sheet sets

Hello,

Well i kinda taught myself how to make a sheet set in batch plot using acad 2010. It occured to me that when you open batch plot all your layouts and model space is included. Currently, I draw multiple similar details on a single layout. However, other details for the same project I will start a new drawing. I am thinking that I should just use one drawing for an individual project and just make lots of layouts. That way when i want to batch plot so i can print sets all the layouts are already there. Is this the best way to do this or should multiple drawings be used instead. I usually never use more than one layout in a drawing. Will each layout print as a different sheet? How can I get the title block onto each new layout? Also, if you edit a drawing will the saved sheet set save what you did? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I personally use multiple sheets as separate DWG files, but that's just because our office policy is one layout tab per drawing file. Either method works due to the import layout as sheet function you can control each tab as a different sheet. This one comes down to personal preference or office standards. The only difference is if you enter the publish command in a drawing and ad that one dwg file all the sheets will come in weather you want them or not.

For the title block just put it in a layout tab copy it then paste to original coordinates into each other sheet. Make sure your fields are set to current sheet custom setting so when you import as a sheet that particular layout will retain the properties driven by that sheet.

I right click layout tab and chose from template adn my template came in as a new layout. why does your company have that policy. file size?

When you save these sheet sets do you hvae to have autocad open. it makes a dll file or something i dont really understand why it does this.

Yes I always have Sheet Sets Manager (command SSM) open at all times while my AutoCAD is open. I don't control anything from files outside of the manager as far as property data goes.

I don't know the exact reason behind the individual tab rule, but from my experience people would create snapshots of submissions in a layout tab and never use that tab again so it's a "dead" tab so to speak and it was a maintenance nightmare so we just always have one tab. I like it personally. Plus if you need to make a change on every drawing in a 180 drawing set you have 4 people tackle it in a short time vs only one person in a single file.

My sheet sets is a .dst file that is saved in the individual project directory folder and there is a .ds$ file which is a temp file that updates/locks properties while a set is open. I don't know anything about the dll files.

Also I never use the Sheet Views or Model Views tabs. I find these to be very annoying. I put all sheets under the Sheet list tab and create a sub set for all external references and open them all from the sheet list tab. Seems to be most effective in my opinion.

I right click layout tab and chose from template adn my template came in as a new layout. why does your company have that policy. file size?

 

When you save these sheet sets do you hvae to have autocad open. it makes a dll file or something i dont really understand why it does this.

The sheet sets are saved in a completely separate file, so it needs a dynamic link library to tell windows where to look for the source data.

Make your title block/border lines a block in your template drawing.

You probably have to have open, at least the modified drawing, to get the modified data into your sheet set. Come to think of it, there is a 'refresh' function in your sheet set dialog someplace. It may or may not require the modified drawing to be open. I don't currently have sheet set functionality so I can't refresh my memory on how it works.

Make sure your "Fieldeval" variable is set to 31 and any time you regen save open print... all of your modified properties will update based on the latest driven from the Sheet Sets Manager.

To save time make sure you globalize title block information that is say project specific and all sheets will have the same property data (IE: Date, Project Name, Client Name, Project Number, Total Sheet Count, Submission %...).

The setting is sheet set owner property vs Sheet owner property that is selected at the time of adding a custom property for the sheet sets.

Also sheet referencing becomes awesome with this. In all notes where you say see sheet XXX right click instead of putting in the text and select "insert field" then select sheet set in the field category drop down box and sheet set in the field names selection box then pick the sheet in the current sheet set project you want to reference and select the sheet number from the Property box . Once this is done every time you have to add a drawing in the set all of your fields will automatically update with the new drawing name/number you selected.

I really enjoy Sheet Sets Manager and believe it is a HIGHLY UNDERUSED TOOL that people should familiarize themselves with .

My two cents...

Keeping all of your drawings in a single file (on multiple layouts) may seem like a good idea now, but it is a very bad idea for team environments. If you're going to use a sheet set, via SSM, then you already have quick access to each drawing. Why not make each sheet its own drawing (within a given project folder)? Provided you use logically named sub-sets within your sheet set (.DST), you'll know which sheets are what.

While certainly not all, most industries consider placing all of your plan drawings into a single file to be a very poor practice. It sounds like you're just beginning to 'lock down' your production schema, if you will, so it's not too late to adopt a model which provides ease of access for production, and supports a team environment.

Hope this helps!

Make sure your "Fieldeval" variable is set to 31 and any time you regen save open print... all of your modified properties will update based on the latest driven from the Sheet Sets Manager.

 

To save time make sure you globalize title block information that is say project specific and all sheets will have the same property data (IE: Date, Project Name, Client Name, Project Number, Total Sheet Count, Submission %...).

 

The setting is sheet set owner property vs Sheet owner property that is selected at the time of adding a custom property for the sheet sets.

 

Also sheet referencing becomes awesome with this. In all notes where you say see sheet XXX right click instead of putting in the text and select "insert field" then select sheet set in the field category drop down box and sheet set in the field names selection box then pick the sheet in the current sheet set project you want to reference and select the sheet number from the Property box . Once this is done every time you have to add a drawing in the set all of your fields will automatically update with the new drawing name/number you selected.

 

I really enjoy Sheet Sets Manager and believe it is a HIGHLY UNDERUSED TOOL that people should familiarize themselves with .

Yeah!! What he said.

I suppose it depends on whether you are doing a bridge or a bungalow.

I worked on a team of two, repeat, two, people doing a full interior renovation of a high end condominium. I did the master bedroom and kitchen, and "Olivia" (fake name) did the living room and for some reason, the master bedroom foyer. "Olivia's" stuff was on pages 1 thru 6. My stuff was on pages 7 thru 21. Two dwg files. For some reason, when there was a finish material change, it never seemed to get applied tp page 1 thru 6 in a timely manner. We had drawings rejected by the G.C three times due to wrong veneer colors in the living room millwork.

While certainly not all, most industries consider placing all of your plan drawings into a single file to be a very poor practice.

Just curious. Where did you get this information?