[Pardon the length of this. I'm posting it in chunks to reduce fatigue. I hope answering is easier than asking!]
The big topic is having a label display an object parameter's value. The specific goal is labeling a structure member in section. Here goes...
Structure member documentation Requirements:
• Display in plan with descriptive text
• Model in 3D to proper dimension based on size/specification and unit quantity.
• List by descriptive text
• ID is used to key in calculations.
• Label in section.
Current solution:
parameters:
mem_typ (ABC, Name of the shape)
qty (Int, Number of members)
The object contains dimension data for various shapes.
The plan is no problem. The member can be drawn as a line, or as a rectangle of the proper width, calculated from unit quantity x unit width. The descriptive text is a string, built from the quantity and specification/shape. It is not a Label element.
The 3D model is also finished, it's merely the right number of shapes of the right size.
To list the members, a parameter is needed, "desList". (In my libraries, "des" means "designation". I use this for any object that has to assemble its own description.) This parameter is filled by a PARAMETERS statement: PARAMETERS desList='('+STR(qty,1,0)+')'+mem_typ. It is simply the parameterization of the descriptive text string in the 2D symbol.
The ID is put in manually. It rarely changes. The ID number refers to a specific instance of a member, not to a configuration of size/quantity. The size/quantity may change, but the ID will stay the same.
Labeling in section is done manually. In the past we used a text block, now we use a text label. This the problem area. Every member has to be labeled in every section. Change management becomes prohibitive and risky. I can't use the ID, since not every member has one, but they all need to be called out. This leads to the new requirement...
