topic Re: Creating a catalog of details from a Detail Library in Documentation

Creating a catalog of details from a Detail Library

jameshart — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:19:59 GMT

Hi!

We are setting up a detail library: our current setup is that the detail library is a teamwork file full of independent details, and each independent detail's ID contains a unique code that helps us find details so that they can be linked into future projects. (Please see the attached screenshot.)

I'd like to insert an autotext on each detail that displays the ID of the detail so that way if we see a printout with the detail that we need, we can easily find it in the library. I'd prefer some kind of solution which reads & displays the ID automatically (via autotext or GDL) over relying on the staff to type the ID themselves, but I cannot find an autotext that reads the detail name & id.

Several years ago (at another firm), through a lot of trial & error, I somehow made a little GDL object that did exactly this, but it's been so long that I cannot remember exactly how it read the ID (and I think it stopped working in AC22.)

Can someone please point me in the right direction? Or if someone has a different strategy then I'm open to that as well.

Thank you!!!

Re: Creating a catalog of details from a Detail Library

Steve Jepson — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 00:00:57 GMT

Back Reference or a Custom Back Reference will display the Detail ID anytime you can see the Title Block. Would that do what you need?

Re: Creating a catalog of details from a Detail Library

jameshart — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 15:30:00 GMT

Steve wrote:
Back Reference or a Custom Back Reference will display the Detail ID anytime you can see the Title Block. Would that do what you need?

I have never used the back reference before, so I had to try this. But unfortunately it doesn't seem like it's going to work in this particular case.

When I select a drawing and go into it's settings, and then click the Back Reference button, it says "the back reference is only available if the drawing's source has a source marker." Some details (such as our Standard Mounting heights detail) are referenced in the drawings by a general note, so there is no detail source marker. For standard details such as this (which rarely change), I was just placing a drawing in the layout book that is linked to our detail library in order to keep things current and efficient.

Re: Creating a catalog of details from a Detail Library

sinceV6 — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 15:53:54 GMT

jameshart wrote:
....I'd prefer some kind of solution which reads & displays the ID automatically (via autotext or GDL) over relying on the staff to type the ID themselves, but I cannot find an autotext that reads the detail name & id....

Hi.
If GDL is an option for you, look into "HomeDB_info" request.
A simple TEXT2 with the info from the request will display the ID.

Best regards.

Re: Creating a catalog of details from a Detail Library

jameshart — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 16:14:46 GMT

I will give this a try, thanks!!