Jump to content


Photo

Character setup


  • Please log in to reply
28 replies to this topic

#1 John Rhodes

John Rhodes

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 80 posts

Posted 14 October 2020 - 03:39 PM

I am giving plan sets one last try and my mind is blanking. If I put a speed note on the main drawing before dragging onto the plan set sheet, it's the correct size. If I place the same speed note directly on the plan set sheet, it's much smaller. What setting am I looking for? Yet another PITA with plan sets in my opinion. Shouldn't have to keep up with 2 different character settings. It's easier to markup all the elevations on one "page" like I do in multi drawings than to keep putting the same note in manually to label things. But I'm trying this once more to see if it is actually a time-saver. So far, not.

 

Thanks,

John



#2 Mark Petri

Mark Petri

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,497 posts
  • LocationEvergreen, CO

Posted 14 October 2020 - 04:16 PM

John,

 

I resisted for a long time with plan sets, but then I started to like using certain features that multi-drawings do not have. I really wish they'd merge the best of both worlds.

 

I have my plan set pages on one monitor and my drawings on another. That way when I adjust or move something I can see it in both instances. I have my plan set pages showing how it will print as well. I use a separate notes sheet I add in at the scale and layout I want for my elevations and 3D. That way I am using all my notes, symbols and other added parts on the same scale. If you export to DWG a lot while working with others, it may not be so nice to do it that way. But, you can change plan set characters sizes just like you can drawing character sizes. Just gotta convert to match sizes as you like.

 

Another note to be aware of - sometimes "live" elevations that were set to 1/4" scale decide to update to another scale in plan set pages. So, if you use "live" elevations (drag the elevation into your plan set page), double check scale every once in awhile to be sure something hasn't gotten messed up.


Mark Petri

Petri Building and Design

 


#3 Richard Rubinski

Richard Rubinski

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 604 posts
  • LocationWarner Robins, GA.

Posted 14 October 2020 - 04:51 PM

Go to the Plan Set Drawing Options and check the character size. It can get confusing. I do just about the same as Mark.

Attached Files



#4 Dennis Hilborn

Dennis Hilborn

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 816 posts
  • LocationDFW Texas

Posted 14 October 2020 - 08:00 PM

I am giving plan sets one last try and my mind is blanking. If I put a speed note on the main drawing before dragging onto the plan set sheet, it's the correct size. If I place the same speed note directly on the plan set sheet, it's much smaller. What setting am I looking for? Yet another PITA with plan sets in my opinion. Shouldn't have to keep up with 2 different character settings. It's easier to markup all the elevations on one "page" like I do in multi drawings than to keep putting the same note in manually to label things. But I'm trying this once more to see if it is actually a time-saver. So far, not.

 

Thanks,

John

 

Most things are not until you get used to them.  It takes me 2 weeks to get used to a new shaped mouse.
 



#5 John Rhodes

John Rhodes

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 80 posts

Posted 14 October 2020 - 09:27 PM

Thanks for the replies. It would be nice to have the plan set character sizes the same as the main drawing. (Sizes instead of decimals). I'm sure there is a reason for the decimal crap in the plan set settings but what, I don't know. I suppose I would have to figure out the decimals for my main settings so I can keep up with two approaches. Dumb.

 

I gave up on plan sets yet again after half the afternoon trying to get it to behave and output  a few drawing sheets the way I like. I had to get done. Took 20 minutes to complete all my needed sheets going back to multi drawings instead of dragging them onto plan set sheets.

 

I do like the plan set idea but so far, it's much more time-consuming than multis where you put all your elevations in, place notes/callouts on one view and copy them to all the other views by "stamping" them with the copy tool. (This is to avoid having things overlap like I think is being mentioned above by Mark. This happens when you do all the markups directly on the elevation drawing and then drag it onto a plan set page only to have to go back and forth moving things around.)

 

Don't mean to gripe so much but man plan sets seem overly complicated to deal with.

 

Thanks again.

John



#6 Tim Stockton

Tim Stockton

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 312 posts
  • LocationWichita, KS

Posted 15 October 2020 - 10:55 AM

I've been using plan sets for a few years now and have no problems with them - once I took the time to figure them out.  They are really pretty easy to use - the key for me was to create a title block that is setup how I wanted and then copy it into each project and use it.  That way I can get areas that are unique to that project on them without messing up a lot of other drawings like you would if the title block remained in a system file area.


  • Rick Kingsbury likes this

#7 Keith Almond

Keith Almond

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 5,092 posts
  • LocationBrockville, Ontario, Canada

Posted 15 October 2020 - 11:12 AM

I agree with Tim. Once the title block is set up it's slick.

 

I also agree that the character setup (although logical when you are considering sheet size) is horrible to use. My normal technique is NEVER EVER to add anything to the planset separately. Everything I do is added to a drawing and inserted into the planset that way.


  • Rick Kingsbury and Gary Wicklund like this
Keith

There are 10 types of people in this world ....... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

Softplan user since version 5.5.2.5

www.homehardwarekingston.ca

#8 John Rhodes

John Rhodes

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 80 posts

Posted 15 October 2020 - 11:30 AM

Keith,

Thats what I mean by plan sets making more work. For example, you would have to label each element of an elevation drawing on each and every one separately. On a multi, I would have all the elevations visible, put the notes/labeling on one view and then copy/paste all over the page on the other views; complete with pointers etc. Very quick and easy. The other way with plan sets, I would have to go into each drawing file and keep going into the libraries to place notes. Again I like the concept of the plan sets. But why the character setup has to be different seems lost to me. I want my note/text sizes to be what I have them setup to be on the main drawings. It just saves a lot of back and forth in multiple files when you can do it all on one sheet. I'll keep plugging at it on things that don't need to be done and sent out anytime soon.

 

Thanks

John



#9 Jason Bishop

Jason Bishop

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 294 posts

Posted 15 October 2020 - 09:10 PM

Plan sets takes Literally 8 seconds and everything works and is in place every time.
They are the best invention Softplan has ever created.

I love the templates. Dealing with Multiple Builders with different borders and page sizes are now done with ease.

“Export” to PDF is a HUGE upgrade in clarity vs printing to Adobe or Foxit.

Setup is key in the beginning, but once it’s done, it’s done. And Fast.
  • Jim Johnson, Keith Almond, Steven Wohlgemuth and 1 other like this

#10 Warren Ducote

Warren Ducote

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 273 posts
  • LocationMontgomery, Texas

Posted 16 October 2020 - 06:39 AM

Love Plan Sets. Would never go back to Multi-Drawings. When I first started using Plan Sets, I hated it.  But the more I used it and learned how to use it, I grew to really like it. You just need to start using it and with time you will find that it is a great time saver.


  • Jim Johnson, Rick Kingsbury and David Zawadzki like this

#11 John Rhodes

John Rhodes

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 80 posts

Posted 19 October 2020 - 04:18 PM

Thanks everyone. Maybe once I have things setup the way I like, it will get easier. I'm not ready to give up just yet.

 

- John



#12 John Rhodes

John Rhodes

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 80 posts

Posted 19 October 2020 - 04:42 PM

OK. Maybe someone has an answer on this topic. I am doing some tests with putting notes on the plan set pages from my library. Nowhere, and I mean nowhere, are these notes set to "custom" as their size. Yet when I put the notes on, they are too small and do not match my character setup for the plan set assignments. If I select the note for edit and check "override properties" I can see that the note is set to "custom" instead of "default" no matter what. When I go back into a normal drawing, use that same note and check it's settings, it is set to "small", "medium" or whatever; no "custom". Why won't it use the settings I just changed instead of making me edit each note and recheck "default"?

 

TIA,

John



#13 Dennis Hilborn

Dennis Hilborn

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 816 posts
  • LocationDFW Texas

Posted 19 October 2020 - 06:59 PM

Nevermind



#14 John Rhodes

John Rhodes

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 80 posts

Posted 20 October 2020 - 01:14 PM

I've tried every setting I can find in every unnecessary location. Drawing, project, system, and on and on................ and this seems to be a bug when using library speed notes directly on a plan set page. If I manually type one on there, it's the correct size. However ALL speed notes I put directly on the plan set page have to be manually edited to make them bigger (correct size). The character setup under drawing options in the plan set do nothing to the speed notes until you have made this manual edit them. (Place the note, edit, check override properties and check it back to default.) Can't waste anymore time on something that should take 2 seconds. And yes, I know what the settings mean, they just don't work. Does anyone use speed notes on the plan set pages? Perhaps not.



#15 Dennis Hilborn

Dennis Hilborn

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 816 posts
  • LocationDFW Texas

Posted 20 October 2020 - 01:28 PM

I've tried every setting I can find in every unnecessary location. Drawing, project, system, and on and on................ and this seems to be a bug when using library speed notes directly on a plan set page. If I manually type one on there, it's the correct size. However ALL speed notes I put directly on the plan set page have to be manually edited to make them bigger (correct size). The character setup under drawing options in the plan set do nothing to the speed notes until you have made this manual edit them. (Place the note, edit, check override properties and check it back to default.) Can't waste anymore time on something that should take 2 seconds. And yes, I know what the settings mean, they just don't work. Does anyone use speed notes on the plan set pages? Perhaps not.

I do and they work just fine after I got the size setting correct.  SO, there is something going on in your system that is not right.



#16 John Rhodes

John Rhodes

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 80 posts

Posted 20 October 2020 - 06:53 PM

Perhaps you can enlighten me on where there is another setting. I have checked every possible location and speed notes ALWAYS insert too small on plan set pages. I just created a new test note, made sure it was set to "default" font and "medium" size. Added it to a library. Inserts on a drawing as it should. Insert the same note on a plan set and it's too small. I have set the character setup sizes in the plan set to various different settings to no avail. The ONLY time that affects the inserted notes is AFTER I insert it on the plan set, edit, override properties and recheck "default" at the bottom of that dialog box. Maybe your standard library fonts are smaller than mine and they just seem to be the same for that reason. It's like my notes are set to medium font size in the library but they go onto a plan set sheet as small. (Even if I set "small" to larger size in the plan set options it doesn't matter since they insert at "custom" for some reason). Wish it would work but it is definitely not taking my settings until I manually edit each note on the plan set. 



#17 Dennis Hilborn

Dennis Hilborn

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 816 posts
  • LocationDFW Texas

Posted 21 October 2020 - 09:20 AM

What are your settings in the plan set options in Richard R's post above?  In mine I had to set the numbers higher to get the text sizes to match.  Text on the plan set page is scaled but it does not seem to be a correct scaling.



#18 John Rhodes

John Rhodes

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 80 posts

Posted 21 October 2020 - 04:00 PM

Dennis,

I tried the default sizes that are set by SP and I've tried modifying them larger. I can get them to resize the notes to my preferred size. But again, they won't insert onto the plan set page at that size. I HAVE to edit each one after it's inserted and recheck "default" in the override properties dialog. This has to be a bug of some sort. I think people not having an issue use all the default font size settings for their library notes. Could be wrong.



#19 Dennis Hilborn

Dennis Hilborn

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 816 posts
  • LocationDFW Texas

Posted 22 October 2020 - 07:55 AM

I check again. If I insert one of my custom speed notes onto a plan set page it comes in with the text matching the size of the text inside a drawing on that plan set page.  I do not know why they won't work on your system.

What version of SP are you using?



#20 John Rhodes

John Rhodes

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 80 posts

Posted 22 October 2020 - 12:23 PM

v2020. On mine, let's say a library note is placed on the drawing at 5.25" as its size setting. If I place that same note from the same library on the plan set page, it comes in to what seems to be equivalent to 4.75". No matter what I do to the character setup in the plan set, it doesn't affect the font sizes at all. Unless I manually edit each one individually as previously stated. Very strange.






0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users