadvantages of this method (but you may solve them with just two clicks):

-At every start of the computer the Word document will open showing the current date. Just close it!

-When open a drawing with date inserted in this way you will be asked if you agree with update of the date.

I experimented on my computer and it works (having Windows 2000, Office 97 and AutoCAD 2000).

Hey Fuccaro.

I had thought of that and tried it. It looked almost like the way to go... but I think the CAD operators would have had to fiddle with it too much to make it worthwhile. I am really thinking that importing the text from an RTF file is just the way to go.

Thanks all for the help!