Sheet Set

In nanoCAD system you can create a sheet set – conventional folders where layouts and named views of project drawings are collected and arranged. Using a sheet set, for example, it is convenient to plot, as the output process will include only project layouts needed at the moment, even if they belong to different drawing files. To work with sheet sets, use the Sheet Set Manager.

Sheet set data are saved in .dst file. There are two types of sheet sets: set of sheets (includes drawing layouts) and set of views (includes model named views).

Note

Including layout or view into a sheet set does not change their real position, they stay at the same places as before.

Data on the composition of the document set and its parameters are saved in a file with the *.dst extension. Document sets can be of two types: a layout set (includes drawing sheets) and a view set (includes model named views).

Note

The inclusion of layouts or views in a document set does not physically move them anywhere; they remain in the places where they were before being included in the set.

Attention

It is not recommended to include the same layout into different sheet sets (you should better create another file with an xref to the main one).

Create Sheet Set

Menu: File – New Sheet Set…

Drop-down list of the Sheet Set Manager functional bar: New Sheet Set …

Command line: NEWSHEETSET

The New Sheet Set command is implemented as a wizard of four pages. Select creation mode on the first page: from scratch (with choosing the drawings to be included) or from the pattern of another sheet set.

To create a new sheet set using existing drawings:

• 1. Choose Existing drawings from the Create a sheet set using options. Click the Next > button.
• 2. On the page Sheet Set Details put name of the new sheet set data file (.dst file).
• 3. On the same page click the Sheet Set Properties button and in the Sheet Set Properties window input necessary data for the sheet set (project number, project name etc.).
• 4. Click Next > and go to the Choose Layouts page.

• 5. In the Choose sheet set type drop-down list: take By Layout for the set of layouts, and take By Named View for the set of views.
• 6. Using the Import Options… button arrange settings for creation of sheet subsets based on folder structure.

• 7. On the Choose Sheet Source wizard’s page click the Browse… button and select folder whose structure should be transferred as a tree to the central part of the Choose Layouts page. Repeat folder choosing if you want to add more layouts or views.
• 8. In the tree check the layouts to be included into the set of layouts or the views to be included into the set of views.
• 9. Using Next > go to wizard’s Finish page.
• 10. To complete sheet set creation click the Finish button.

If the Create subsets based on folder structure checkbox was unset in the Import Options… dialog box then all the subfolders of the selected drawing files folder will be included into the sheet set as sheet subsets with the same names.

To create a sheet set using an example sheet set:

• 1. Select An example sheet set option in the Create a sheet set using radio buttons group. Click the Next > button.
• 1. On the Sheet Set Example page, select the option: Select a sheet set to use as an example or Browse to another sheet set to use as an example. For the first case, the list in the center of the window contains a list of standard options supplied with the current version, in which you should mark the appropriate sample. In the second case (Browse to another sheet set to use as an example), the user should use the button to select one of the existing DST data files of the documentation set, which should be taken as an example. Press the Next > button.

On the Sheet Set Details page enter sheet set name, description and path to folder for placement. Fill in sheet set properties (use the Sheet Set Properties button).

2. Examine thoroughly shown sheet set parameters on the Finish page.

3. Click Finish.

As a result of this operation you get a sheet set tree in the center of the Sheet Set Manager functional bar. The tree based on the chosen example. The tree contains sheet subsets only and they are empty. You should add layouts and views later.

Open Sheet Set

Menu: File – Open Sheet Set…

Drop-down list of the Sheet Set Manager functional bar: Open Sheet Set…

Command line: OPENSHEETSET

The command opens a dialog box and you should select a sheet set data file (with .dst extension). Next in the central part of the Sheet Set Manager functional bar there will appear the sheet set’s tree (and the sheet set will gain active status).

Note

If several sheet sets are open in the Sheet Set Manager functional bar then user can see the tree of the active sheet set only.

nanoCAD remembers names of the recently opened sheet sets and displays them in the drop-down list of the Sheet Set Manager functional bar. Click the name to open any of the recent sheet sets.

Sheet Set Manager Functional Bar

Ribbon: Manage – Palettes > Sheet Set Manager

Menu: Tools – Sheet Set Manager …

Menu: View – Toolbars – Functional – Sheet Set Manager…

Toolbar: Standard –

Command line: SHEETSET

The Sheet Set Manager bar has three tabs: Sheet List, Sheet Views, Model Views. They are filled by the active sheet set data depending on the set type (set of layouts or set of views).

It is possible to open one by one multiple sheet sets in the Sheet Set Manager functional bar. But at any moment only active sheet set is visible. Use drop-down list of the Sheet Set Manager to activate another opened sheet set.

The function bar opens automatically when opening a drawing that is part of a document set, if the system variables SSMAUTOOPEN = 1 (the functional bar is displayed) and SSLOCATE = 1 (the document set that includes the drawing is opened and becomes active).

Set of Layouts

In the first tab of the Sheet Set Manager any set of layouts gets the tree and layouts distribution between the subsets.

Double-click on a layout name to open this layout from the corresponding file.

The second tab (Sheet Views) displays layout subsets and layouts with the used named views.

Click on a view name in the second tab to open this view from the corresponding file.

The third tab (Model Views) contains paths to the drawing folders and names of files with model views.

Double-click on a view name loads the corresponding file, switches to the Model tab and sets the selected view in it.

Set of Views

The Sheet Set Manager functional bar contains views tree with their distribution between the groups is allocated.

Double-click on a view name loads the corresponding file into the nanoCAD drawing area, switching to the Model tab and setting the necessary view in it.

The Sheet Views tab of the set of views is empty. The Model Views tab there can contain paths with model views allocated.

Mixed Type Set

In the course of work it is possible to change the type of a sheet set. For example, on the Sheet List tab you can add a named view to the sheet set or add a layout in the sheet view. The result will be a mixed type sheet set, the elements of which are the model’s layouts and named views on equal terms.

Interface of the Sheet Set Manager

Sheet Set Manager functional bar interface includes also actions menu and buttons in the upper area. List of displayed buttons depends upon the tab that is opened.

Sheet set actions menu

This menu has the following items:

• Names of opened sheet sets (to change active sheet set);
• Recent list of recently opened sheet sets (for quick opening any one of them);
• New Sheet Set… launches wizard for sheet set creation;
• Open… opens an existing sheet set (and hides the previously opened sheet set in the functional bar);
• Close Sheet Set closes the current sheet set and activates the previous one.

Buttons of the Sheet List tab

Sheet actions menu:

• Create… creates new sheet selection;
• Manage opens the Sheet Selections Manager dialog (to create new

selections and to edit existing selections structure).

Menu for publishing selected sheets or the entire documentation set. The following output options are possible:

• Publish to PDF;
• Publish to Plotter;
• Publish to DWF;

Publish to DWFx.

Menu for altering window structure and tree display:

• Collapse All collapses all the nodes lower than the first level;
• Expand All expands all the tree nodes;
• Details pane shows or hides the Details pane with the selected tree item data;
• Close closes the Sheet Set Manager functional bar.

Buttons of the Sheet Views tab

Menu for setting display mode:

• Views by Sheet displays by sheets;
• Views by Category displays by view categories.

Menu for altering window structure and tree display:

• Collapse All collapses all the nodes lower than the first level;
• Expand All expands all the tree nodes;
• Details Pane shows or hides the Details pane with the selected tree item data;
• Close closes the Sheet Set Manager functional bar.

Buttons of the Model Views tab

Tab refreshment button after editing.

Button to add new location folders for the files with model views.

Menu for changing window and tree display:

• Details Pane shows or hides the Details pane with the selected tree item data;
• Close closes the Sheet Set Manager functional bar.

Sheet Set Tree Elements

The Sheet Set Manager deals with the following objects: sheet, subset, sheet selection, view, view category, callout block, view label block.

Sheet set always is the root node ( ) in the tree.

Sheet subset is a named subset of sheets. Sheet subset has its own properties. Each sheet may belong only to a single subset or descend the root node.

Sheet selection is a named subset of sheets that is not displayed in the tree but can be used in some operations (plot etc.). Any sheet may be included into multiple sheet selections.

Sheet is layout or view that is included as a separate item into a sheet set.

View is a drawing named view that is located in a paper space viewport or in the model space. Layout views are located in the second tab of the Sheet Set Manager and are marked by the icon. IModel views are located in the first tab of the Sheet Set Manager and are marked by the icon.

Views are combined into named groups called categories.

All the sheet set tree elements have their own context menus where action commands are placed. Below there are context menus of a sheet set, a sheet subset, a sheet, a view files location, a source view file and a named view.

Sheet Set Properties

Call the Sheet Set Properties dialog from context menu of sheet set.

All the three parameters (properties) are distributed among three tabs: Sheet Set, Project Control, Sheet Creation.

Sheet Set tab involves the following general parameters:

• Name sheet set name;
• Sheet set data file .dst file name, with path;
• Description annotation (description) saved with the sheet set;
• Label block for views name and location of the block to be used as the view label block in the sheet set;
• Callout blocks name and location of the block to be used as the callout block in the sheet set.

Project Control tab displays parameters associated with the project (number, name, phase, milestone, object, customer).

Sheet Creation tab displays the parameters concerned with the process of new sheets in the sheet set:

• Sheet storage location folder for the new sheets to be created and added to the sheet set;
• Sheet creation template name of the template to be applied to the new sheets specify the template file name and sheet format). By default, the templates of sheets of documentation sets are

located in the folder C:\Users\User_name\AppData\Roaming\Nanosoft**Ошибка! Неизвестное имя свойства документа.** 25.0\Templates\SheetSets;

• Prompt for template – indicates (yes or no) whether template name will be requested with every new sheet creation.

Values of the above mentioned properties can be used in the fields included into drawing text entities.

Sheet Set Custom Properties

You can add custom properties for sheet set. Each custom property is associated with sheet, sheet subset or sheet set. Custom property values are displayed only with the owner sheet set and they can be used in the text fields.

Click the Edit Custom Properties button to add custom properties in the Sheet Set Properties window or in the Sheet Subset Properties. The Custom Properties dialog appears.

Add new custom properties (with Add…) or remove existing properties (with Delete).

Click the Add… button to open the Add Custom Property dialog. Enter new property name, default value (this value is added for the first time) and use radio buttons to choose the owner of the custom property: sheet set, sheet or sheet subset.

After closing the window by clicking OK, the added properties will be displayed in the Custom Properties dialog box.

Note

The name of an additional property of the sheet set should not contain a period, since the period in the field expression is a service character separating parts and adding a period to the property name leads to incorrect data.

The Sheet Set Properties dialog shows custom properties in the special tabs depending upon the owner (sheet set, sheet subset or sheet).

Sheet Set Custom Properties, Sheet Custom Properties and Sheet Subset Custom Properties contain the custom properties that are associated with the sheet set, sheet and subset.

It is possible to edit values of properties in the Sheet Set Properties dialog. The default values for additional properties of sets and sheets are also edited there.

Edit main and custom properties of sheet and subset in the Sheet Properties and Subset Properties dialogs opened with the Properties context menu. Similar properties of a specific sheet can be changed in the Sheet Properties dialog from the context menu Properties.

Blocks in the Sheet Sets

Connect sheets of sheet set via callout blocks and view label blocks in the drawings. Names of blocks and files with definitions can be input in the Sheet Set tab of the sheet set properties dialog.

Label Block for Views

Label block is used as a label of view, label contains context-dependent fields with view parameters, e.g. view number, view name in the sheet set and viewport scale.

Callout Blocks

Callout blocks are used to generate drawing links to other views and layouts. Here is a sample of callout block:

The block has two attributes with values based on fields. The upper attribute displays view number and the bottom one shows sheet number in the sheet set. Attributes can have hyperlinks for fast transit to the view or to the layout.

Actions on Sheet Set And Its Elements

This topic deals with the actions committed in the Sheet Set Manager over sheet sets, sheets, sheet sunsets, sheet selections, views, view categories and invoked from the context menus or from the supplementary dialogs.

Activate opened sheet set

The Sheet List tab, root node context menu: Active Sheet Set – click on sheet set name

Close active sheet set

The Sheet List tab, root node context menu: Close Sheet Set

Refresh active sheet set

Resave all sheets of active sheet set

The Sheet List tab, root node context menu: Resave All Sheets

The resave operation is necessary to update all links between sheets and DST file with the sheet set data. Properties of elements are updated in accordance with the current state. At the same time, the fields referring to the set and its elements are updated in the current drawing. Required after importing sheets.

Batch plot active sheet set

Create new sheet in the sheet set

Import layout as a sheet

Remove sheet from the sheet set

The Sheet List tab, sheet node context menu: Remove sheet

Move sheet in the sheet set tree

Context menu of the sheet node on the Sheet list: Move Up or Move Down tab You can also move sheets within a set of documents or a group of sheets by simply dragging them with the mouse (drag&drop). Multiple selection is possible for dragging using the SHIFT and CTRL keys.

Change sheet name and number

The Sheet List tab, sheet node context menu: Rename Renumber…

Create new sheet subset

The Sheet List tab, root (subset) node context menu: New Subset…

Context menu of the sheet set node on the Sheet list: New Subset… tab

Rename selected subset

The Sheet List tab, subset node context menu: Rename Subset

Remove selected subset

The Sheet List tab, subset node context menu: Remove Subset

Create a sheet list for a sheet set

Context menu of the root node, a sheet group node, a sheet node, or a sheet selectionon the Sheet list: Insert Sheet List Table tab

The command opens the Sheet List Table dialog box, in which you can specify the parameters of the list —a table containing the names of the sheets in the sheet set.The command is available if a sheet from the set is opened and is active. The Sheet List can be inserted on any sheet of the documentation set.

Setting up the list style

The left part of the window contains a list style preview window.

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Table Data Tab

Subsets and Sheets Tab

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Buttons:

After closing the dialog, you will be prompted to specify the insertion point for the sheet list.

Create new sheet selection (option 1)

Select sheets and subsets in the sheet set tree.

The Sheet List tab: – Create…

Create new sheet selection (option 2)

The Sheet Selection Set Manager dialog: New

Rename sheet selection

The Sheet Selections Manager dialog: Rename

Delete sheet selection

The Sheet Selections Manager dialog: Delete

Set View by categories mode

The Sheet Views tab: – View by Category

Set View by sheets mode

The Sheet Views tab: – View by Sheet

Create new view category

The Sheet Views tab: the View by Category mode – root node context menu – New View Category…

Rename view category

The Sheet Views tab: the View by Category mode – view category node context menu – Rename…

Delete view category

The Sheet Views tab: the View by Category mode – view category node context menu – Remove

Edit view category properties

The Sheet Views tab: the View by Category mode – view category node context menu – Properties

Set existing category to a view

The Sheet Views tab: the View by Sheet mode – view node context menu– Set category

Insert view to sheet

The Model Views tab: view node context menu – Place on Sheet

Change view name and number

The Sheet Views tab: view node context menu – Rename Renumber

Import named views

The Sheet List tab, context menu of the root node, sheet subset node or sheet node – Import Named Views as Sheets…

Use Browse for Drawings… and Use current drawing buttons to select files for import named views to the active sheet.

When specifying drawings that do not contain named views, a warning message is displayed:

Insert view callout block

The Sheet Views tab: view node context menu – Place Callout Block

Insert view label block

The Sheet Views tab: view node context menu – Place ViewLabel block

Add new model views location

The Model Views tab: root node context menu – Add New Location…