FIELD command

Opens the Field dialog box.

BricsCAD Lite; BricsCAD Pro; BricsCAD Mechanical; BricsCAD BIM

Icon:

Method

Open the Field dialog box to create a field in the current drawing.

Options within the command

Specify start point
Specifies a point in the current drawing where the field will be inserted.
Height
Specifies the height of the field text.
Justify
Specifies a justification for the field text.

The Field dialog box allows you to insert a field in a single or multiline text, table cells, attributes, and so on.

Note: A field is variable text that uses a coding system which the program updates automatically, displaying data as drawing properties (for example a file name or the saved date), entity properties (like length, area, or layer), user-defined properties, plot settings, variables... If a field does not have value, the program displays hyphens (----). If the information referenced by the selected property is not valid, the value for the field is displayed as ####.
Note: Expand a category in Field Names, then select a field name.
  1. Date & Time
  2. Document
  3. Linked
  4. Objects
  5. Plot
  6. Variables
  7. Sheet Set
  8. Extensions
  9. Field expression

Date & Time

CreateDate
Displays the last revision date of the drawing.
Date
Displays the current date.
PlotDate
Displays the date when the drawing was last plotted.
SaveDate
Displays the date when the drawing was last saved.
Date format
Select a date format from the list or type a format in this field.
Examples
Displays date format examples.
Hints
Explains the meaning of the digits used in the date format acronym/abbreviation definition.
Field expression
Displays the field expression of the selected date. An operand in an expression can be a DisplayPropertyName surrounded with arrow brackets (<>).

Document

Author
Displays the author of the document.
Comments
Displays the comments in the document.
Filename
Shows the file name. It can include the path and the extension of the file.
Filesize
Displays the file size expressed in Bytes, Kilobytes and Megabytes.
HyperLinkBase
Displays the default path for the relative hyperlink in drawings.
Keywords
Displays the keywords for the opened file.
LastSavedBy
Displays the name of the person that last saved the file.
RevisionNumber
Displays the drawing revision number.
Subject
Displays the subject of the drawing.
Title
Displays the title of the drawing.
Format
Displays the format of the selected category.
Field expression
Displays the field expression of the selected date. An operand in an expression can be a DisplayPropertyName surrounded with arrow brackets (<>).

Linked

Text to display
Enter the text to be displayed for this hyperlink.
Hyperlink
Opens the Edit Hyperlink dialog box.

Objects

BlockPlaceholder

See the ATTDEF command to create block property fields in an attribute. When such an attribute is included in a block definition, the field displays the current value of the block property.

Block reference property
Displays the block reference property.
Block name
Displays the name of the property.
Format
Specifies the format for displaying the property.
Formula
Creates a formula field. You can use the values of table cells in a formula field. Click the Average, Sum, Count or Cell button. The Field dialog box closes to allow you to select cells in a table in the drawing. Also, you can enter the formula manually, for example, if you know the table handle.
NamedObject

Creates a field that shows the current name of a named entity.

  • Click the Named object type field, then select the object type in the list.

    All named objects of the selected type are listed in the Name list box.

  • Select a name in the list.
  • Choose a format.
  • Click the OK button to place the field.
Object

Creates a field that shows a property of a selected entity.

  • Click the select button, next to the Object type field.

    The Field dialog box temporarily closes.

  • Select an entity in the drawing.

    The properties of the selected entity are listed in the Property list.

  • Select a property in the list. Custom properties of all parameter types and visibility states for dynamic blocks and block references are also available.
  • Choose a format.
  • Click the OK button to place the field.
    Note: Attributes with fields are updated after REGEN and UPDATEFIELD commands.

Plot

Plot fields apply to paper space layouts.

Allows you to create fields which show the current print settings of a layout.

Variables

Allows you to create fields which show the current value of Diesel Expressions, Lisp Variables and System Variables.

It is possible to search for a specific variable in the Lisp Variables and System Variables lists using:

  • Key navigation: press the up/down arrows to navigate in the list.
  • Search bar: allows you to search for specific variables. The list is shortened to display only the variables that contain the entered sequence of characters.
    Note: To enable the search bar:
    • Click the icon.
    • Press the Crtl+F key. The focus needs to be in the variable list. You can use the TAB key to cycle focus.

Sheet Set

Allows you to create fields which show default and custom sheet set properties. With the Sheet Set property, a sheet navigation tree is opened.

Note: Sheet Set fields are updated with the UPDATEFIELD command.

Extensions

Allows you to create fields that show properties of entities specific to BricsCAD, such as BIM or Mechanical entities, displaying cached values in AutoCAD®.

ExtensionProperties
Allows you to create fields with properties of a selected BIM entity.
Object2d
Allows you to create fields with properties of 3D entities by selecting the associated 2d entity inside BIM section block.
Object2dMLeader
Allows you to create fields inside MLeader with properties of 3D entities by selecting the associated 2d entity inside BIM section block using MLeader's arrow.
Parameters
Allows you to create fields referencing parameters in the drawing.
Note:
  • For block parameters, use the FIELD command inside a BEDIT session.
  • After changing parameter values (from the Properties, Parameters Manager, or Mechanical Browser panel) use the REGEN, REGENALL, or UPDATEFIELD command to update the value displayed in the created field.

Field expression

Displays the expression of the field. You can learn how fields are structured by reading this code.