Blocks attributes with fields OR Mtext with fields

[Kraken]

I've been searching for an answer to this question:

 

What if any is the advantage of placing fields in Block attributes Verses placing the fields in Mtext for the same purpose( think title bock info and numbering)? My initial thought is that it's just two ways to skin the same cat. HOWEVER......

I've been tasked with setting up the company drafting standards and will be working extensively with Sheet Set Manager as part of the stream line process. I work in the Civil/Survey world so the job folder tend to has several moving parts. 

[ammobake]

Full and complete integration of SSM is super slick when done properly.  And there are so many abilities SSM provides.

I've mostly seen it applied in a civil context but it has alot of advantages.

 

For one, it is the fastest way to print/publish sheet sets.

There are some LISP routines that can "quick publish" a drawing set without SSM but all it's doing is emulating what SSM does and it's probably not as fast in the end.

 

In terms of fields, you kinda gotta think of it being all the same thing  - With the only thing changing being how you apply them to the current drawing set.

 

There are so many ways to program-in that capability to blocks, title blocks, etc... that really how complex you make it is up to you.

 

The biggest challenge I've seen with SSM is teaching other drafters about it who are already set in their ways and may not be open to learning how it works.

 

I worked at a civil design firm for a while. 

Noone wanted to touch SSM with a 40 foot pole.  So I always got a phone call when SSM was involved on a project because noone wanted to deal with it.

 

When I eventually left the firm a year later, I had to sit down with the engineer and the person taking over for me and do a training session about how to use SSM lol.

Getting the sheets set up is like half the work.

But once you have a system down it is pretty seamless.

 

-ChriS

[Kraken]

So, no real advantage short of total integration. My guys are totally onboard for SSM setups. It'll help us stay on top of the drawing sets and enable more hands to be working on a single drawing set due to the data shortcuts and xrefs that we are using. 

 

Thank you.  

[BIGAL]

Just a comment had a civil project CIV3D 12 roads, 88 layouts, no xrefs, no problems a single dwg. Yes single master title block. Used a custom plot layouts.

 

A freebie for you GOTO it does just that goes to the layout number handy when you have lots of layouts. Based on like any other software goto page.

Goto-layout.lspMulti GETVALS.lsp

 

Edited June 17, 2021 by BIGAL

[danellis]

Only thing I can think of (and this could both be an advantage and a disadvantage) is that an attribute could be edited using the attribute editor/double-clicking.

 

dJE

[Kraken]

Danellis,

At this point I'm of same mind. I'll make the attributes an mtext style and keep the block malleable to change on the fly. We do road, site civil and survey projects on the regular so the amount of borders I maintain is sizeable. 

 

Thank you all for your input and explanations into this subject. Should anyone else have their two cents to add, I'm all ears.    

[BIGAL]

Quote

so the amount of borders I maintain is sizeable. 

 

We had only 1 title block, previous employer 2, civil + sewer/water, but in saying that our surveyors licensed had 12 title blocks, meeting statutory requirements so we used custom menus a lot, so had the DWT for survey but had a menu option and correct title block was imported into a layout always at 1:1 statutory sheet size, using wrong size plan would be rejected.