MasterCAD

Hi All,

In my office I am in charge of a MasterCAD file. This file has drawn on it all types of chairs and tables and general components which some of the less expertise CAD users go to for drawing creation.

I currently have an MD asking me to take the file and break it into multiple CAD files instead of keeping this Master file with all the drawings.

The advantages with the way I have it now is that its kind of like shopping. You can browse through a vast catalogue of technical and furniture components. I use the Design centre but also copy and paste to manipulate this file and use it quickly.

Is there any advantage to having all the separate files?

Will it culminate in a larger amount of file sizes overall if I break them up?

Is it harder to use a singular file or multiple to move between drawings, or can I create a custom favourite set-up within the design centre?

I think its singular but I need some clear ammo. I was taught to use proper practice which was the design centre and one file??

(My current MasterCAD file has 697 blocks in it.)

(I apologise for spelling it design centre, I'm English)

Design Center is a way of doing it. Some people/companies have a block library as you are being asked to do. I prefer this method. Look into Pallets also. They are all proper methods.

I think Design Center is the way too. Does using the design center to access multiple folders help me in anyway? The file does have plenty of blocks so it is currently more effective to locate the thing you want in model space and copy and paste it.

Any further thoughts anyone? Or does anyone require further explanation of the process? All feedback is greatly appreciated from you guys.

Personally I'm not a fan of the design centre and prefer to use a block library (which resides on multiple files). E.g. a file for street signs, another file for cars, another file for beams etc...

If the boss wants it done a particular way then it is probably easier to just do it that way

Well the boss doesn't know anything about CAD at all just wants to incorporate a file structure so we can catalogue inventory in a different way.

When I was explaining it to him, he kept coming back with the counter argument of the file structure similar to yours im guessing, it just seemed that ignoring the designcentre isnt a good idea, after all why else would it be there? Also why would it have staying in AutoCAD for so long?

Yes true they are my boss and there are perks to just doing what they say, any more counter arguments or support for the design centre?

I like DC for my blocks, I have blocks in a series of drawings, one for valves, one for instrumentation, etc. With DC you can create a new tab with one click, if things change in the drawing of blocks, one or two clicks and everything is updated. For really common blocks I have them on the Ribbon.

We have a larger array of palettes at our office, and everything is organized in 2 files (1 for mechanical and another for electrical). We have palette groups for details/distribution, site work, and interior work under each discipline. From here we have the palettes broken down further to sub disciplines (Life Safety, Fire Alarm, Receptacles etc for interior). All the palettes are loaded through custom menus we have integrated into the Ribon and classic UI.

If the boss needs it for inventory, give it to him, period, end of sentence, and so on. You can still keep the master file for design center.

On a side note, there are some block insertion tools out there that work from your library that are much better than design center. For me, design center is good for getting something that I know was created for a particular project without having to open the file.

My $0.05 we use CIV3d our survey blocks are contained in the master DWT so a Insert accesses the 5-6 extra ones we need above the auto inserted field data collection a purge a bit down the track removes un-used blocks. We then have a big multi grouped directory of any other block we may need. A lot of these are accessed from a custom menu dialouge done now we would use a palette.

Regarding file size if made individual using wblock you end up with pretty small dwg size 25Kb the other way to make is have a blank template and copy and paste.

I agree with others above do what the boss wants he pays the bills. Look into custom menus etc you can make a mnu file in a few minutes with 100+blocks if you know a few tricks with MS-word. Can explain more if needed.

I didn't explain what I use very well.

I use drawings with multiple blocks based on subject.

I use DC to import each drawing into a tool palette.

Any changes can be quickly updated through DC into the palette.

There seems to be some fantastic processes out there which all do a very similar thing.

I like the idea of using .mnu files BIGAL but I've never tried it so perhaps some tips would be great, though I fear I might need to look on other threads?

Do you arrange your files into folders first on a hard drive and then set up links to the folders with code?

Its a pity for me to not use the designcenter because I always thought it was proper practice but if I can create my own menus which do a similar thing, then I can improve efficiency.....

Great input from all, are there any other methods which could be implemented?

Lots of different ways as you say if like design centre keep that way. Using menus etc you can have different ways to do it simple pull down menu that groups objects that then have sub menu's with hard coded part name, sub menus can be multi deep, simple command is then added ^c^c^pInsert "part56" or ^c^c^pInsert "F:\masterlibrary\smallparts\part50-60\part56"

The example I posted above uses slides to give a visual view of the object you only write the list of slides and code to be used Autocad supplies the dialouge box and it auto pages long lists.

code for images this is very cut down the -> means open a sub menu

***MENUGROUP=STDS
***POP15
**CADLIB
            [LIBRARY]
            [->Stddwgs]
            [TRENCH]$I=COGGSTDS.TRENCH $I=*
            [PIPES]$I=COGGSTDS.PIPES $I=*
            [PITS]$I=COGGSTDS.PITS $I=*
[<-]

furtherdown

***image
**TRENCH
[TRENCH]
[masterSLD(STD101,KERB)]^C^Cinsert "P:/ACADSTDS/CIVIL STANDARDS/STD101" 
[masterSLD(STD102,NATURE)]^C^Cinsert  "P:/ACADSTDS/CIVIL STANDARDS/STD102"
**PIPES
[PIPES]
[masterSLD(SD201,SUBSOIL)]^C^Cinsert  "P:/ACADSTDS/CIVIL STANDARDS/STD201" 
[masterLD(SD202,FLUSHOUT)]^C^Cinsert  "P:/ACADSTDS/CIVIL STANDARDS/STD202" 
[masterSLD(SD203,CATCH)]^C^Cinsert  "P:/ACADSTDS/CIVIL STANDARDS/STD203" 
[masterSLD(SD204,HOUSE)]^C^Cinsert  "P:/ACADSTDS/CIVIL STANDARDS/STD204" 

***MENUGROUP=STDS
***POP15
**CADLIB
            [LIBRARY]
[->Parts C-D]      
      [->C]
            [c1]^C^Cinsert "c1"
            [c2]^C^Cinsert "c2"
            [c3]^C^Cinsert "c3"
            [C45]^C^C^pinsett "c45"
            [C60]^C^Cinsert "c60"
            [<-C90]^C^Cinsert C90
[->D]
            [D1]^c^cinsert "D1"
            [d2]^C^C^pinsert "D2"
[<-]

To help you big time do the following go to bottom left start then CMD

you need to change to your directory which has all the dwg blocks something like F:

then CD\

then CD \myautocad\blocks\parts C-D

then dir *.dwg >dirdwgs.txt /b

this will make a text file of all your dwgs post it here, will send back a script to make slides etc as well as menu example.

BIGAL, Sorry I haven't got back to you sooner iv been doing site visits and hectic pitches for jobs....

I would love to create a list of the blocks, but does that mean I would have had to have sub divided the blocks up first? I currently have them all in one source file.

If so I would need some time to create this, is it okay to keep the offer open for a little more time so that I can create this block filing method and then in turn generate the .txt file for you?

The demo is excellent, couldn't be more thrilled to have this moving along.