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Setting drawing sheet standard

mechyguy

New member
I'm trying to create a standard drawing sheet with a title block that allows the drafter to input information easily. I'm fairly new to Solid Worksand I've been trying to usePart Property under the Custom tab in File, Properties. I've created my custom title block with note blocks already situated in the areas that I would like to be able to input information. My assumption is thatI can associate/linkeach note blockto the corresponding property name in Part Property for input later on. I go into Part Property and Edit List to delete theunused properties and add theones that are in my titleblock. After I click OK,the list revert back the default with none of my additions and all of the deleted property names returned. What am I doing wrong and am I even going about this the right way?
 
1]Open a blank sheet (default) with required sheet size


2]then right click on sheet select"Edit sheet format"


3]then draw u r required format and links.


4]then right click on sheet select"Edit sheet "


5]save sheet format from file menu.


6]u can use this as required


7]for different sheet size save sheet fomat ones





Thanx
 
You can pull properties from the part file associated with the drawing: $PRPSHEET:"PartNo"(for example)


If you are pulling the property from the drawing file, use $PRP:"Revision" (as another example).


Don't use Edit List, as this just updates the list of pull down values in the Properties box. Go to File > Properties; you should see the list of properties for the part. Add or use the Properties here (don't click Edit List). You can highlight a row and hit the delete button to remove the properties you are not using. Be sure to use the Custom tab for non-configuration specific properties, and the Configuration Specific tab for those properties that change depending on configuration.


I hope this helps.


Peter



Edited by: SSLaser
 
I need to work on this a bit further. I'm more familiar with AutoCAD's method of title block entry with blocks and attributes. I thought SW might have something similar to that.


Thanks for the help!
 
Speaking of drawing formats, I'm also trying to set up a standard format that pulls properties both from the part/assembly and the drawing. I've entered the properties into a .drwdot file just as SSLaser suggested above, but I can't get the properties to show up when I create a new drawing using the format. What am I doing wrong?
 
Ksauter,


You have entered properties to your drawing template file. Be sure togive theseproperties values when you create your drawing (File > Properties). To display these properties on the drawing, you need to be sure the actual text in your drawing format is $PRP:"PropertyName" where PropertyName is the name of your property. Be sure to include the quotes.


You stated you are also trying to pull properties from the part/assembly. Edit your .prtdot and .asmdot templates to include the property names you wish to disply. Then, on the .drwdot template, add the text $PRPSHEET:"PropertyName" where PropertyName is the name of your property. Again, be sure to include the quotes and give values to the properties in the part or assembly file.


If you prefer not to see the code text when there is no value for the property callout, then place the text in the drawing format (this is different than the drawing template). Open drawing template > right click in the drawing field, choose Edit Sheet Format, then repeat the above procedure. You can then go on to save this format to import it into future templates.


Also, the code text will not update until there is an actual part displayed in the field of the drawing.


This is perhaps one of the most confusing parts of SolidWorks, but the key is torealize the difference between drawing templates and drawing formats in SolidWorks.


PM me if you need further help, and I'll try and walk you through your set up.


Peter
Edited by: SSLaser
 
OK, I figured out how to get the properties to show up. $PRP and $PRPSHEET must be caps, along with the quotes and I guess the properties have to be spelled exactly correct, including case, so I'm doing that. Now that that's working, how do I create a second sheet template? Is it part of the title block .drwdot file, or must it be a separate file for just the second sheet?
 
I'm assuming you are referring to sheet 2 and beyond of a multi-sheet drawing.


This is where saving your format (not template) will come in handy. Open your template, right click in the drawing field, and click edit format. Save the format.


Add a new sheet (right click on the tab at the bottom, I think). Make it a blank sheet if it doesn't copy the sheet one format. You can then import the format you just saved, delete out parts you don't want. Save the template.


If you don't have a good


When you create a drawing using this template, you will start off with two sheets. If you need more, right click on the bottom tab while in the second sheet, and it should create a third, exactly copying the second sheet. It should do this for all subsequent sheets.


I used to use a single template with two sheets, intending to delete the second sheet when it wasn't used, but 90% of the drawings done here are one-sheet drawings, so after releasing 10 drawings with blank second sheets (I would forget to delete the second sheet), I decided tocreate a one sheet template and a two sheet template. This has worked well for me.
 
This sounds like an enhancement request in the making. SW should load only the first sheet format, than load the second sheet format when you add a second sheet. A good drawing checker (a rare bird, apparently) would catch things like this.
 
Drawing checker? I remember such luxuries...


You can do it the way you are sugesting, it's just that it takes more effort:


Create your .drwdot template- right click > edit format > Edit the drawing format for sheet 2, then save the format as a sheet 2 format.


When creating the second sheet in your drawing, you will probably have to right click > edit format > then delete all features of the default format before importing the new second sheet format. Maybe there's a way to get the second sheet to default to your custom format, but I don't know how.
Edited by: SSLaser
 

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