AutoCAD Tip – Displaying digital file location on ‘paper’ drawings

By Dennis Collin

A common requirement when working with paper drawings or electronically issued files is knowing automatically where the original authoring file is located. Whilst this information can be manually typed in a text string or conventional block attribute, there is a better way.

This method uses fields, which have been in AutoCAD for many years. The feature is the same as the MS Office function where the software can display various bits of information on a document and should settings or actions on the document change, the text field will automatically update.

Overview of fields within sheets

https://www.cadlinecommunity.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/360016015537-AutoCAD-Tip-Using-AutoCAD-text-fields-in-Title-Sheets

Measuring Areas

https://www.cadlinecommunity.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/360001155818-Easy-method-of-measuring-areas-in-AutoCAD-Part-3

Coordinate Display

https://www.cadlinecommunity.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/360015105717-AutoCAD-Tip-Showing-Setting-Out-Information-within-an-AutoCAD-Drawing

For more information on field applications click on some previous posts above which show some application of fields within a drawing environment.

Relating to the authoring document file location, this can be accomplished with a simple attribute within an AutoCAD title block. Using an attribute means that this information could also be accessed by AutoCAD’s data extraction command.

Field derived information display a grey background, this is just for identification and doesn’t print out differently from conventional attributes and text.

When configuring the information display, users can decide whether just to display the filename, the drive mapping and path, the file extension etc.