Title Type in Plotmaker

[tsturm]

Only found a very brief mention of the Title Type command in Plotmaker when I did a search.

Problem is the manual mentions nothing of this feature. And nothing seems to have been mentioned here on the talk area.

Can anyone tell me what this feature does and how best to use or not use it?

TIA.

[Anonymous]

What I've done is I created a drawing title to include: [drawing number, drawing name, and drawing scale]. Then whenever I pull in a drawing (pmk, excel, directly from AC, etc) the title gets automatically attached, and if the scale or name changes, or the order in the subsets, the drawing title gets updated automatically.

There might be other uses but this is what I use it for and it has already saved me quite a bit of time. Also keep in mind that you can turn the title off for drawings you don't want to have labeled/titled.

Also, you should know that if you pull in a file other than one DIRECTLY from AC, the drawing title will show the extension. You can probably make a separate title in those cases. This has been discussed before. I think it was a wish for Plotmaker to remove the extension in names - you can do a search if you want (I can't find it right now).

Hope this helps.

[tsturm]

Dear Sergio

Can you post a sample picture of your title type to see how you are doing the text holders for auto placement of the drawing contents?

[Anonymous]

I'm not quite sure if this is what you're asking for, but here's a pic of what I have.

[tsturm]

Sergio

So this "Title Type" is what I would call a lolli-pop or drawing label.

I thought this had to do with page title blocks.

Now that I understand better what the item is, how do you know what place holder commands to use, like the scale?

How does the object know what number to give the drawing? Is it by position on the page, position in the list of drawings attached to the page?

How did you set this "title type" up and how do you use it on a page?

Is there a Tips and Tricks area which describes this in detail? Not a #@$**! thing in the manuals on this.

TIA

[Anonymous]

tsturm wrote:
I thought this had to do with page title blocks.

Nope. Title blocks are different, and defined in the "Masters" area. I use a separate master for each different size plots that I want (8.5x11, 11x17, 24x36, etc). That way if I need to pull together a set that I can get on an 11x17, I just select the appropiate master.

Now that I understand better what the item is, how do you know what place holder commands to use, like the scale?

When you edit your drawing title, select the text tool and go to Edit -> Insert Auto-Text. There you have a more verbose description of tags. Select the appropiate one, and the cryptic text is automatically placed for you. If you're more adventurous you can also type the text yourself <inserted in the brackets of course> and it should work also.

How does the object know what number to give the drawing? Is it by position on the page, position in the list of drawings attached to the page?

The drawing number is based on the drawing's order in the Layout in the Navigator. If you need to change the number, just drag a drawing up or down and rearange it's order.

How did you set this "title type" up and how do you use it on a page?

Just define it how you want in the "Title Types", and it does the rest. To use, insert a drawing or have the drawings inserted automatically from AC. Then if you go to drawing properties, under the "title" heading you can select wether or not the particular drawing should include a title, and also what type of title (if you have more than one defined).

Is there a Tips and Tricks area which describes this in detail? Not a #@$**! thing in the manuals on this.

Dunno. I'm not big on reading manuals until I'm brought to my knees... Most of the stuff I've figured out by exploring new features and (lately) reading this forum.

[tsturm]

Dear Sergio

thanks for the information and help to use this function. Seems really helpful in numbering pages and drawings.

Found that you can attach auto dating to the title block to help track plotted pages.

I some more questions.

Just define it how you want in the "Title Types", and it does the rest. To use, insert a drawing or have the drawings inserted automatically from AC. Then if you go to drawing properties, under the "title" heading you can select wether or not the particular drawing should include a title, and also what type of title (if you have more than one defined).

I found that I can attach the Title Type to a drawing by dragging the type on to the image of a page in the Navigator. Your method also works. But can you attach more than one to a page?

How is the best way to get rid of an attached Title Type? I do not like digging into the properties of a drawing to remove the Title Type. Also, is there a way to get the graphic to show up as bitmap? Only way I found was to display as colored vectoral.

I have also discovered that if you can the Title Type after applying it to other drawings that the first applied types do not get updated after the orginal is changed. HEY GS, is this correct? Seems the Title Types should be like library parts. Make a change and all uses get updated.

I like the way it reads the title of a page in the Navigator, but I do not like the way it does not autotext wrap the information. Now I need to not do the Auto title in the Title Block or shorten my titles on the sheets.

HEY GS.. How about a text block wrapping function to these auto text codes!!!!


AND GS, why does this Title Type function have no documentation anywhere??????? How about an ArchiGuide post on the use of this function.

Djordie, can you get GS to document this tool ?!?!?!?

[Djordje]

tsturm wrote:
How is the best way to get rid of an attached Title Type? I do not like digging into the properties of a drawing to remove the Title Type.

You have to do it in placed drawing properties. If you want to change all at once, go to Drawing usage, select the drawings you want to change the title for, Properties, change.

tsturm wrote:
Also, is there a way to get the graphic to show up as bitmap? Only way I found was to display as colored vectoral.

The drawing? Why would you do that? Yes, there is - in the Settings, Preview on layout, you can choose Color vectorial, B&W bitmap and empty frame

tsturm wrote:
I have also discovered that if you can the Title Type after applying it to other drawings that the first applied types do not get updated after the orginal is changed.

Hmmmm? If you copied the original title, changed it, and saved it under a new name, of course it will not change. If you changed the original with the same name, for me it changes. Maybe a Rebuild is needed?

tsturm wrote:
I like the way it reads the title of a page in the Navigator, but I do not like the way it does not autotext wrap the information. Now I need to not do the Auto title in the Title Block or shorten my titles on the sheets.

Wishlist item ... cast your vote!

tsturm wrote:
AND GS, why does this Title Type function have no documentation anywhere??????? How about an ArchiGuide post on the use of this function.

Good idea ...

[Aussie John]

There are clear instrcutions in
"Welcome to ArchiCAD 8.1.pdf" page 64
which is part of electronic documentation that came with your installer CD

[Richard Morrison]

Sergio wrote:
Also, you should know that if you pull in a file other than one DIRECTLY from AC, the drawing title will show the extension. You can probably make a separate title in those cases. This has been discussed before. I think it was a wish for Plotmaker to remove the extension in names - you can do a search if you want (I can't find it right now).

It appears this problem has been fixed in the latest maintenance release. Yippee!!!