Including AutoFields. Autodesk AUTOSKETCH 8

Including AutoFields

Each time you place a new symbol, AutoSketch appends AutoFields to the symbol instance. You can control whether these fields appear when you generate a visual report. These fields contain the following data:

Symbol Name .

A text string that identifies the symbol. A symbol definition must have a value assigned to the Symbol Name field. To edit this field, click

Symbol, Explore on the Draw menu. In the Symbol Explorer, click the symbol, then click Edit Fields and enter new values for this field.

Symbol Type .

A text string designed to help you organize and classify your symbol definitions. A symbol definition does not have to include a value for the Symbol Type field. To edit this field, click Symbol, Explore on the Draw menu. In the Symbol Explorer, click the symbol, then click Edit Fields and enter new values for this field.

Symbol Description .

A text string that describes the symbol in detail. A symbol definition does not have to include a value for the Symbol

Description field. To edit this field, click Symbol, Explore on the Draw menu.

In the Symbol Explorer, click the symbol, then click Edit Fields and enter new values for this field.

Symbol Fields .

A set of database fields whose values were defined when the symbol was created. The fields become part of the database when you place the symbol containing them in your drawing. To edit this field, click Symbol,

Explore on the Draw menu. In the Symbol Explorer, click the Drawings page tab, click the drawing, click the symbol, then click Edit Fields and enter new values for this field. Symbol fields are not considered AutoFields, as described in the following steps.

UID .

A unique number that AutoSketch creates automatically for each entity in the drawing. All entities have a UID that distinguishes them from other entities. You cannot edit a UID value. It is important to include the

UID field in a report you export to another application if you are planning to import the report back to the drawing. If AutoSketch does not find the

UID fields for the entities, it cannot reassign the database information back to the entities in the drawing.

Hyperlink (URL) .

An embedded operation that opens specific documents in the same or other applications. These documents can contain dynamic data such as text, image, audio, or video files. Hyperlinks are similar to topic jumps in a online help system. For more information, see the chapter titled

“Using Web Tools,” which begins on page 351.

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Chapter 28 Retrieving Data From a Drawing

To specify which AutoFields to display when fields are visible

1 On the Database menu, click Options. The Database Options dialog box appears.

2 Click the Format page tab.

3 Check the check boxes next to any of the fields that you want to include with visible fields. Uncheck the check boxes next to the fields you want hidden.

4 Click OK.

Displaying Values in a Drawing

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Chapter 28 Retrieving Data From a Drawing