importing annotation sets issue

[kiwicad]

how do you all update/maintain your base 'template' .plan file when starting a new project?
how do you upgrade your anno sets on a live project .plan across different files you are working on half way thru a project? (if at all)

I use the SAM method with a newish base template file created.
call me slow, but I have just started using annotation sets.

so I set up all my new texts, rich texts, dimensions for my layer sets I want to control via the annotation sets.

e.g.
foundation text gets displayed on foundation layer on foundation annotation set.
roof plan text gets displayed on roof plan layer on roof plan annotation set.
bracing plan text gets displayed on bracing plan layer on bracing plan annotation set.

all fine and dandy. I thought xmas had come early. serious speed improvements, praise the chief gods, and then....


I thought I'd get clever and import my newly created settings into an existing plan for a different project.

ideally I want to override (overwrite) old annotation sets when I import. I cant see that option. why?????????????

so currently, if I import annotation sets from plan A to plan B (plan B may be current work in progress, a live file)
chief x5 will rename the newly imported annotation set with an incrementing number on the end.

it also imports my foundation text , roof plan text, bracing plan text, dimension settings defaults with an incrementing end number.

I assume that the latest imported anno set has the highest end number (fine, can live with that)
so I go thru and delete all the 'older' smaller numbered anno sets. ( a p.i.t.a. but fine, can live with that)
and delete all the older (now redundant) text, rich text, dimension stuff. fine. but still a p.i.t.a.

so now I end up with my existing live project B with imported anno sets and underlying items from project A.
with a drop down list of say 15 ish anno sets that control all my layer sets etc that i eventually send to layout page etc 1 by 1.

all good.
but wouldnt it be neat to selectively pick what item (annotation set, or lower down item) you want to import from plan A to plan B?
and wouldnt it be better if chief automatically 'knew' that that newly created text style was used in an annotation set xx and gave you the option to import all the other objects associated
with that annotation set xx as an import option?


I typically have 5 -10 live working files on the go. decent sized projects.
how do you all 'upgrade' your live working files to reflect your new anno / layer sets / dimension settings / text size settings etc etc without going mad in the process?

I feel chief needs to amalgamate all these settings into 1 screen.
eg
should be able to import just updated dimension settings from plan A to plan B. without having to bring across all anno sets.

the reason I want to import is twofold.

1. if im working on plan A, and I have to modify my template, (say I need to add a new layer to a layer set and create a new text style)
I prefer to reflect that modification fairly straight away across my other live projects, so when I am working on any other project, I know they are all up to date.

2. In the real world I never get the luxury of sitting down with a "clean sheet of paper" approach when starting a project and setting up my template file with what I think I need to start with.
(apart from the default settings for floor, foundation, framing, etc) it starts out 90% close, but always needs changes.

I guess you could say my template plan in the past has always been "live" and evolving on a daily basis across multiple simultaneously open projects.
with anno sets, Im not sure that is now possible? (because layer sets you CAN selectively import 1..many layersets. anno sets - its import all anno sets or no anno sets when 'upgrading'
your template .plan file to reflect a simple setting change)

any thoughts all you gurus / power users on how you handle the management / maintainability of your live template .plan files??

cheers,
Bernie
NZ

[Joe Carrick]

I'll get in trouble with Scott for this - but scrap the SAM.

Put everything into your Default Plan and set up a folder for each project with sub-folders for:

1. Images
2. Correspondence
3. Miscellaneous
4. Plan (Plan, Layout, anything else unique to project)

That will take care of new projects. You will be able to identify what goes with what project and Ruby can be used to automatically create additional files within the "Plan" Follder unique to that project.

For existing projects when importing anything use the "replace" option (if available) for scripts, annosets, layersets, etc. If an existing project doesn't have the above folder structure I copy a dummy folder structure and place all the existing files in it as appropriate. That way all projects can be updated to that format.

The pic below shows a typical Project Folder.

[dshall]

Long post, you say you want to import an ANNO SET, you can, I did a vid on this.....

Yes, this can be done. Second video I have done on this topic. This video was done in X5. Does not matter whether you import layer sets or anno sets first. But you must "relink" the correct anno set to whatever............. my preferred method as shown in video.

PART 1
http://chieftutor.com/dscotthall/JIM...R%20EXPORT.wmv

and then there is this......

When anno sets are imported, only layer sets that have an anno set assigned to them get imported. When I have to import layer & anno sets, I always import layer sets 1st, to make sure all the layers already exist that an anno set may be looking for when it is imported.

all from this thread:

http://www.chieftalk.com/showthread....set+videos+dsh

[dshall]

I did not fully read you post the first time. You say

I guess you could say my template plan in the past has always been "live" and evolving on a daily basis across multiple simultaneously open projects.
with anno sets, Im not sure that is now possible? (because layer sets you CAN selectively import 1..many layersets. anno sets - its import all anno sets or no anno sets when 'upgrading'
your template .plan file to reflect a simple setting change)

I get it... you can't pick and choose the anno set you want to import. That never bothered me.

I think the only time I am importing anno and layer sets is if I am working on someone else's plan for a video. I agree the layer & anno sets are ever evolving, thus the reason for using the SAM. Sorry, can't help with this one.