Formula in a Draft Background Template

[cmcbain]

I'm working on modifying a draft background template. My company's draft template has a "map grid" type border on it, with A, B, C running up the sides, and numbers across the top. The numbers start as 1, 2, 3 on the first sheet, then progress (i.e. on sheet 2 the numbers are 4, 5, 6). The attached background should help show what I mean.

Right now, I have to manually type those numbers on every sheet. I'd like to include them on the background template as a formula that would look probably look like this to get the first number on the next sheet:
= %{sheet number}*3 - 2

Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to make solid edge calculate the result of a formula that includes a file property. I can use the %{sheet number} property by itself in a callout, and I can make all kinds of formulas in the variables table, but I can't combine the two. The variables table does not recognize file properties, and the callout tool does not recognize formulae.

Any ideas?

 

[swertel]

Sorry, but what you are trying to do doesn't line up with any industry standard I'm aware of and, not using it as an excuse, is so unique that isn't a standard feature in any MCAD package I'm aware of.

If I were you, I'd
1) Looking into changing my companies title block and border standard to something more like that defined in ASME standards.
2) Move the "map grid" to the working sheets instead of the background sheets so you can easily edit the text boxes manually and not have a ton of extra background sheets in your file, making the file size larger, just so you can do continuous numbering in the border.

Out of curiousity, how many sheets in your typical drawing package? I couldn't imagine the hassle of managing border numbers on a 10+ sheet package.

--Scott
www.wertel.pro

 

[cmcbain]

Unfortunately, it is standard for the Navy.

1) Even more unfortunately, the Navy won't change 50+ years of drawing border convention for anything short of an act of God.

2) Already do it this way.

Some of our drawings are 30+ sheets. Typing those little numbers gets incredibly mind numbing. The simplest solution might just be to hire an intern to do it for me!

 

[swertel]

That's odd. For our Navy drawings, we're not required to increment the border numbers. They are setup in the same manner as yours, with letters on the vertical and numbers on the horizontal, but the grid created by the drawing zones are based on sheet size. And, the border is the same regardless of the sheet number.

For example:
A C-size sheet will be A-D and 1-4.
A D-size sheet will be A-D and 1-8.
An E-Size sheet will be A-H and 1-8.

This also corresponds with ASME convention.

--Scott
www.wertel.pro

 

[cmcbain]

Lucky you.

 

[swertel]

I suppose it is too late to do a contract mod and take exception to that requirement?

--Scott
www.wertel.pro

 

[cmcbain]

Not a contractor.