Dear Community,
This month’s tip comes from a discussion in the Documentation forum. @NateLumen asked if it’s possible to name multi-page PDFs using Autotext. This is helpful when you’re exporting multiple document sets and want organized, date-stamped filenames without having to rename them manually.
Thanks to @Barry Kelly and @MitchD, we share a simple and effective workflow below using built-in Autotext features in Archicad Publisher.
How to use Autotext with folder shortcuts
Step 1: Use a folder shortcut in your Publisher set
- In the Organizer, drag a subset (folder) from the Layout Book into the Publisher Set. This creates a shortcut.
- Do not create a new folder manually, Autotext won’t work that way.
Arraste o subconjunto do Livro de Leiautes para o Conjunto Publicador.
Step 2: Rename using typed Autotext tags
- Select the folder (the shortcut you added).
- In the Publisher Set Settings, go to the “Rename Folders” field.
- Manually type your Autotext tags. An example provided by @MitchD: <YEARSHORT><MONTHNUMBER><DAYOFMONTH> - <PROJECTNAME> - <PROJECT_DESCRIPTION>
Note: You won’t be able to pick from a dropdown, just type the tags directly.
Tip: Customizing your Autotext fields
You can customize the output name however you want using Autotext fields like <PROJECTNAME>, <PROJECT_DESCRIPTION>, or <SHORTDATE>.
To control what these values display:
- Go to Project Info and fill in the relevant fields (such as Project Name, Description, etc.).
- Use the matching Autotext tags in your Publisher folder or file names.
@Barry Kelly also shared the LINK to find other Autotext commands with us.
This gives you full control over how your PDFs or folders are named and makes the output consistent across exports.
Step 3: Merge and publish
- In the same settings, check “Merge to one PDF file.”
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When you publish, the final merged PDF will automatically use the Autotext as its filename.
This method works because shortcuts retain metadata from the Layout Book, which Autotext can reference, while regular folders don’t.
Another approach: Use real folder structure instead of a single PDF
@Barry Kelly also pointed out a different method, if you want o publish all the layouts into one folder and not as a single PDF file; by using the "Real folder structure" option:
- Each layout gets saved as a separate PDF.
- The output files inherit names from the folder structure in the Publisher Set.
Note: You can name each file using Autotext, but by default, the folder (subset) name won’t show up in the PDF filename.
This works well if your workflow needs individual PDFs organized by folders, rather than one merged document.
The result
Method 1: Merge pdf into one file
When using the “Merge into one PDF” option, the exported file takes on the Autotext-based name you set – such as project date, name, or description, resulting in a clean, consistently named PDF output.
Method 2: Create folder
If you choose to publish using the Real Folder Structure, each folder is named using Autotext as defined.
Thanks to @MitchD for confirming this method works, and to @Barry Kelly for the key detail about typing Autotext manually. Click here if you want to look at the forum discussion.
Also, shoutout to our honorable mention about extracting coordinates from a DWG file with no attributes, just linework. It offers a smart workaround without using external tools.
If you’ve got your own trick or tip, don’t hesitate to share it on the Community, it could be featured in our series next month!
Cheers 🎉
