The options in this tab are only available when the generation method selected on the General tab is CAD. Use these options to define the CAD loop drawing settings for the current generation.
Save file in format — Displays a CAD format that the software uses for saving the loop drawings. When using SmartSketch, you can save the loop drawings in any format available in the list. The following formats are available:
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SmartSketch — Saves the drawing file in .sym format (not available when using AutoCAD or MicroStation).
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AutoCAD — Saves the drawing file in .dwg format (not available when using MicroStation).
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MicroStation — Saves the drawing file in .dgn format (not available when using AutoCAD).
Send to plotter or printer — Enables you to send the generated CAD loop drawings to your plotter or printer at the time of generation. This check box is selected automatically if you select the Plot drawing check box on the Loop Drawings > General page of the Preferences dialog box.
The software uses the loop drawing name as the file name. If the loop drawing name
contains the / (backslash) character, this is automatically replaced with the _ (underscore)
character, for example 101-F-100/A is renamed 101-F-100_A.
Use macro functions — Enables you to apply macro functions associated with the loop drawing macros.
Save output data to database — Enables you to save all the generation values (loop ID, macro name, macro result, and so forth) to the database. After saving the output data to the database, you can work with the options available on the CAD History tab.
Generation criteria
The following options allow you to specify the objects from which to generate the current drawing.
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Per loop — Enables you to generate drawings using the loops selected in the Domain Explorer.
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Per page — Enables you to type a required page number in the Page number box and generate the specified drawing page only.
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Per block — Enables you to select an instrument block from the Block name list and generate loop drawings only for those loops that contain this block. This option is useful when you select several loops in the the Domain Explorer. If your selection includes loops that do not contain the block that you selected, the software does not generate loop drawings for those loops. For the loops that do contain the selected block, the software includes all of the blocks when generating loop drawings. For example, if you selected five loops and each of them has the block that you selected and also has three other different blocks, the software includes all of these blocks in the generated loop drawings. You can only select blocks that were assigned to instrument using the manual block assignment method. In the Loop Folder of the Domain Explorer, manually assigned blocks are indicated with the
icon.
Create report about
These options allow you to generate reports showing the drawing generation details.
Null data — Allows you to generate a report on macro strings in the drawing for which Smart Instrumentation data is unavailable.
Invalid macros — Allows you to generate a report on macro strings in the drawing which are not defined in Smart Instrumentation.
Mark drawing for
These options allow you to mark the generated drawing to indicate cases where the macro returns no value, or if there is an invalid macro.
String for null data — When you select this check box, you can type a string that indicates a null value in the generated drawing.
String for invalid macros — When you select this check box, you can type a string that indicates an invalid macro in the generated drawing.
External data
This option allows you to generate the drawing using macros from an external database or database file.
Use external macro source — Select this check box to be able to use an external file with macros.
Define — Opens the Define External Macro Source dialog box, where you can connect to an external database or database file so that the macros from that external source can be used in the current drawing generation.
ODBC profile string — Displays the ODBC profile string of the external macro source. To change this profile, click the Define button.