topic Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter. in Documentation

Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Anonymous — Fri, 26 May 2023 00:31:17 GMT

Our office wants to institute a regime whereby the reference number of a drawing is amended each time the drawing is revised.

(I've noticed that some practices use the layout name as the field for the revision letter - but we really want to keep this field for the name)

Our problem is that, after having done this, when publishing the layout, the resulting file sometimes has the original name (the one that it had when first published), rather than the new name, thus over-writing the previous revision of the published layout. This doesn't happen consistently. Today when publishing a set of 20 drawings, only 5 of them had file names reflecting the new name.

Is this a bug in Archicad? How do other practices get round the revision letter problem?

Also, how do most practices manage the outgoing data on their network? Do you have, for example, one folder containing the latest set of GAs which can be emailed on demand to consultants/contractors etc. Or do you keep a unique folder of drawings every time a set is issued, possibly named as per recipient? (the latter method requiring a new publishing path every time drawings are published)

Keith
Archicad Ver 12 on MAC OSX 10.4.8

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Aussie John — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:47:08 GMT

Revision numbers are painful in Archicad. I end up using one of the custom fields which unfortunately renumbers all the drawings. If only part of a drawing set is reissued then it is possible some drawings will never have a particular revision number. I save the drawings as PDf and use an apple script to add the revision number to the file.

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:07:20 GMT

You can edit the name of a layout in the Publisher set, to append a revision letter for instance. This will not effect the actual Layout, just the title of the published PDF.

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:52:09 GMT

(S2art - your image doesn't work!)

Keith - How does you office currently number and name your drawings? Could you post up an example of your titleblock, and also the layout naming details. I'm not sure I understand how you do it from your description.

I haven't come to a satisfactory conclusion either to how best to deal with revisions generally, so I would like to hear any suggestions also. At the moment I crudely have a separate text box for both the revision letter and the description on each layout which I have to edit manually before publishing. It's not a very 'intelligent' solution.

I have noticed that Cadimage has a Revision Manager addon here which you may be interested in, but I haven't investigated it in any detail.

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:20:23 GMT

Peter wrote:
(S2art - your image doesn't work!)

Thanks, fixed.

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:50:20 GMT

What happened? I thought I'd already posted a reply to this. Forgive me if it comes up twice.

I'm not sure how a screen shot would help you, Peter. All we do is add the revision letter to the drawing number, resulting in a publisher list that looks exactly like the one posted by S2art.

Here's where it gets strange, though. If we edit the layout number in the layout - it is automatically reflected in the publisher list, but the actual file names of the published layouts may or may not reflect this change (appears to be random).

I've now discovered that, if I change the layout number manually in the publisher list (as S2art's suggestion), then the file name is correct (and it looks as if this is working consistently). However, after changing the name manually, it will no longer update automatically the next time we add a revision letter to the number in the layout.

None of this seems very clever, and I would have thought it would be quite easy for Graphisoft to sort it out.

(PS I'm away for a week tonight, so won't be able to post again until the following week)

Keith
Archicad Ver 12 on MAC OSX 10.4.8

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Achille Pavlidis — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:46:14 GMT

Keith wrote:
Our problem is that, after having done this, when publishing the layout, the resulting file sometimes has the original name (the one that it had when first published), rather than the new name, thus over-writing the previous revision of the published layout.

Keith, i'm experiencing the exact same problem! I published some pdf's that overwrote the old files having the old name. I use a numbering system where the layouts have a numbering where the last digit is the revision number (starting from 0 etc) For example 1234-0 then 1234-1 etc. So when the publishing window starts it reads "Publishing 1234-1.pdf" but then on the folder there is the 1234-0.pdf but with the content of 1234-1.pdf, esntially erasing the old pdf file.
I think this is a bug.
Have you found any solution???

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:26:16 GMT

Hi Achille.

No I haven't found a solution - which is frustrating because we're trying to establish a new office procedure to eliminate saving hard copy.

So we're very anxious that we don't overwrite previous files.

I've separately posted a question asking how others manage the 'publishing' procedures (on the wrong forum: 'Working in Archicad' -oops!) and it appears that most practices make a new folder of issued drawings every time they publish - which seems to me both a very inefficient use of network space and a not very friendly system for someone unfamiliar with a project looking for the latest version of a drawing.

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

vfrontiers — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:43:56 GMT

I have taken a slightly different approach... Rather than renaming the INDIVIDUAL FILE... I rename the FOLDER..

Now when I publish, the old FOLDER remains intact and a new folder with v2(or whatever) is created.

I also have on my SHEET INDEX a CUSTOM PARAMETER used for issue date of each Layout in the set. I do have to MANUALLY change this text, but it keeps my head straight on which sheets were updated when. It was our office policy to change COLORS of the paper at each print revision.. So our sets start out at the contractor in green, then the sheets that were revised go to yellow, then to pink etc. etc.

While publishing, I could either select the WHOLE SET or only the sheets that changed. The new folder would either become ADDENDA or REPLACEMENT sets.

Don't know if I've explained it well....

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:43:05 GMT

So, Duane, do you end up with a separate folder for every set of drawings you've ever published to anybody, or just one for each set of revisions?

If the latter, do you create a new set on each occasion that just one drawing in the set is revised?

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

vfrontiers — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:56:38 GMT

Yes...

It appeared we were talking about CONSULTANTS, yes? So typically Mech and plumbing get the same file(s). Struct gets another. And civil / landscape yet another. And yes, it's only the items that change; although typically these changes involve all the drawings. A typical package for consultants contains SITE, FLOOR PLANS, CLG PLANS, ROOF PLANS, SECTIONS and ELEVATIONS. Structure will get an ARCHICAD File to check all the "nooks and cranny's".

I make good use of a folder called FLATFILE where all the OLD releases go. I try to keep just the current files in the Consultants folder. Each consultant has a subfolder inside the consultant's folder. Again, you can duplicate the folder structure in publisher so you don't have to have a separate publisher set for each; they are all published into different folders from one PUBLISH command.

Using PUBLISHER obviously helps organize this. And if there are CORRECTIONS to a release, I don't give it a new number, just overwrite that file and re-send. This usually happen right after a release where I notice something was not correct.

Publishing CHECK SETS is different and usually goes out as PDF. Yes, they are all separate file(s) in a SUBMITTAL folder. Yes I have a SUBMITTAL Folder for issuing check sets to Client / Consultant - along with a submittal folder to City and another to HOA.. I tend to produce ONE pdf the entire Architectural Set. I actually find this easier to do with a PRINT to PDF than with publisher, but publisher works just fine as well. Here again, simply changing the name of the folder (which is the resulting name of the pdf file) works well for versioning.

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:18:07 GMT

Thanks for that Duane. I'm not sure if I fully understand - and suspect that our working practices differ, which further confuses the issue.

I guess what I'm trying to resolve is the method by which our practice can best maintain an up-to-date set of PDF files for a job (for argument's sake, let's say at construction stage).

Suppose the project architect is on holiday and the office receives a request from the developer for a copy of the latest set of drawings. In the old days of paper drawings, we would just go to the drawings cabinet, and retrieve the latest set of drawings to send to the reprographics dept. Any superseded drawings would have been clearly marked or removed from the file.

Now, with electronic drawings, the question is, in response to such a request, do you (a) open the Archicad Model and Publish a set of layouts (Dangerous, surely, because some of the layouts could be 'between revisions' - work in progress). Or (b) do you hunt for a folder that represents the last set issued and re-issue that?

And please don't answer 'yes', because I want to know if you do (a) or (b)!

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

vfrontiers — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:35:54 GMT

Well this is a question I can understand...

For CURRENT ISSUE sets at construction phase...

1. Start with First Issue set. These were identified by printing on Green paper.

2. For the sheets that change after...
- a. Create a new folder
- b. Copy old PDF over and remove sheets to be replaced
- c. Create new subfolder with instructions to print these on YELLOW paper
- d. When the set changes again, repeat and add subfolder for PINK paper

3. At some point in time, I'll regroup and issue a COMPLETE PINK set that contains all changes up to PINK. Then the cycle can start over by interjecting sheets of different colors again.

I should also explain that 75% of changes are NOT sheet reissue! They are 11x17 Construction Clarifications! Little snippets of the plans just where the change occurred. These are what get APPROVED by the CITY. Contractor needs to keep up to date with these as well. And any subsequent issue of the FULL sheets will contain this information.

ALL MY ISSUED DRAWING live as PDF's in a SUBMITTAL FOLDER!
SubmittalCITY
SubmittalCONTRACTOR
SubmittalHOA
SubmittalCLIENT

I also have a ConstrADMIN folder in which there is a subfolder for EACH CLARIFICATION. Often there are many other files needed in these clarifications, like, CUT SHEETS, or Design Sketches, etc.

NEVER EVER EVER EVER make anyone go back to the model to get current drawings.. ALWAYS make a pdf... (just my opinion, of course)

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:01:07 GMT

Thanks Duane - that's really interesting, especially your colour coding - though I think we would quickly run out of colours!

I couldn't agree more with your final point.

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Achille Pavlidis — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:08:48 GMT

vfrontiers wrote:
NEVER EVER EVER EVER make anyone go back to the model to get current drawings.. ALWAYS make a pdf... (just my opinion, of course)

Couldn't agree more. What we do is always publish to pdf when a drawing is plotted. That way there is always the latest revision of the drawings in the specific pdf folder.
I find it more handy to have an individual pdf file for each drawing with the number of the drawing (including revision number), as name of the file.
Then for each project there is a drawings database that gets updated everytime a new drawing is released or a new drawing has a new revision.
That way when we need to plot the most recent drawings, we open the db, see which is the latest revision number, and print the pdf.

Still the problem Keith described at the beginning remains...
Have you noticed when the publisher window pops-up if the name of the file is the new one?

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:17:11 GMT

Achille wrote:
Have you noticed when the publisher window pops-up if the name of the file is the new one?

Yes, if we change the layout name in the layout, the name gets changed in the publisher window. Which looks fine. But the name of the published file may or may not reflect this change. As I said earlier, if you change he name within publisher, this seems to ensure that the published file has the right name - but the disadvantage is that it then ceases to update automatically.

My instinct is to go with the same system is you, Achille - to have a single database of published drawings.

I would have thought this was the intention of 'Publisher' - so that you set up the publishing path for a set of layouts just once, and then always publish to that path. Otherwise it seems cumbersome.

But 'Publisher' seems to be intent on disrupting the process - which is presumably why most people go for the option of making multiple folders for published drawings.

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Achille Pavlidis — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:20:41 GMT

For me, I think its a bug. Because it happens only sometimes and it is not logical.
If i change the number of a drawing for example 300 0200 to revision 4 from revision 3, the number of the drawing gets automatically updated in the publisher window. Then when publishing, the correct name of the file appears, but when i look to the folder the published pdf has a file name which is the number of the previous revision. This way the old revision drawing is replaced with the new one, and i cannot keep an archive.
See attached images.

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:33:37 GMT

I have seen this problem as well in AC12 on Windows XP & Vista. If I insert a new layout, everything renumbers correctly and looks good in Archicad, but the actual PDF file created is randomly incorrect. Very bizarre!

My workaround is to delete the publisher set entirely, then recreate it from the new layout subset list as a shortcut. This seems to work.

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:54:55 GMT

Achille wrote:
... the old revision drawing is replaced with the new one, and i cannot keep an archive.

That's it exactly, Achille. It seems odd to me that only you and I suffer from this!

Graeme - thanks for the tip. Will give your method a go.

Re: Changing a layout number with a revision letter.

Achille Pavlidis — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:16:52 GMT

Seems we are not the only ones, Graeme has also seen it.
I find it extremely annoying to have to delete the publisher set and re-create it. It is certain that it will lead to errors in the process.

I wonder if Graphisoft has anything to say on this bug?