Title block data from spreadsheet

[JimB72]

I am not using Vault. I am building a model of a fabricated steel structure using a spreadsheet to drive the parameters. A new fabrication job is started each week with changed parameters and the updated cutting list and drawing is printed out for the fabricators. I would like to include the individual job number for each job on the printed drawing to identify which printout goes with each job. As this is in a production environment, it is desirable that the drawing can have the job number added without manually editing the drawing each time.
Is there any way I can fill a note or title block cell from data in the driving spreadsheet each time the spreadsheet is revised? Can the job number be written into the model somewhere where the drawing can pick up the information?

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Jim -- The answer is, "No, not at this time." The problem is (A) that the File Properties->General->Part Data is not accessible through Alibre Script; (B) the data categories included in File Properties->General->Part Data would have to be significantly improved to qualify as merely worthless; and (C) consistency in use of File Properties->General->Part Data is a major effort that requires external notation and consistent discipline.

Now, if you have this data ina spreadsheet there is nothing stopping you from copying it from a cell therein and pasting it into a text block in an Alibre Drawing location.

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

I think this could be done with using an AutoHotkey script. Among with other things AutoHotkey can automate user actions like mouse clicks and key strokes.

 

[JimB72]

Thanks to Lew and Nate. I thought this might not work. I am trying to make this work in a production, non-drafting environment and avoid editing the Alibre master drawing but this might be unavoidable.
Jim

 

[idslk]

Hello Jim,
do you create "new" drawings each time or do you only print out "old" drawings from a folder?
Which format has your jobnumber? Only digits or also text?
Regards
Stefan

 

[JimB72]

Stefan
My process is to use an assembly and its associated drawing. To oversimplify, imagine making ladders of different lengths and widths with different numbers of rungs. I update the assembly from Excel and then open and print the associated drawing which now shows the updated data. The fabrication always uses the same components in the same layout but the number (changed in linear patterning) and sizes of the components vary from job to job. This means that the drawing does not need to be manually edited and is overwritten every time the assembly is revised. To keep a permanent copy of the drawing it must be copied elsewhere. The job number is currently a 4 figure number which is generated in a separate job quoting system.
Regards
Jim

 

[Dave Machock]

Could you use configurations? Make a new configuration and drawing for every assembly and have the configuration name as a property defined field in your drawing template. Have not tried this just thinking.

 

[JimB72]

Dave and everybody else, thanks for your suggestions. I am building this for somebody else and really wanted to keep the non CAD literate operator out of the Alibre workspace to ensure that the assembly and drawings are not broken accidentally and to reduce the training requirements. I think what I will do is export the drawing using the job number in the DWG file name and hand write the job number on the hard copy or edit the drawing title block just before export.
Thanks again, Jim

 

[GIOV]

If I understand you task, I recommend to use the concept of Sheet Set.
Take a look:

May be in AD will be implemented soon.

 

[idslk]

Hello Jim,

you made me curious about the "non CAD literate operator out of the Alibre workspace"
I have to ask you how the workflow should be. As i understood, the quoting system generates a spreadsheet and the spreadsheet is linked from (or to) an AlibreDesignFile. And then? Has somebody to open the Drawingfile with Alibre? (is it really only one drawing?)
As far as i'm not usually working with spreadsheet driven designs (it's a long time ago that i have tried that and today i have no Addin installed ), i'm not certain about the needed steps in this workflow, sorry for that.
In my memory is, that i had to open the Design, connect Design to the opened spreadsheet, refresh the design, save it and the open the drawing, refresh the drawing and then print it. Everything within the Alibre workspace. Am i wrong? If yes, please correct me.
If i'm not wrong and somebody has to open the design, this one can enter the Jobnumber manually to an existing Datafield in the Design properties window (best to a field which is already used in the drawing to avoid the workload of editing all your drawing templates ...) .
IMHO this has only a little the risk of accidentally corrupting the design (and looks a little bit more professionel than hand noticies ;-)
Of course it would be the best to have this automatically driven (without any manuel intervention) as you asked for ... but as Lew mentioned earlier "... Data would have to be significantly improved ...".

Regards
Stefan

 

[Drutort]

what about having the drawing saved/exported to pdf? then use any paid pdf app that lets you edit pdf's and change it that way? it be possible to even use script macro or some other way depending on app? I think it would be far more professional then handwriting like idslk said

That way the drawing file will not be touched at all, and would be generic number always, and need to just be edited in pdf.
Not sure on how advanced some of the PDF stuff is but it could be possible to white out the generic name, even with free pdf software and have your new one typed over (I believe it would be a text box/comment with white background), I know I did that many times, this way the PDF data is not really touched like in full edit mode


With how the system is, its really hard to have anything that is good
the excel driven is ok solution, but you can not really use sheets, as that would break the link
so solution is some excel referencing, you can do it a bit more fancy with some buttons and visual basic

what I mean is the main sheet is the master, it would be the one that you point your values to, but the jobs would be other sheets followed, with the unique data for that job, each sheet would have button to load this data to main sheet, that way everything is stored, and you can also use the pdf stuff above