1801 Title Blocks and Document Issues

Title blocks have undergone a major overhaul in Vectorworks 2018. The old Sheet Border tool has been completely replaced with a new Title Block Border tool and Drawing Issue command. The title blocks have been changed to use object styles, their layout is easier to change and customize, adding revisions and creating issues have been updated, and a new document transmittal facility has been added.

If you have used the VAA Title Block and Document Transmittal you will find some of this functionality familiar. That is not an accident. Vectorworks has tried to take the best from the VAA title block and marry it to the best of the Sheet Border tool.
Because of this new way of working, we need to relearn the entire system of adding a Title Block and issuing drawings.
Table of Contents

• Beginner Topics. 1
  • Placing a Title Block Border. 1
  • Choosing a Title Block Style. 1
  • Editing a Title Block Style. 1
• Intermediate Topics. 1
  • Editing the Title Layout. 1
  • Adding Revisions. 1
  • Creating Issues. 1
• Advanced Topics. 1
  • Using the Drawing Manager. 1
  • Editing the Default Worksheets. 1

 

Beginner Topics

Placing a Title Block Border

The new Title Block Border tool is in the Dims/Notes tool set. The icon looks the same as the old Sheet Border tool. Don’t confuse these tools; they are very different. The new tool has a different workflow than the old tool. If you try to use the new tool in the same way that you used the old tool, you will find it difficult.
The new tool uses an Object Style to control the graphic style of the title block. If you need a refresher on object styles, see the manual from November 2017.

The first time you place a Title Block Border, just place one and worry about editing it later. After you have edited the object style to suit your design, you will find it easy to place the Title Block.

Choosing a Title Block Style

After selecting the Title Block tool, go to the Tool Bar. Click on the Style pull-down menu to choose the starting title block style. This opens a mini-Resource Manager where you can choose a pre-made style. There are a few files that contain title blocks, and there are several styles in each file.

Remember that this is just the starting object style, it is not the final style. Try to choose a style that is as close as possible to your final style.

What I mean by that is if you want to include revisions and issues on the title block, then choose a style that has both of those. If you want a simple title block for concept drawings, then choose a simple style.
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Move your cursor to the sheet layer and double click to place a Title Block.

Editing a Title Block Style

We will be using the Resource Manager to edit the title block style. This isn’t the only way to edit the style, you can use the Object Info palette to edit the style. It doesn’t matter which way you start, you end up at the same dialog box.
Locate the title block in the Resource Manager.
Right-click on it and chose Edit…

This dialog is where you edit the settings on the object style and where you choose the options for the style (where you specify whether the style controls certain settings).

Go through each of the panes of this dialog box to make your choices. In general, I use the style to control almost all of the title block symbol.

If you have to create variations to your title blocks, completely edit one of the title blocks then use the Resource Manager to create a duplicate. Then, edit the duplicate. This way, you only have to change the things that are different, rather than starting from scratch.
If you need a variation that is vertical rather than horizontal, consider looking for a standard Vectorworks title block, then editing that.

Intermediate Topics

Editing the Title Layout

One of the big changes in the new tool is the way that you edit the title block layout. There is now a new button to access the layout area.

You can also double click on the title block. This opens a dialog box. Choose the option to edit the Title Block Layout.

When you click on this, you are taken into a special title block editing area. In this area you can change what text is linked to, change the graphic layout, and add special text and logos.

If you want to add extra text to the title block and have it linked to the title block database, create the text and use the Object Info palette to link it to the part you require.

You have several options. You can link this text to project information, sheets information, revision information, or issue information. The  technique is to choose the correct information to link to.

When you have completed all of your editing, click on the Exit Title  Block Layout button  at the top right of your screen. This will take you back to the drawing area.

You will now see your updated title block.

Adding Revisions and Issues

One of the major changes to the Title Block Border is the way that issues and revisions are handled. There is now a new dialog box to control revisions and issues.
I was always taught that every time you change the drawing and send it to somebody it is a revision. I was never told to use drawing issues. Vectorworks uses both during revisions and issues. With the Title Block Border, you create revisions for each sheet, and then you create an issue for the drawings you want to send out.
You need to create both revisions and issues in order for the worksheets to keep track of the drawings that have been sent out.
From the menu bar choose File > Title Block Manager…

This opens the dialog box for controlling issues, revisions, project data, and sheet data. the first tab is to control the project data.  If you change the project info here, it will update every title block that is connected to this project data.

The next tab controls sheet data. If you make any changes to the data on this pane, it will only update the sheets data on the current sheet layer. You might notice that as you click on the next button in this dialog box, the sheet layer visible in the background updates.
Enter the revisions and issues for the drawings, sheet by sheet or for all sheets together.

Click on the tab to fill in the revisions and issues. It is tempting to just fill in the revisions for each sheet, but you will need to enter the issue as well. If you do not, then the reports will not fill in correctly.
When you have finished the revisions and issues, click on the Issue Manager… button to create the reports. The reports can show the drawings that were issued, the date they were issued, and the revision of each drawing. You can fill in the information about who the drawings were sent to.

 

Advanced Topics

Editing the Default Worksheets

The reports that Vectorworks can automatically generate for the drawing issues and revisions will not search your company name or your graphic style. You can edit the default worksheets from the Vectorworks library.
You can also add these worksheets to your template file and edit them to suit your company style. That way, they are available for every project that starts from the template.

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