Expert: Scott Wilcox - 8/22/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hello Scott,

I have created a generic template for our design document and has several layout tabs, one each for each element in the design.

Now per design the elements can change and I can have 3 layout tabs for one design, 5 tabe for other and so on.

Everytime I have to go in and change the layout tab numbers individually to suit the number of pages (1 of 6, 2of 6 then 1 of 8, to of 8 etc). I put in a field for total number of pages but cannot automate individual tab number.

Can you plz suggest how the individual numbering will change as I add and substract tabs automatically?

thanks a lot
Himanshu

ANSWER: You can also create a field CTAB, which is the layout name, and name your layouts accordingly.

Let me know if you require clarification.

Scott Wilcox

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the quick response Scott!! Sorry but I cannot gather how to put this to use.
it seems CTAB assigns a 'name value' to a tab which will become a field and that can be displayed. But what if one doc has 7 tabs and my next doc has 4 tabs. How can I just delete tabs from the master template and get all page numbers renumbered automatically?

FYI... my master template is a superset of all possible tabs (eg 16 tabs) I use and for a specific design I need to remove the uncessary ones (eg remove 5 tabs).

Please let me know.

thanks
Himanshu

Answer
Hmm, with CTABs, you will have to manually number each layout, and AutoCAD will update the CTAB field.

Set FIELDEVAL to 31 to ensure your fields are updating properly.

Alternatively, my friend Robert Bell has written a VBA macro to automatically update layout names.  Depending on your version of AutoCAD, you may need enablers installed to run it.

http://forums.augi.com/showpost.php?p=817008&postcount=16

Regards,
Scott