move details between locations and sheets, and autoupdate thier refs?

[psychomuffin]

Between when our office starts construction documents for a house, and when they print for DPP, a lot of information gets edited and moved; including the details and thier refrences.

We typically have 20 details per sheet (5x4) starting upper right, and ending lower left. Sometimes not always, 20 per sheet, ex. we may have elevations on top of a sheet, and 10 details below. In plans, sections, and elevations we have many refrences for the details (I forget the name, but it's the circle with a line and text in each half of the circle, when doucle clicked on you enter the info for each, such as 3/A-2.) I noticed in its attributes, there is an option to select a block.

What I'm wondering is is there a way Autocad keeps track of the page and location on the page (those 20 spots I was talking about) and updates the refrences if the detail block moves.

If so, what do I have to do this? How do I store the details?

Currently we have one details.dwg file that has all our details. When making a new drawing, we simply go into details.dwg, select, copy and paste each detail into our new drawing. This is also time comsuming and inefficient. How should these files be stored, still in the same file, but as blocks? as block in individual .dwgs?

Idealally I would like to be able to go into Insert>Block and select the details and place them onto the page. Perhaps even search for blocks with filters, such as; roof, section, ridge beam. That is, if tags can somehow be added to blocks.


This is a long question, I know, but I just wanted to be detailed, tell the problem and what I'm looking for. I've looked through help files and other sites, and hafvfen't found much. I know there imust a better way to do this, but I just dont know it.


I working on AutoCAD2007 on both Vista home premium x64 and XP x32.

 

[TCARPENTER1]

Hi psychomuffin,

Lots of ways to skin this cat... You're talking about a bit of customization here and the easiest way is probably a directory structure and individual blocks for each detail. Then just insert each individual detail as needed. The other option is keep it as a single drawing file and then open it, perform a saveas to your new project directory and delete/modify your details as needed. These are probably the least complicated.

You didn't mention what experience you have customizing AutoCAD, but you could add a pull-down menu that allows your users (or you) to select each detail and have it perform most of the insertion work for you.

You could also go as far as a VB/VBA, AutoLISP, (or some other language) to either ask the user, or even query the drawings in the project to automatically determine the details required and have the routine create the detail sheet for you.

What I'm wondering is is there a way Autocad keeps track of the page and location on the page (those 20 spots I was talking about) and updates the refrences if the detail block moves.

AutoCAD does keep track of the locations, pages etc., but you'll need to write some code to ferret that information out. AutoCAD is an object oriented database and the information you're looking for is there, you just need to figure out how you want to retrieve it...

My answer might be a bit vague, but like I said, there's lots of way to skin this cat, it depends mostly on how much work you want to do...

HTH
Todd

 

[LUDPEKA1]

I would suggest converting your standard details into blocks and using tool palettes. Lots of information on how to setup the palettes can be found on Adesk’s and AUGI’s web sites. If I get a chance I’ll post a few links.