Publishing PDFs

[scom570]

I find this infuriating.  I want an option so that when I publish a job, a dialogue box opens up to ask me where I want it saved.  You can still have the default in there like you have now.  I publish and check to my desktop quite a bit.

[Sven Brummer]

We only use the publisher and keep the directory structure.

The folders all have an automatic naming in the publisher, <SourceID> <SourceItemName>-<YEARLONG><MONTHNUMBER><DAYOFMONTH> and we do the same with the files.

[KevinP]

That looks like you're using autotext in the folder name.  That would be a game changer if it worked! But, I tried it on the Technology Preview.  It didn't work.

When you say "The folders all have an automatic naming in the publisher" are you creating those folders by some means other than autotext?

[Sven Brummer]

we also Edit Infos to the Layoutinfo so we can direkt creat the naming for PTS.

[KevinP]

Very interesting. We don't have that autotext option for layout names or subset names. Additionally, manually typed autotext tags aren't substituted.

I've used autotext a lot in my drawing title object. It's quite useful.  One that I can't use/find is the <SOURCEID>.  I want to have the ID of the source (detail) in tiny text in the drawing title so one can find the detail from a printed set of drawings.  I'm manually typing that ID now.

And, the new keynoting system would be much more useful if you could use autotext liberally to reference building materials, classifications or properties of the associated object.

Autotext has HUGE potential in all aspects of Archicad. Yet, it's enabled in so  few text fields. And only a limited subset of available autotext is published. Graphisoft would be doing their customers a huge favor if they were to broaden the implementation of Autotext, whether there's an autotext flyout or if the autotext tag is typed manually.  Huge potential.  Is someone listening? Please!

[runxel]

It works – partially.

The screenshot Sven shared gives a vital information: Autotext in the Publisher only works, if it is a linked folder (noticeable by the black arrow on the icon).

It sadly and unfortunately does not (or only randomly) work in other cases.

So yeah, huge potential here! Those are things that have a true "Mehrwert" (german, 'added value') for us!

[SeaGeoff]

I have posted many times about “autotext everywhere”, places like layout names, subset names, and element IDs. This would enable simple automations across the entire Archicad workflow. 

[Raoul]

"Autotext everywhere" is a very good idea!

I would suggest that it should be somehow extended as concept not only to the "legends" in the project but to everything as text/label and anywhere it could be used in the project. All this written stuff in the project should be retrievable and should be possible to be grouped and flexibly modified from only one place/space/layout/window to have an overall control of what is written in each part of the project. When you have several people working on the project, checking what is written on each layout should be simple and accessible from one place. I would see it like this:

- group some texts or labels

- give them a chosen autotext name as reference

- use only the autotext reference everywhere the group texts/labels repeat (with preview)

- group the references in a single accessible place

- access the needed reference to modify it from that specific place. The change should operate globally on all the texts/labels with the same reference.

Sorry, I am getting off topic...

[KevinP]

Autotext does work in one place in the Layout book: Drawing names.

It's common for the drawing name (plan) to match the name of the Layout.  When I want to link the two, I use this autotext tag in the Drawing Name:

<LAYOUTNAME>

Would love more of this.

[KevinP]

Raoul,

I have a workflow that's similar to what you're requesting.  It isn't done using Autotext.  It's done with externally referenced drawings.

When on a layout, you can drag drawings from the View Map onto the layout  Those drawings can be either Auto Update or Manual Update.

There's a flyout at the top of the Navigator (the one you use to Show Organizer).  The current project file is at the top.  It also lists other projects which are open in other Archicad sessions.  If you select one of the other open projects, then you can drag views from those other projects onto the current layout.  Caution.  Move slowly in adopting this workflow.  You need to be disciplined on how you use this.  But, I've been using it for an external library of details for each of my clients for almost 20 years (AC10, I think).  You can use it for legends, vicinity maps (more than one building on a site), etc.

I'm starting to teach my coworkers at Resin how to use this.  I have guidelines on when you should and when you shouldn't use this. And, dos and don'ts.  Feel free to ask for them.

[SeaGeoff]

I would love more of this too. Yours is a good example of what works and what could be. In the case of drawing names often matching layout names, I would prefer to go the other way and push the first place drawing's name to the layout. Reason being I want to keep drawing names linked to view names, which in many cases are themselves derived from viewpoint names (e.g. sections and elevations). Another example, Interior Elevations can have autotext generated viewpoint names based on orientation. Shouldn't exterior elevations offer this too? I'm sure we can all think of a bunch more things like this that I would improve our templates and day-to-day workflows. This is truly low hanging fruit for Graphisoft.