Heidi Hewett's Blog

Resolve to save your page setups!

Are you looking for a New Year's resolution? Here's an easy one!

Named page setups were introduced in AutoCAD 2000 but they were somewhat hidden and relatively unused. In AutoCAD 2005, with the introduction of sheet sets, named page setups were slightly redesigned and made more visible. However, I’m still surprised at how many people don’t use (or even know about) named page setups. Regardless of your version of AutoCAD (2000 – 2006), if you plot (and who doesn’t?!?), you will find value in named page setups!

You can create any number of named page setups and easily restore them for any layout. For example, you might create one named page setup called Final Plot that plots the layout to your HP DesignJet on an E-size sheet at a scale of 1:1, and a second one called Test Plot that plots the extents to your LaserJet on a letter-size sheet, scaled to fit.

If you have AutoCAD 2005 or 2006, you are probably familiar with the Page Setup Manager but you may not have used it to save a named page setup. The Page Setup Manager automatically displays when you try to access the page setup for a model or layout tab. By default, AutoCAD creates an unnamed page setup for the current tab. If you select the Modify button, you can change the page setup options for that particular layout (or model). However, without using named page setups, you have to repeat the process for every layout. Using named page setups, you can set the options one time and then easily apply them to any layout. The process for creating named page setups is simple. Once they are created, named page setups will save you clicks and time!

1. From the File menu, choose Page Setup Manager. You can also right-click on the model or layout tab to find the Page Setup Manager.
2. Choose New.
3. In the New Page Setup dialog box, enter the name of the page setup. Possible names might include: Test Plot, Final Plot, LaserJet Letter-size, DesignJet E-size, E-size Monochrome, etc.

   

4. In the Page Setup dialog box, specify the device and other page setup options and then choose OK.



Continue to create new page setups for the various page setup configurations you might need.

5. In the Page Setup Manager, select the named page setup you want to use for the current layout (or model) and choose Set Current.

   

All of the named page setups are saved in the current drawing but you can use the Import option to access named page setups from other drawings. Ideally, you would create all your named page setups in a template file so that they are automatically included in new drawings and easily accessible from a central location to import into existing drawings.

I think once you start using named page setups, you'll wonder what took you so long. The concept is no different than using dimension styles or text styles. You (hopefully) would never set all the dimension or text options each time you need them. So, why set each of the page setup options each time you need them???

If you've been following along with the sheet set series, I'll show you how to integrate your page setups with sheet sets.... but that post will have to wait until next year! :-)

Sheets Happen Document

If you have been following the Sheets Happen series, congratulations! You've made it through the first section. By now you should be enjoying increased productivity with a minimal investment in time and effort.

At the beginning of this series, I posted a diagram showing the topics I would cover. As I posted the content, I broke some of the topics into smaller sections. The following diagram reflects those changes in the yellow section. As I begin covering the more advanced topics, the blue and pink sections may change as well.

So far, I have covered all of the topics in yellow. To make those topics easier for you to follow and implement, I posted a cumulative document with all of the Sheets Happen posts. I will continue to update the document as I post more information. Download sheets_happen.doc

Also, I've opened this post for comments. I'm interested in hearing how your sheet sets are coming along.

Sheets Happen! Step 8: Using named sheet selections

As you continue to use more sheet set functionality, you might want to have different sheet selections. For example, you might want to plot the entire sheet set for a design review and create a transmittal set of just the floor plan and lighting drawings for the lighting vendor. You may find yourself wanting to access these various selections of sheets many times throughout the project. Rather than having to scroll through and select the appropriate sheets each time, you can create named sheet selections.

1. Create Named sheet selections. You will repeat this process for each named sheet selection you want to create.

• Select several sheets and/or subsets using the Shift or Ctrl keys. These are the sheets that you want to include in the named sheet selection.
• From the Sheet Selections drop-down list, choose Create. If you have multiple sheets selected, you can also right-click and choose Save Sheet Selection.



• Enter a name for the sheet selection. You might create named sheet selections such as Client set, Design review, Architectural sheets, and Landscape sheets.
• Choose OK.

2. Restore different named sheet selections.

• From the Sheet Selections drop-down list, choose one of your named sheet selections. The sheets that you had selected when you created the named sheet selection are highlighted and ready for you to plot, publish to DWF, or etransmit.

3. Manage named sheet selections.

• From the Sheet Selections drop-down list, select Manage.
• Choose Rename or Delete.

Sheets Happen! Step 7: Create Archive/Transmittal Sets

Did you ever send someone a drawing file only to have them respond with an urgent request to “SEND THE XREFS!” You can avoid those urgent requests with eTransmit because it automatically packages the drawing and its associated files, such as xrefs, images, and fonts, into a single folder, zip or self-extracting executable. When you send the transmittal set rather than just the drawing, you help ensure that the recipient has all of the necessary files. You can use eTransmit without using sheet sets. However, when you use eTransmit in the current drawing, it only packages the files associated with that particular drawing. You can manually add other drawings to the transmittal set, but that process can be time-consuming for many drawings.

Using eTransmit with a sheet set enables you to package multiple drawings and all of their associated files with minimal effort.

1. Close or save drawings. You must close or save any open sheet set drawings that have been edited. However, if you close all of the drawings, AutoCAD will be in a zero-document state and most of the right-click options will be grayed out. If that happens, just use File>New to create a new blank drawing.
2. Select sheets to include in the transmittal set. In the SSM, you can use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select a range or specific sheets. You can also select subsets or the entire sheet set.
3. Create a transmittal set.
   • Right-click and choose eTransmit.
   • In the Create Transmittal dialog box, select Transmittal Setups.
   • In the Transmittal Setups dialog box, create or modify a transmittal setup. By default, AutoCAD includes a Standard transmittal setup. You can modify the Standard transmittal setup or create any number of new ones. For example, you might create a transmittal setup to save all the drawings to a zip file in AutoCAD 2000 file format while another one saves all the drawings to a self-extracting executable with all of the reference paths removed. The transmittal setups you create for a sheet set are saved in the sheet set data file. However, you can import transmittal setups from another sheet set using the Import option in the Transmittal Setups dialog box. When you create transmittal setups in a drawing without using sheet set functionality, they are saved in the registry under the current user.
     
   • In the Create Transmittal dialog box, you can use the Sheets, Files Tree, or Files Table tabs to add and remove files from the transmittal set. When you use eTransmit in a drawing without a sheet set, the Sheets tab is not displayed.
   • Choose View Report if you want to see a comprehensive list of all the files and sheet set information included with the transmittal set.
   • Choose OK to close the Create Transmittal dialog box and create the transmittal set.
4. Create an Archive set. Creating an archive set is very similar to creating a transmittal set. They use the same underlying technology but Archive has been simplified for the single purpose of archiving the sheet set. You might create an archive set only one time, at the end of a project. Or you might create them at key milestones throughout the project.
   • On the Sheet List tab of the SSM, right-click on the sheet set name and choose Archive. Unlike eTransmit, Archive is only available for a sheet set. Similar to eTransmit, you must close or save any open drawings that have been edited. But remember, you can’t be in zero-doc state.
   • In the Archive a Sheet Set dialog box, you can modify Archive Setup options similar to eTransmit. Like eTransmit, the Archive setup is saved with the sheet set data file. However, unlike eTransmit, you can only have one Archive Setup and you cannot import it from another sheet set.
   • You can use the Sheets, Files Tree, or Files Table tabs to add and remove files from the archive set.
     

Whether you create a transmittal set or an archive set, the original files are not modified. AutoCAD makes a copy of the files using the criteria you specified in the transmittal or archive setup.

Sheets Happen! Step 6: Publish to DWF

So… how are your sheet sets coming along? I hope you have been enjoying the easy access and quick plotting capabilities of the Sheet Set Manager. One of the attendees in my SSM class at AU told me that his department has only implemented enough sheet set functionality to plot from the SSM but that capability alone makes the SSM worth while! I’m happy to hear that but don’t stop now! There is so much more!

You can continue to take advantage of sheet set functionality by publishing your sheets to a DWF file. If you are not familiar with DWF, just try it and see what happens! DWF (Design Web Format) enables you to share your design data with other people in a secure and lightweight format. It is like plotting to PDF but better. Unlike PDF, DWF files are vector based so you get better quality with smaller file sizes. You can post the DWF to a project site or send it via email. The recipient can then view and plot it to scale using the free DWF viewer.

Prior to publishing your sheets to a DWF file, you can set various options.

1. Set DWF publishing options.

• Right-click in the sheet list and choose Publish>Sheet Set Publish Options.
• Set various options. You can specify the location where the PDF file will be created and you can specify either a single-sheet or multi-sheet DWF. If you select single-sheet DWF, a separate DWF file will be created for each of the sheets that you select from the sheet set and the DWF file names will correspond to the sheet names. If you select multi-sheet DWF, all of the sheets that you select will be sent to a single DWF file. By default, the DWF file name corresponds to the sheet set name. You can enter an alternate name in the sheet set publish options or you can ask AutoCAD to prompt you for a name during the publish operation. Regardless of whether you publish to a single- or multi-sheet DWF, you have the option of including a password with the DWF file. If you include a password, the recipient of the DWF file will be prompted to enter the password before viewing the DWF in the viewer.
  One of the many advantages of using DWF over PDF is that you can include intelligent data with you files including layers, sheet and sheet set information, and block information. You can even specify a block template file that defines which properties and attributes to publish from selected blocks. The block template is similar to using a data extraction template to create a table with block data. The more information you include with your DWF file, the more flexibility the recipient will have when viewing it.



• Choose OK.

3. Select sheets to publish. In the SSM, select the sheets you want to publish. You can use the Shift and CTRL keys to specify a range or specific sheets. You can also select subsets or the entire sheet set.

4. Publish selected sheets.

• Right-click and choose Publish>Publish to DWF. You can also select the Publish to DWF button in the upper right corner of the SSM. The DWF file(s) will be created using the current sheet set publish options. By default, the DWF file is published in the background, similar to plotting. You will be notified when the publish operation is complete.



• Close the Plot and Publish balloon notification.

5. View the DWF file. The DWF viewer is automatically installed with AutoCAD enabling you to view the DWF file before posting or emailing it.

• Right-click on the Plot/Publish icon and select View DWF File.



• In the DWF viewer, select different sheets to view and try viewing some of the data such as layers, blocks, etc.

Publishing to DWF is just that easy! The recipients of your DWF file can view and plot the sheets while you rest assured that the design data remains unchanged. If the recipients of your DWF files are using DWF Composer, a more advanced DWF viewing tool, they can measure and markup the DWF file and then return it to you. For more information about working with DWF files visit www.autodesk.com/viewers. You can also check out the Viewer and Markup videos in my October “AutoCAD Awareness” post.

Autodesk University 2005 has come to an end...

... but the memory lives on!

It was an eventful and exhausting week... and worth every second!

The days were filled with seminars, labs, and meetings and the nights were filled with too many parties to choose from! In addition to the large industry parties on Tuesday evening, there were many smaller events including this one at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney.

I taught my fifth and final Sheet Sets class on Wednesday afternoon. I finished just in time! After three days in a row of late-night parties and 8am classes, I could hardly speak anymore.

I should have retired for the night to rest up for my 7am flight. But, who could turn down a private party at Disney's MGM Studios? After spending Saturday at MGM Studios with my family and spending hours standing in lines, imagine my son's excitement as we ran to the front of the line for the Rockin' Roller Coaster! My daughter was a little less excited about "turning the record industry upside down". She preferred to enter the Twighlight Zone at the Tower of Terror and free fall down an elevator shaft!

I think it is safe to say that this year's AU party was a hit for kids of all ages!

 

It was great seeing so many new and familiar faces at AU this year. I hope all of you enjoyed it as much as I did. If you couldn't make it this year, now is the time to start working it into the budget for next year! If you just can't work AU into your budget and schedule (and even if you can), be sure and stay tuned to www.cadcamp.com for the upcoming CAD Camp schedule. They just might be bringing a small taste of AU to a city near you!