2012

Table Of Contents

For compatibility with previous releases, contextual fields in blocks and xrefs

are not updated when you insert them in a drawing; instead, the field displays

the last cached value. Therefore, if you want to use a contextual field within

a block, for example, a title block, you must insert the field as an attribute.

For example, a title block can use the CurrentSheetNumber field as an attribute.

When you insert the title block, the field displays the sheet number of the

sheet on which the title block is inserted.

Most fields are not contextual and are updated in blocks and xrefs. Fields in

xrefs are updated based on the host file, not the source xref. These fields do

not have to be placed in attributes. For example, a field that displays the sheet

number of a particular sheet in a sheet set and that updates if that sheet

number changes, is a property of the sheet set. When you create the field, you

select the SheetSet field name, select the sheet set and the sheet that you want

in the tree view, and then select the property SheetNumber for the field value

to be displayed. This field displays the sheet number of that sheet, even if you

put the field in a block and insert it in another drawing. If the sheet is removed

from the sheet set, it no longer has a sheet number, and the field becomes

invalid and displays pound signs.

Some sheet set fields can be inserted as placeholders. For example, when you

create your own callout blocks and label blocks, you can insert the

SheetNumber field as a placeholder. Later, when the block is inserted from

the Views List tab shortcut menu in the Sheet Set Manager, the field displays

the sheet number of the drawing.

Compatibility with Previous Releases

When a drawing with fields is opened in AutoCAD 2004 or earlier, the fields

are not updated; they display the value last displayed in the drawing before

it was opened. If no changes are made to a field, it is updated normally when

it is reopened in a release that supports fields.