A field is text that contains instructions
to display data that you expect to change during the life cycle
of the drawing.
When
a field is updated, the latest data is displayed. For example, the
value of the FileName field is the name of the file. If the file
name changes, the new file name is displayed when the field is updated.
Fields
can be inserted in any kind of text (except tolerances), including
text in table cells, attributes, and attribute definitions. When
any text command is active, Insert Field is available on the shortcut
menu.
Some
sheet set fields can be inserted as placeholders. For example, you
can insert SheetNumberAndTitle as a placeholder. Later, when the
layout is added to a sheet set, the placeholder field displays the
correct sheet number and title.
Block
placeholder fields can be used in block attribute definitions while you're
working in the Block Editor.
A field
for which no value is available displays hyphens (----). For example, the
Author field, which is set in the Drawing Properties dialog box,
may be blank. An invalid field displays pound signs (####). For
example, the CurrentSheetName field, which is valid only in paper
space, displays pound signs if it is placed in model space.
Change the Appearance of
a Field
The field text uses the same text style
as the text object in which it is inserted. By default, fields are
displayed with a light gray background that is not plotted (FIELDDISPLAY system variable).
Formatting options in the Field dialog box control
the appearance of the text that is displayed. The options that are
available depend on the type of field. For example, the format for
date fields includes options for displaying the day of the week
and the time, and the format for named object fields includes capitalization
options.
Edit a Field
A field is part of a text object and it can be
edited from a text editor. The easiest way to edit a field is to
double click the text object that contains the field and then, to
display the Field dialog box, double click the field. These operations
are available on the shortcut menus as well.
If you no longer want to update a field, you
can preserve the value that is currently displayed by converting
the field to text.
The field expression, consisting of escape characters
and a field code, is shown in the Field dialog box but cannot be
edited.
To insert a field in text
- Double-click the text to display the
appropriate text editing dialog box.
- Place the cursor where you want the field
text to appear and right-click. Click Insert Field.
For keyboard access, press CTRL+F.
- In the Field dialog box, in Field Category,
select All or select a category.
The fields in the selected category are displayed
in the Field Names list.
- In the Field Names list, select a field.
The current value of most fields is displayed
in a shaded text box to the right of Field Category. The current
value of a date field is displayed in the Examples list.
- Select a format and any other options.
For example, when the NamedObject field is selected,
you select a type (for example, layer or textstyle) and a name (for
example, 0 for layer or STANDARD for textstyle).
Field Expression displays the expression that
underlies the field. The field expression cannot be edited, but
you can learn how fields are constructed by viewing this area.
- Click OK to insert the field.
The field displays its current value in the
text when the Field dialog box closes.
To insert a field in a
table
- Double-click inside a cell in a table
to select it for editing.
- Place the cursor where you want the field
text to appear and right-click. Click Insert Field.
- In the Field dialog box, select All or
select a category.
- In the Field Names list, select a field.
The current value of the field is displayed
in a shaded text box to the right of Field Category.
- Select a format and any other option.
- Click OK to insert the field.
The field displays its current value when you
move to the next cell.
To use a field to display
a property of an object
- Double-click a text object to display
the appropriate text editing dialog box.
- Place the cursor where you want the field
text to appear and right-click. Click Insert Field.
- In the Field dialog box, in Field Category,
select All.
- In the Field Names list, select Object.
- In Object Type, click the Select Object
button, and select an object in the drawing.
- In the Field dialog box, in Property,
select the property whose value you want to display in the text.
For example, the field could display the radius
of a selected circle.
- Select a format for the text.
- Click OK.
The current value for the object's property
is displayed in the text.
To insert a sheet set placeholder
field
-
- In the Attribute Definition
dialog box, under Mode, click Preset. Specify any text options.
- Under Attribute, in
the Tag box, enter a name for the field.
- To the right of the
Value box, click the Insert Field button.
- In the Field dialog
box, under Field Category, select SheetSet.
- In the Field Names
list, select SheetSetPlaceholder.
- In Placeholder Type,
select the type of field that you want.
Temporary
Value previews the placeholder field.
- In Format, select a
capitalization style for the placeholder field.
When
the field is updated, the same style is used for the value of the
field.
- (Optional) Click Associate
Hyperlink if you want the field to serve as a hyperlink to a location.
NoteAssociate
Hyperlink is not available for the ViewportScale field.
- Click OK to exit the
Field dialog box.
The
placeholder field displays its name when the Field dialog box closes: for
example, SheetNumber. Later, when the block is inserted from the Views
List tab shortcut menu in the Sheet Set Manager, the field displays a
value based on the sheet it is dragged to: for example, its sheet
number.
- Click OK in the Attribute
Definition dialog box. Specify the location for the field text to
appear near the geometry that you have created to use with the Sheet
Set Manager as a callout block or a label block.
- Create a block that
includes the newly created attribute object along with the geometry
for the block.
To format a field value
- Double-click a text object to display
the appropriate text editing dialog box.
- Double-click the field you want to format.
The Field dialog box is displayed. If formatting
is available for the field, the Field Format button is displayed.
- Click Field Format.
In the Additional Format dialog box, the current
value of the field is displayed. When you select an option, the
result is displayed in Preview.
- Enter a conversion factor to apply to
the current value.
For example, to convert
inches to millimeters, enter 0.03937.
- Enter any text that you want to precede
or follow the field value.
For example, enter mm for millimeters.
- Select a decimal separator. Select None
or Comma to group thousands.
- Select an option for suppressing zeros:
- Leading: Suppresses leading zeros
in all decimal field values. For example, 0.5000 becomes .5000.
- Trailing: Suppresses trailing
zeros in all decimal field values. For example, 12.5000 becomes
12.5, and 30.0000 becomes 30.
- 0 Feet: Suppresses the feet portion
of a feet-and-inches field value when the distance is less than
one foot. For example, 0'-6 1/2" becomes 6 1/2".
- 0 Inches: Suppresses the inches
portion of a feet-and-inches field value when the distance is an
integral number of feet. For example, 1'-0" becomes 1'.
- Click OK.
In the Field dialog box, the field value is
displayed in Preview with the formatting you specified.
- Click OK.
To edit a field
- Double-click a text object to display
the appropriate text editing dialog box.
- Double-click the field that you want
to edit.
The Field dialog box
is displayed.
- Make any needed changes.
- Click OK to exit the Field dialog box.
- Exit the text editor.
CommandsFIELD
Creates
a multiline text object with a field that can be updated automatically as
the field value changes.
FIND
Finds the text that
you specify, and can optionally replace it with other text.
INSERT
Inserts a block or drawing
into the current drawing.
LIST
Displays property data
for selected objects.
MTEXT
Creates a multiline
text object.
SPELL
Checks spelling in a
drawing.
TABLE
Creates an empty table
object.
TABLEEXPORT
Exports data from a
table object in CSV file format.
TABLESTYLE
Creates, modifies, or
specifies table styles.
UPDATEFIELD
Manually
updates fields in selected objects in the drawing.
System VariablesCTABLESTYLE
Sets the name of the
current table style.
FIELDDISPLAY
Controls whether fields
are displayed with a gray background.
FIELDEVAL
Controls how fields
are updated.
