Auto Layout Page Table Sequential Page Numbers

[bernie]

using x6 16.4.081x64, (latest)

 

is this a bug? or has something changed...im sure this used to work....

 

1. so I add a layout page table to page 1 of a x6 template bare new layout file,

2. I include 3 fields, title, number, and label

3. I open for editing the layout page information,

     and I enter "#" in the label field for the first 5 pages

 

4. I put something on pages 1..5

5. I turn OFF page 3 "include in layout page table"

 

so why does the layout page show this:

 

layout page 1 labelled "1", (correct)

layout page 2 labelled "2"  (correct)

layout page 4 (labelled "4" (huh? why did it not label it a "3" ??????

layout page 5 (labelled '5' ..(should be a '4')

 

ie the "label" field is showing exactly what the "number" field is displaying- it is NOT ignoring/"skippling over" a page that is designated to NOT be included in the layout page table index.

 

 

im trying to have an auto sheet index which shows page numbers sequentially 1..30 and will ignore unticked layout pages from the index.

 

 

watched scotts videos. seems to work for him i suspect that was an old ver. of CA.

searched the forum new and old.

 

I remember some commentary on this on the old forum when it first came out, but a quick search cannot find any useful gems of wisdom.

 

anyone?

 

Bernie,

NZ

 

 

 

 

 

[bernie]

ok got it sorted- the fix:

 

for pages in my template that I dont want to include, (ie skip) you need to untick "include in layout page table" (as expected)

>>> AND <<<

remove from the "Label" field for those particular page sheets the "#" symbol by way of the 'layout page information' dbx.

 

P.I.T.A. but hey, it works......phew. true auto numbering at last....sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet...

 

(it doesnt work the way I would expect...the program is still using data from that page even though the tick box is unticked to tell it to not use it.)

 

cheers,

B

[Barton_Brown]

Bernie, I'm trying to improve my use/efficiency of layout template files so I have an 'education' question for you.

 

If I am understanding what you are doing correctly, you are creating a TEMPLATE layout file that would contain all your possible layout pages and you are creating a 'table of contents' of your layout template file by using the 'layout page table'. What I don't understand is why you would not want all the layout pages to show in the table of contents? I can understand not using all the layout pages when the template file is applied to a specific project and I would expect those layout pages to be deleted from that specific project's layout file. What am I missing with your approach of 'hiding' specific layout pages? Thanks!

[bernie]

I want 1 layout template file, for single and 2 story projects.

ie a 2 story house has 2 levels, so there are a few more pages.

 

eg

demo plan ground floor

demo plan first floor

existing ground floor

existing first floor

proposed ground floor

proposed first floor.

 

a single story layout sheet index I dont want to show the first floor layout pages , (but I still want them in the layout file and a quick way to turn those pages on and off

for my 2 story projects.......)

 

if u look at the time you actually spend mucking around in the layout file (instead of being production in the .plan file) it is a lot of inefficient use of time.

 

the other cool thing I will try and get up and running is 1 layout file set up for 2-3 different sheet sizes.

and by using anno sets, can automagically scale them correctly for the chosen sheet sizes.

 

eg could have a site plan at 1:100 for A2, 1:200 for A4, 1:50 for A1, all set up, without user intervention.

eg layout pages 1-50 could be A2, 100-150 could be A4, 200-250 could be A1. something like that.

 

scott will chime in soon. hes doin it....................

[Barton_Brown]

Thanks.

Sorry, but another question... clearly I have a lot to learn here...

 

Let's say you did a single story project - do you use print macros to only print those pages that apply (ie, ignore the second story stuff?). I haven't used print macros so have a lot to learn here.

 

Thanks.

[dshall]

You got Bernie.

[DRAWZILLA]

I just use 1 template layout all setup for 2 stories and delete pages as I go along with the drawings b/c I'm always fixing little things in the

layout template. Chief makes it very easy to delete pages now. All pages automatically update their page numbers also.

[Barton_Brown]

Perry, your approach is what I think is the straight-forward solution. I'm still trying to understand the benefit of keeping the 'hidden' pages in a project specific layout file when one knows they won't be used...

[DRAWZILLA]

Perry, your approach is what I think is the straight-forward solution. I'm still trying to understand the benefit of keeping the 'hidden' pages in a project specific layout file when one knows they won't be used...

I also wouldn't know why but What the h*ll. Just make sure you use a copy of your template layout and not the original.

[ebdesign]

I would like to see the option to not print the pg in the Layout Page Information dbx along w/ the "Include in Layout Page Table" option. It would make it faster to create the pdf w/ the desired pgs only or print to paper also. Then we wouldn't have to delete unused pgs, just hide them from the layout page table & print dbx.

[DRAWZILLA]

I think if there is nothing on that page it won't print.

[ebdesign]

There are no pages in my layout template w/ nothing on them.

Another good idea is to hide the visual display of currently unused pages.

[bernie]

ok what I ended up doing for x6 was shifting 'up' to the 'back' all the layout pages you dont need for particular set of plans working on.

ie still keep unwanted layout pages, just shift them manually to the end of the set you want to print. (say pages 1..20) so shift all unused to 21..onwards.

in this manner can keep 1 main template layout file for all projects.

 

yes, it is possible to leave them in sequence, not turn on the page number, not have anything on that layout page, and selectively print only the final layout pages you want for the plan set,

but what a p.i.t.a. that is in the real production world.

 

now, one last question:

what is the macro to show the .plan scale sent to/showing on the .layout page ? (I want to put in the .layout file page 0, header, the macro to show on that particular layout page,

the scale of the .plan file sent/showing)

eg

page 1 shows 1:100 (plan sent is 1:100),

page 2 shows 1:50 (plan sent is 1:50),

page 3 shows 1:200 (plan sent is 1:200)

etc

 

OR

 

do I have to resort to putting the %scale% in/on the .plan file page/layer, that is showing on the layout page (ie cant go on page 0, layout macro cant detect macro from the .plan file on its page?) )

[DRAWZILLA]

In the (print) dialog you can just state what pages you want to print and what you don't want to print also. Even if stuff is on that page you don't want to print.

[bernie]

yeah I know. uses too many brain cells working out what to print. my method faster. just print pages 1-20. the spares go 21 onwards.

and I also got the scale 1:100 working by using the .plan macro %scale% embedded in a text string in text on floorplan, and that shows correctly once sent to layout.

so now the only thing left to do is learn ruby to primarily read an external file with parameters and secondly to automate chief as much as poss. to increase efficiencies.

Bernie