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How to modify pre-existing title blocks
in batch with Title Block Manager
Here is the task: you have to modify the sheet numbers of
250 design files, one day before the project is due. The result:
insanity. For any CAD operator, opening design files individually
and manually changing "Sheet No. 56, 57, 58…"
is inefficient, not to mention mind-numbing. Axiom's Title
Block Manager allows a user to automatically edit large
batches of existing title block information without having
to manually open each design. How can Title Block Manager
perform such a task? The answer is easy!
What's in a Rule?
Rule files are the foundation for Title Block Manager's
understanding of pre-existing title blocks. A rule is the
roadmap that Title Block Administrator (the administrative
component of Title Block Manager) follows in order
to read existing files and differentiate between elements
in the title block and elements that are not. Title Block
Administrator then finds the elements containing title
block values (like how approved the drawing or when it was
approved) and attaches "magic" data linkages to
them to enable Title Block Manager's full range of
batch processing capabilities.
Your title blocks values (which now have magic data linkages
attached to them) are then extracted using Title Block
Administrator's "Update database from selected design
files" command and are placed into an editable Excel
spreadsheet. Values within the spreadsheet can then be modified
to update thousands of design files in batch. This tutorial
will show you how to create a simple rule file and how to
use this rule file to integrate your existing title blocks
into the Title Block Manager system.
Important definitions
Prior to diving into how a Rule file is created, a good understanding
of Title Block Manager's terminology is needed.
Label: A label is the static
text within a title block that identifies the type of information
that goes in a specific area. Examples of labels are "Date:,"
"Drawn By:," and "Title:". Title Block
Administrator first locates a label element, then looks for
a corresponding value element in a location relative to the
location where it found that label element.
Value: The value corresponds
to a label and is expressed within a title block usually as
a specific integer or word string. An example of a value would
be "C. Brown" next to a label of "Drawn By".
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| Example of a label and a value in a title block. |
Field name: A field name is
what will later be defined by Title Block Administrator
to be a column header within the Excel spreadsheet. Field
names are always user-defined.
Create a Rule file
First, open a design file containing a complete title block
(one with values for each possible field). This provides a
file to test the rules against as we build the Rule file.
Next, open the "Rule Editor" dialog box, by selecting
the "Upgrade existing text to TBMgr text" command
and click the <Edit Rules…> button. The default
Rule file name of TBMgr.rul
will be used for this example.
Click the <Add> button to add a new field name to the
rule. Once the <Add> button is clicked, a field name
of "Unnamed" will be created. Type in the new field
name.
Once the field name is defined, the next step is to define
attributes for both the label and value. This information
is used to help Title Block Administrator locate Fields
and values within each design file. It is important to note
that any field and value attribute can be disabled by unchecking
the appropriate checkbox. If you are upgrading text within
multiple design files, and the value that you are looking
for varies in each design file, you can disable the appropriate
attribute.
To automatically define the label and value attributes click
the <Match> button.
MicroStation's status field will then direct you to specify
the label element. Select the label element with a single
click. Once the label element is defined, all of the label
attributes will be automatically input into the dialog box.
After this is done, MicroStation's status field will then
direct you to identify the value element.
After the value is identified, Title Block Manager will
automatically input all value attributes into the dialog.
At this point Title Block Administrator will automatically
determine the distance between the label and value elements.
By default, the distance is calculated in terms of characters,
however, the option to measure this distance in Master Units
is available.
One Rule down!
You have successfully created your first Title Block Administrator
rule. To check whether or not this rule will successfully
find the proper values within the title block click the <Test
Against Active File> button. Clicking this button opens
a Title Block Administrator report that reveals whether
or not the values were successfully found.
Continue by adding new field names to the TBMgr.rul
file, making sure to create a field name for each value within
the title block. Once this is done, save your rule file and
upgrade the title block in your active file using the "Upgrade
existing text to TBMgr text" action.
Call now!
For more information on Title
Block Manager contact an Axiom MicroStation
Consultant today! Call 727-442-7774 extension 9266 or e-mail
9266@axiomint.com.
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