If you insert titleblock text for your drawings, you know that keeping that text updated and accurate can be a chore. Also, many people place drawing numbers and names in more than one place in a drawing, requiring extra work.
You can use fields to automate the insertion of titleblock text – or any other annotation in a drawing. Especially if you use the text over and over again, you can save time and improve accuracy. Examples are the current date, the drafter’s initials, the company name and address, and so on.
In this tutorial, I assume that you’re using MText for your titleblock text, but you can use the same technique with block attribute text.
Follow these steps:
- You use the Drawing Properties feature to create custom properties. Choose the Application button> Drawing Utilities> Drawing Properties or choose File>Drawing Properties to open the Drawing Properties dialog box.
- Click the Summary tab. If you can use any of these properties, start here. For example, you can use the Title field for the drawing name.
- To add a custom field, c lick the Custom tab. Use a custom field for content that cannot use one of the fields that come with AutoCAD.
- Click the Add button. In the Add Custom Property dialog box, enter a field name and value and click OK.
- Repeat Step 4 for all of your custom fields.
- Click OK to close the Drawing Properties dialog box.
- To insert fields, start the MTEXT command and define the bounding box (or use the ATTDEF command to create an attribute definition).
- In the Text Editor (or Value or Default text box of the Attribute Definition dialog box), right-click and choose Insert>Field. You can do the same in a table.
- To find your custom fields most easily, choose Document from the Field Categories drop-down list. You’ll see all your custom fields listed.
- Choose the field you want, choose a format, and click OK.
- Repeat Steps 7-10 for all your custom fields.
- To use any of the fields that come with AutoCAD, again choose Insert>Field, choose a different category, field, and format.
Note: The CreateDate field creates an unchanging date field, based on today’s date. The Date field creates a date field that always changes to display today’s date.
The gray background tells you it’s a field; the background doesn’t print.
You can save your custom fields in a template and have them available for any drawings based on that template.
AutoCAD comes with some very interesting and useful fields. Browse through the list to see if some might be useful for you. For example, choose Insert>Field, choose the Objects field category, choose the Object field, and click the Select Object button to select an object in your drawing. Now you’ll see a list of properties that you can choose from. You can use this to create labels that display properties about your objects, such as the area of a circle or the coordinates (position) of any object.
Updated for AutoCAD 2012
How do you use fields? Leave a comment!
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Maybe I’m just dense but I’m still having trouble creating and using fields. I followed the tutorial on this page and no fields appeared. Can you direct me to a good video tutorial that shows how to create, insert, update, and edit fields and leaves nothing out; for example the instructions above tell me to, “In the Text Editor (or Value text box of the Attribute Definition dialog box), right-click and choose Insert>Field.”
Well, there is no VALUE field in the Attribute Definition dialog box. My DEFAULT field has a link to INSERT FIELD, but no VALUE Field.
Thanks,
Randy
Randy,
You’re right–the Attribute Definition dialog box has changed since I wrote that post. Use the Default field.
Thank you very much for your tip, I must admit I forgot these steps! You saved me a lot of time!
Hi,
I have a quick question about fields. I have a drawing that contains a block of a drainage manhole that is duplicated many time for all the required locations of manholes on site. For each manhole I have attached a field that displays the coordinates for each manhole block, but I have found no way of identifying which block a particular field is linked to.
Is it possible to do so?
Many thanks,
Lee
Probably best to leave the fields out of the block altogether and once the blocks are place, use the command “eattext”. This allows to extract all data from the block into a tabular format including co-ordinates of the block location based on the blocks origin.
is there a way to use fields so the field can refer to another drawing. Im thinking in the use of section labels that show the location of section. If additional drawings are added and the page numbers change then these labels would update accordingly. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Les
Yes, this is what the sheet set feature does. I don’t have a tutorial on that component of sheet sets, but there’s a basic tutorial at http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/acadblog/autocad-tutorial-create-a-simple-sheet-set/. I cover them much more completely in my book, AutoCAD 2012 Bible. More info at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118022211/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ellenfinkelstein&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399701&creativeASIN=1118022211.
Is there an easy way to link these fields to en Excel file? This way it would be easier and faster to change all the title blocks of a project!.
Thank you, Jorge
In autocad 2012 I have detail drawing containing a block with attributes, one of which is a field line that refers to the drawing path and file name. It works great, until I xref the drawing into a sheet. At this point it alters the drawing path and file name. Is there a way to avoid this and insure the proper path and file name is displayed when I xref the detail into a new drawing. Thank you
Thanks, this was helpful to me.
Back around 2006 I read an article on using fields to label blocks that are contained within an x-referenced drawing. As an example, we xref the mechanical (HVAC) drawing into our electrical drawings. The mechaincal designers have labeled the devices (an attribute associated with the block)within their drawing. Their device label is frequently in an inconvenient location for the electrical designer, so we must re-label the device within the electrical drawing. As time goes on, the mechanical designer must sometimes rename their devices. The electrical designers must manually do the same, assuming they are aware that the devices were renamed.
The article explained how to create the blocks using fields and I believe some lisp code which could then be read through the xreferece so a label can be placed in the electrical drawing, and it would update as necessary.
Can you replicate this process? I’m going crazy trying to locate the article.
Thanks
Mitch
Is there way to change these data without opening the cad file?
Regards
Hmmm, you could probably create a script file or do something in AutoLISP or .NET that would automate the process of changing fields for multiple drawings.
Great blog/ website. It can save me from wasting a lot of time. Thanks a lot.
What happens to these field objects when a saveas to an earlier version is done? Will the field be converted to plain text? My concern is for legacy customers…
I’m not sure; you’d have to test it.
Hi,
I’ve just starting using autocad so ive quite alot to learn yet. When i am inputting text im having bother keeping it lined up..for e.g if i have a list going down one side and i want another list just beside it what is a simple way to ensure the second list will be straight along side the first.. at the minute mine is of level.
A table is generally the best way to line up text.
Hi,
I am using a sheet set to organize my drawings. The name displayed in the sheet set is linked to the layout tiltle thus if I change the name of the layout in the sheet set the title of the layout in my drawing also changes. Is there a way to in this procedure so that the drawing number in my title bock can be linked to the sheet set or the layout title?
I don’t know the answer to this one. Hopefully someone will have an answer for you. Also, try the AutoCAD discussion group on autodesk.com. Click on Community.
hi
is there way how to update hyperlink automatically when i’ll change the file name on root?
I think you have to do that manually.
basically i’m working on many drawings and i want to create a list of drawings.
so is there any way how to change drawing name in list of drawing.
when i changed the name of drawing.??
Zeeshan,
I think you’d need to use programming to connect the drawing and the outside document.
hay Ellien i’m very thankful to you.
have you any idea about the programming of this type?
Hello, thanks for this tutorial, began to shed light on the mystery of titleblock attributes. I’m using AutoCAD Architecture with the Project Navigator. Would be nice to be able to edit the custom fields by selecting a sheet from the project navigator and right clicking properties. When I select properties of a sheet on the project navigator, it does not display the new custom fields that i created, and to do this, I still have to type the command dwgprop whilst in the sheet… meaning this is a less intuitive way of changing the attributes. I’m sure in my previous office I was able to edit titleblock attributes directly on the sheetset manager or project navigator by clicking on properties? Let me know what you think. Thanks.
Plain AutoCAD doesn’t have the Project Navigator, so I probably can’t help you. I’ve always used one of the attribute editing commands, BATTMAN or ATTEDIT
See my reply above.
have you any idea about the programming of this type?
No, sorry.
,k
Hello, I have the same question as an earlier post…
>>Jorge
September 19, 2011 at 11:59 am
Is there an easy way to link these fields to en Excel file? This way it would be easier and faster to change all the title blocks of a project!.
Thank you, Jorge<<
We are not using SSM so I need a way to either use a Table or a linked Excel file that contains all the text(Fields) for each of the layouts where I can update the whole dang thing at once(or at one location like in a table), instead of manually having to edit 100+ layouts).
I've created a table and tried linking the fields on a test layout to the cells on the table. But they don't update to the cell's data…just remain ####. Naturally though, all I want is one layout that will be copied x number of times. Thus, all the fields on the layout must stay the same(or it defeats the intent). Or, the other way would be to use an Excel. I could import the spreadsheet as a link and update all layouts in one sha-bang, that would be the best alternative. Now if all the text stayed the same from layout to layout, then I wouldn't have this problem, but each layout has labels that have to be changed to diff. values-hence the necessity for a table or excel. Kapeesh??
Thx, Kyle
Great tutorial, really helpful!!!
Do you have a tutorial on how to make lisp??? Thanks.
Here’s a search on my blog that returns all the tips on AutoLISP:
http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/acadblog/?s=AutoLISP
Nice tip. Didn’t know that existed. Thank you for sharing that. Could be very useful!
nice tips about auto cad
thank you