The Drawings by Rule 
component, available in marine mode and material handling mode, creates drawings
using rule sets. Rule sets are view styles that specify a unique way of rendering the content of
a drawing. After creating a Drawings by Rule component, you can add rule-based drawing view types, then save the component as
a package or create drawings directly.
ViewTypes
A ViewType contains the instructions to define a drawing view. It specifies the filter, styles, orientations, and scales used to define the drawing view. It also helps you assign inputs needed to generate the drawing view.
A ViewType contains:
ViewStyles
Specifies a unique way of rendering the content of a drawing view.
Filter (Query)
Determines the primary elements in the drawing view.
Orientation
Lists allowable orientations for views of this type.
See Define View Style Command (Tools Menu) in Smart 3D Drawings and Reports Reference Data for information on creating rule set view styles.
Depending on the nature of the drawing, some of the ViewType definitions allow multiple selections. For example, a Hull Line ViewType allows one query and one style, but it allows multiple orientations. Another
example is the Shell Expansion by Blocks ViewType that allows multiple blocks and one view is created for each selected block.
You can perform several tasks after creating a Drawings by Rule component. These tasks are available on the shortcut menu when you right-click the component.
Setting Up a Drawings by Rule Component
If you are an administrator, use the Setup command on the component shortcut menu to define views, reports, and queries for the drawings documents. See Setup Command (Drawings by Rule Component).
Saving a Drawings by Rule Package
Use the following commands to select an existing component, edit the drawing template, and save the component as a package.
Opens the component template in SmartSketch Drawing Editor so you can set document and sheet properties and design the layout of the drawing output.
Saves the entire component as a package so it can be used for other drawing generation tasks.
Creating Drawings and Updating
The following commands are available on the shortcut menu for a Drawings by Rule component.
Creates the drawing document(s).
Refreshes the content of the associated document views.
Updates the drawing document content.
If you are using batch processing for your documents, the Batch command will be on the shortcut menu for the selected component or document. See
Batch Processing Commands in Smart 3D Reports.
Compare 2D Drawing Object to 3D Model Object
You can open a Drawings by Rule document in a 3D task and compare the 2D drawing objects in the drawing document to 3D model objects.
Other Tasks
Prints the selected drawing.
Displays the Properties Dialog for the selected folder, component, or drawing view.
Deletes the selected folder, component, or drawing view.
Deletes the backup document for the main document.
Replaces the main document with the backup.
Opens the backup document for the selected main document in read-only mode.
Allows you to rename the selected folder, component, or drawing view.
Allows you to copy the selected item from one folder to another.
Allows you to paste the selected item from one folder to another.
Modify Border Templates for Individual Sheets
The Edit Sheet Properties command allows you to change the border for an individual sheet to a template different from the border template defined in the component. See Change the Border for an Individual Drawings by Rule Sheet.