RTEXT objects not displaying properly from XREFs

The RTEXT objects I place in Title Blocks aren't displaying propertly as they do in AutoCAD when Titlle Block is XREFed.

Bill DeShawn

Comments

  • Bill, is it possible the font available in Acad is not available in Bcad's path/s?
    There is a file called Icad.fmp which directs it to substitute with font equivalents if they don't exist - you can add to it or change it.
    I think you get TXT font by default.
  • Bill, can you be more specific. There are two types of Rtexts (Diesel code or file reference). And what do you mean by 'not displaying properly'? Wrong value, wrong text style (see John's remark) or perhaps invisible?
  •  The font displays correctly.  The diesel code displays as code and not what the diesel commands say to display.  It works fine in a drawing directly, but not in a referenced drawing like an XREFed title block.
  • You are right Bill. Not all Diesel Rtexts work in Xrefs.

    Some work:
    $(getvar,loginname)
    $(edtime,0,dd-mo-yyyy)

    And some don't:
    $(getvar,dwgprefix)
    $(getvar,dwgname)

    Using fields instead of Rtexts in not an option when using Xrefs. The only solution at this point would be to turn (part of) the tittle block into a normal block.
  • nice, what is the recommended way to deal with fields in xrefs that use diesel?

    The whole reason you use diesel in fields is in autocad, it works. It does not work if you don't use diesel.

    So does bricscad expect all fields to be active (non-xref)?

  • Using fields instead of Rtexts in not an option when using Xrefs.
    I think it depends on the field definition. In some cases they work fine, in others they don't. In the case of diesel fields seem to strike the same issue as rtext. There looks to be another issue with getting the dwgprefix and filename as a field in BricsCAD. In BricsCAD it gives the details of the xref, In AutoCAD it gives the details of the parent
    Regards,
    Jason Bourhill

    MainDwg.zip

    imageFieldsRtext-BCAD.png
    imageFieldsRtext-ACAD.png
  • @ Jason:
    Thanks for those test files Jason. I should have explained better.

    Fields nested inside an Xref are not updated. They show the value they had when the external file was last saved.
    So if you open MainDwg.dwg tomorrow, the 'Edit Time' value will still read '18-02-2016', and if I open the file the 'Login' value will still be 'Jason', etc.

    @ James:
    Yes, that would be my conclusion at this point. Either as mtexts or as attributes.
  • ... BTW: I have testes with V16.2.02.
    I mention this because some issues related to fields have been fixed in this version (and also in V16.1.05).
  • hmm, the workaround is easy, but this means previous plansets must be modified to put "filestamp" active in the dwg.

    That switch out is not easy to automate either. You need a person looking to see if the stamp is in the titleblock, then erase it and insert into the sheets.

    The actual erasing and inserting part is easy to automate, I mean the part of deciding if there is a stamp in the ttb or sheet already. If your cad standards are perfect, its not hard, but that is not the case on must plansets I see.

    Proper field behavior (I mean diesel formula fields updating through xrefs - not regular formulas through xrefs) is very important if you want to get a team to switch to bricscad so hopefully this is high on the developer to-do list.

  • Fields nested inside an Xref are not updated. They show the value they had when the external file was last saved.
    So if you open MainDwg.dwg tomorrow, the 'Edit Time' value will still read '18-02-2016', and if I open the file the 'Login' value will still be 'Jason', etc.
    I'm not seeing this with V16.2.03. For me these fields update. However the don't automatically update, I need to force a REGEN to see the changes in the xref fields. To see changes to RTEXT I have to close, then re-open the drawing.
    I'm seeing two issues:
      1. On Xrefs, some diesel expressions don't display a value you just get $(GETVAR, ??). This happens for FIELDs and RTEXT.
      2. On Xrefs, the Filename field gives a different result to AutoCAD. In BricsCAD it gives the name and path to the XREF, AutoCAD gives the details on the parent drawing. I could see that the BricsCAD result could be useful if used for a different purpose.
    I think I've found a workaround by using a FIELD referencing a LISP variable. This updates correctly for Xrefs. In the attached drawing I have created some fields to reference the following variables.
    [code]; Set some LISP variables to make them available to fields
    (setq *DWGNAME* (getvar 'DWGNAME))
    (setq *DWGPREFIX* (getvar 'DWGPREFIX))[/code]
    You could add this to you on_doc_load.lsp
    Has anyone raised an SR on these issues?
    Regards,
    Jason Bourhill

    LispFields.lsp

    imageFieldsRtext-BCAD3.png
    imageFieldsRtext-BCAD2.png

    MainDwg-02.zip

  • @ Jason:
    You remark about the REGEN command is spot on. I did not use it in my tests. On the one hand I blame myself for not thinking of this. On the other hand I did try the UPDATEFIELD command (which wrongly reports that fields inside the Xref have been updated) and having to use REGEN in a newly opened drawing is counter-intuitive.
  • I need the RTEXT in the XREF'd Title Block to display the DWGNAME system variable and the current date.  It works fine in AutoCAD, but is a mess in BricsCAD 16.

    Bill DeShawn

  • Bill, is it possible the font available in Acad is not available in Bcad's path/s?
    There is a file called Icad.fmp which directs it to substitute with font equivalents if they don't exist - you can add to it or change it.
    I think you get TXT font by default.

    No, John.  It's the same font I use and is available to the drawing being worked on and plotted.  Thanks anyhow.

    Bill

  • I need the RTEXT in the XREF'd Title Block to display the DWGNAME system variable and the current date.  It works fine in AutoCAD, but is a mess in BricsCAD 16.

    Bill DeShawn


    Have you raised a support request yet? This is essentially the same query as your OP. This is a user to user support forum. What you've struck is a bug in BricsCAD. It won't get fixed if you don't report it.

    Some valid alternatives have been given in this thread as a workaround in the meantime.

    Regards,
    Jason Bourhill

This discussion has been closed.

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