Autodesk Vault 2020 – Copy Design with AutoCAD Electrical Projects

By Miles Nicholson

Autodesk® Vault Workgroup or Professional has an updated Copy Design feature. When a project is copied the user is able to select from a pre-defined company standard numbering scheme. This not only copies the <<project name>>.wdp but also ancillary files such as the *.wdl, *.wdt etc. It has a brand new interface where the user is able to select the action to be applied. When a design is copied, the issue and revision status is reset.

You can easily copy a design by right clicking over the <<project name>>.wdp file within Vault Project Explorer >

Highlight all of the documents down the left hand side of the dialogue:

Right click over one off the highlighted files > 

Select  to create a new project folder within Vaults Project Explorer.

Define a name e.g.

Select 

Select  to accept the project directory.

Find & Replace: If a copied projects drawing numbering system is identical to the last project with the exception of the project name, you can use Find & Replace to replace the project name part of the drawing numbers.

If a Vault Numbering Scheme hasn’t been implemented, then the numbering of the copied files will be prefixed to “Copy of “ as a default.

The default prefix can be altered and prefixes or suffixes applied. This is changed to the right hand side of the dialogue:

Right click on a file in the Numbering section > Select All

Right click > Set Values

To change the default prefix/suffix “Copy of “ > select Set default prefix and suffix

To change the specific copy > select Set Values > (Prefix/Base Name/Suffix)

To create the copy select 

If a Vault Numbering Scheme has been set, ensure that this system is set within Copy Design > Options > Numbering Schemes

You also have to ensure that you exclude the wdp, wdt, wdl, aepx files from any form of any numbering scheme OR setup a numbering scheme specifically for project files of wdp, wdt, wdl & aepx etc.

In the example below, two numbering systems have been setup:

Electrical Drawing Files :                “Project” (Free Text/####/n characters) “-E-“ (Fixed text) “Sheet” (Auto Number/###/n digits)

Electrical Project Files:                   “Project” (Free Text/####/n characters)

Highlight the project related files > right click Change Scheme

Highlight the numbering scheme e.g. Electrical > right click on one of the files > Select All

Right click > Set Values > <<field to change>> (in this case a 4 digit free text for the project name) e.g.

Select the Vault Numbering Scheme for the project related files and repeat the process:

This would result in:

To create the copy select