To make a custom title block in Advance Steel, go to Output tab > Document Manager panel > Edit Prototypes, open the prototype you want, save a copy under a new name in the same folder, then edit the title block blocks in the Block Editor: your company name, logo and fields. Keep the block names and attribute tags as they are, so the project information still fills in.
Advance Steel comes with ready-made title blocks, which is fine when you’re starting out. But as soon as you send drawings to clients, you’ll want your own company name and logo on them. In Advance Steel, title blocks live inside drawing prototypes. Here’s how to edit them without breaking anything.
Contents
- Where to find the prototypes
- Opening the prototype folder
- Editing a prototype
- Text and attribute definitions
- Replacing the Autodesk logo
- Using your new prototype
Where are title blocks in Advance Steel?
Output tab > Document Manager panel > Edit Prototypes
Where are the prototype files stored?
Clicking Edit Prototypes opens the folder on your drive where the prototypes are stored. Leave them in this folder. Advance Steel expects to find them there.
The dialog lists every prototype available:
There are separate prototypes for assemblies, single parts and so on.
How do I edit a prototype?
Double-click the prototype you want (or select it and click Open). It opens in a new drawing tab.
Decide first whether you want to keep the original. If you do, use Save As and give your version a new name, in the same folder. If you don’t need the original, just save over it.
The drawing is built from blocks:
To edit one, right-click the block and choose Block Editor:
Make your changes, then click Close Block Editor. Don’t rename the blocks. If you do, the prototype stops working properly.
How do attributes fill in the title block?
The title block fields are a mix of plain text and attribute definitions:
Here are the attribute definitions:
Both work exactly like they do in regular AutoCAD. The attributes are what pull the project information into each drawing, which is why it’s worth filling in your project settings at the start of every job.
How do I add my company logo?
For most people this is the main reason to customize the title block.
- Open your company logo in Microsoft Paint (or any image editor), select all and press Ctrl+C.
- In the Block Editor, go to Tools tab > Paste > Paste Special:
- Confirm you’re pasting a Paintbrush Picture and click OK:
- The logo is pasted into the title block. Drag the blue grips at the corners to resize it so it fits:
When you’re done with the logo and the block, click Close Block Editor. Again, keep the block name as it is.
Your custom prototype is done.
How do I use my new prototype?
When you create a drawing, pick your new prototype from the list of templates, and the drawing will come out with your title block:
More on making drawings in Creating drawings in Advance Steel.
What to do when the title block doesn’t fill in
- A field stays empty. The attribute tag may have been changed, or the matching project setting is empty. Check the tag in the Block Editor and fill in Project Settings.
- The prototype stopped working. A block was renamed. Restore it from your backup copy, or rename the block back.
- The logo disappeared on another computer. Pasting the logo embeds it, which is why that method is used above. If you used an attached image instead (like AutoCAD’s IMAGEATTACH), the image file has to travel with the drawings.
- Old drawings still show the old title block. Drawings made before the change keep their prototype. Pick the new prototype when you create new drawings.
Tips for custom prototypes
- Back up the prototype folder before you change anything, and again once it works.
- Make one prototype first, test it on a real drawing, then repeat the changes on the others (assembly, single part, general arrangement).
- Keep a copy outside the program folder. When you install a new Advance Steel version, you’ll want to bring your prototypes along.
