In the previous post of our Sheet Set series, we discussed how to assign sheet set properties. Now it’s time to take a look at how to create custom properties in AutoCAD.
The Sheet Set Manager enables you to define custom properties to use as fields in your drawings. You can define custom properties that apply to the entire sheet set or vary per sheet. For example, you might create custom properties for the project name and project number. When you enter values for those properties, you want them to apply to every sheet in the sheet set. Additionally, you might create custom properties indicating who created or reviewed a particular sheet. For those properties, you want the values to vary by sheet.
1. In the Sheet Set Manager, on the Sheet List tab, right-click on the sheet set title and choose Properties.
2. In the Sheet Set Properties window, choose Edit Custom Properties.
3. In the Custom Properties dialog box, choose Add.
4. In the Add Custom Property dialog box, enter the name, default value and owner for your custom property and repeat the process for each property you want to create.
The following image shows examples of some typical custom properties that you may wish to create. Notice that the information which applies to the entire sheet set (i.e. project name, total sheets, etc.) is owned by the sheet set and the information that might vary from sheet to sheet is owned by the Sheet. You can enter a default value for any of the custom properties. For example, if most of your projects are for a particular client, you might enter that client name and address in the default values. If the values for those properties always change, you can leave the “value” value as a default or, better yet, enter meaningful data so that when you insert these properties as fields, the field value will help assure you that you’ve selected the proper field.
After you create your custom sheet set properties, you can insert them as fields in your drawings. You can use them anywhere that you can insert a field but the most obvious use for these custom properties is in your title block.
What’s Next?
As you move further down the path to becoming a sheet set master, we’ll discuss how to create new sheets in the next article. Remember, you can always catch up on the entire Mastering AutoCAD Sheet Sets series!
