Partial Data Fields

Hullo,

I have tried searching with google and havent had much luck.

Autocad has the ability similar to Excel to have a custom data field (eg. modifying a date data field from 05/28/1988 to 28/05/88 just by changing variables.

I would like to be able to have a data field that automatically uses the file name as the drawing number - but with out the guff at the end of the file name  (eg. 1900-SS-S-0001 Control Plan R01 becomes within the paper space drawing number field 1900-SS-S-0001 )

I would also like to add a Revision Field that looks at the end of the file name.

Any help even if it is - "It cant be done" is appreciated. 

I am not the best user of the forums. 

Thanks

John

  • What you are explaining in your request would have to be Text Fields. This type of text can connect to properties of Elements, Models or as you have requested the File. The following Wiki article should explain this reasonably ok.

    http://communities.bentley.com/products/microstation/w/microstation__wiki/12506.text-fields-auto-updating-annotations

    Regards
    Andrew Bell
    Technical Support
    Bentley Systems

  • The file name field is restricted, I believe - not allowing me to only use part of the file name eg : 1900-SS-S-0001 Control Plan R01 ---- using only 1900-SS-S-0001

    Can I modify what part of the file name I can use? first part last part etc.
  • I'm not sure what exactly you're trying to accomplish, but VBA does have access to the design file's name, so assuming your filenames are consistent you could populate text that way. Of course, that assumes one knows VBA...

    Or you could use the model properties and put the portion of text you want as the displayed filename ("Sheet Name") and the portion to be the rev ("Sheet Number") in separate fields, then display those instead. That duplicates effort, aligning those fields with the file name if it changes.
  • Unknown said:

    Hullo,

    I have tried searching with google and havent had much luck.

    Autocad has the ability similar to Excel to have a custom data field (eg. modifying a date data field from 05/28/1988 to 28/05/88 just by changing variables.

    I would like to be able to have a data field that automatically uses the file name as the drawing number - but with out the guff at the end of the file name  (eg. 1900-SS-S-0001 Control Plan R01 becomes within the paper space drawing number field 1900-SS-S-0001 )

    I would also like to add a Revision Field that looks at the end of the file name.

    Any help even if it is - "It cant be done" is appreciated. 

    I am not the best user of the forums. 

    Thanks

    John

    What  you really want  is tags  or attributed title block with tags ( similar in acad) and this then can be administered  via vba  to and from excel , and in excel you do all the  naming, dates revs etc even extract the file name, model name etc..

    There are 3rd party programs that pay for themselves very quickly in time saved both in trial and error  trying to make your own vba and time saved QA doc control  auto population of several drgs some can eve use DWG and DGN but thru microstation only.

    Adam Lambert  of  Caddpro ( youtube his videos) and is  very  inexpensive as you can buy just the module you want  or the whole suite.

    Jon Summers  LA Solutions  has   Flexitable with lots of possible uses.

    There are others around but the  two best I've come across I just listed....

    Either will do what you want very  easily and all through  or  with excel like tools...

    Lorys

    Started msnt work 1990 - Retired  Nov 2022 ( oh boy am I old )

    But was long time user V8iss10 (8.11.09.919) dabbler CE  update 16 (10.16.00.80) 

    MicroStation user since 1990 Melbourne Australia.
    click link to PM me 

  • If you prefer to sidestep VBA, you could make some NamedExpressions in a configured dgnlib and have those replaced at print with text substitutions.

    In a configured dgnlib (like e.g. NamedExpressions.dgnlib) go to Utilities/Named Expressions

    New Expression "PlanName", add the sybolsets ActiveFile, System.Path and System.String.

    Expression: System.String.SubString(System.Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(ActiveFile.FileName),0,System.String.IndexOf(System.Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(ActiveFile.FileName)," "))

    This is whatever part of the Filename comes before the first space, if that's a rule that's valid in your naming convention.

    New Expression "Revision" with the same symbolsets as above.

    Expression System.String.SubString(System.Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(ActiveFile.FileName),System.String.LastIndexOf(System.Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(ActiveFile.FileName),"_")+1,-1)

    This should evaluate to whatever comes after the last underscore in the Filename but before the extension.

    So for 1900-SS-S-001 Control Plan R01_A.dgn

    PlanName should evaluate to 1900-SS-S-001.

    Revision should evaluate to A.

    File/Print

    Resymbolization/New Pentable if you don't have one or edit an existing one.

    With a pentable attached, Edit pentable.

    Click Text Substitutions

    Edit/Insert New

    Actual: $PlanName$

    Replacement: <expr?name=PlanName>

    Edit/Insert New

    Actual: $Rev$

    Replacement: <expr?name=Revision>

    Close Text substitutions, Save the Pentable

    Print a Sheet that contains the texts "$PlanName$" and "$Rev$" without quotes to a printer with this pentable attached and those texts should be replaced by 1900-SS-S-001 and A respectively, if you're printing from the File 1900-SS-S-001 Control Plan R01_A.dgn

    Of course you won't see it appear on your sheet, it will just be replaced at print, but that might be preferable to running a VBA on every file.