|
Update any title block automatically!
New version of title block management
software now works on pre-existing MicroStation title blocks.
CLEARWATER, FL, USA — Users of Axiom’s Title
Block Manager have always enjoyed fast, automatic updating
of their title block information in multiple files at the
same time. However, integrating pre-existing title blocks
with the Title Block Manager system was not an easy
process. CAD shops often have thousands, sometimes hundreds
of thousands, of active and archived design files that contain
title blocks that were placed prior to the existence of Title
Block Manager. Previously, the solution for pre-existing
title blocks was to place a Title Block Manager cell
in each design file. Depending on the number of previously
existing drawings, this was not always a practical solution.
As a workaround, rather than integrating their existing title
blocks, Title Block Manager users would elect to use
the utility only on new projects. With Axiom’s latest
release, this is no longer necessary. MicroStation users can
now make automatic, batch changes to all their title
blocks, regardless of when they were originally placed.
 |
| Axiom’s Title Block Manager
automatically makes batch changes to multiple title blocks
simultaneously, ensuring the consistency of those title
blocks. |
The concept of the solution was always clear: Develop
software “smart” enough to recognize existing title
block information and then update it automatically. However,
the obvious question remained “how would a program distinguish
between ordinary elements within a design file and those within
a title block?” Axiom’s founder and CEO (and Senior
Technical Officer), David Greenbaum, came up with the answer!
How it works
The new functionality allows Title Block Manager to
intelligently read a design file and distinguish between elements
within the design and those within the title block. Once the
title block elements are identified, Title Block Manager
locates all the values within the title block and attaches
a Title Block Manager-specific linkage to them. [Editor’s
note: In this usage, the term “values” refers to
the numbers, text and other data in the fields associated
with each label.]
Since there are an infinite number of possible configurations
for title blocks, Title Block Manager needs a foundation
on which to build an understanding of the user’s title
blocks. Therefore, a set-up process must occur before Title
Block Manager can successfully update any existing title
block information. How does this set-up process work?
First, the user specifies a template or sample title block.
This template provides the program with all the necessary
information to determine the location and attributes of all
labels (like “Design Title:”, “Sheet Number:”,
“Revision:”) and their respective values within
the title block.
 |
| Sample title block |
Next, the user defines attributes for each label and its
corresponding value. In addition to simple attributes like
color, weight, style and level, Title Block Manager
utilizes the spatial relationship between the label and the
value in order to locate each label-value pair. This relationship
between each label and value is essential for Title Block
Manager to successfully locate and add the Title Block
Manager linkage to the value element. It’s this new
functionality that allows Title Block Manager to work
its magic — automatically updating the values in any
title block. This concludes the set up.
 |
| Title Block Manager’s
“Rule Editor” window |
Once the set-up process is complete, Title Block Manager
can search through any number of design files, find the elements
that meet the specified criteria and place a linkage on the
title block value elements within each design file.
In cases where a project or shop uses more than one style
of title block, with each style having different locations
of labels or values, a separate setup is done for each style.
Each title block configuration is savable and can be loaded
at a later time.
A new day
Now, CAD shops with thousands of pre-existing title blocks
will be able to make automatic, batch changes to individual
title block values — yes, even those in files created
years and years ago. Title Block Manager has the capability
to find every label in a title block, its corresponding value
and modify those values to whatever is desired.
This new feature will dramatically cut down the time taken
to perform mundane tasks like modifying sheet numbers or adding
revision data into a title block. Title Block Manager
will now automatically find title block data and modify it
according to the user’s needs, eliminating the painstaking
task of opening individual design files then modifying text
elements manually.
Learn more about Title Block Manager
For more information on Title
Block Manager contact an Axiom MicroStation
Consultant today! Call 727-442-7774 extension 9242 or e-mail
9242@axiomint.com.
« Back
|
