Sheet Production Blitz

When you need to set up 50 or more sheets quickly -- at the start of a documentation phase or when a new discipline comes online -- this workflow gets the job done in a fraction of the time it would take manually.

Estimated time: 15-30 minutes for 50 sheets (vs. 2-4 hours manually).

Quick-Start Checklist

• Prepare CSV sheet list (Number, Name, TitleBlock columns)
• Create sheets with Batch Sheet Maker or Sheet Forge
• Place views on sheets with Add Views to Sheets
• Renumber viewports in logical reading order
• Reorder sheets if sequence needs adjustment
• Pin all viewports to prevent accidental moves
• Verify with Organize Views and spot-check sheets

flowchart LR
    A["1. Prepare\nSheet List"] --> B["2. Create Sheets"]
    B --> B1["Batch Sheet\nMaker"]
    B --> B2["Sheet Forge"]
    B1 --> C["3. Place\nViews"]
    B2 --> C
    C --> D["4. Renumber\nViewports"]
    D --> E["5. Reorder\nSheets"]
    E --> F["6. Pin\nViewports"]
    F --> G["7. Verify &\nOrganize"]
 
    style A fill:#3b82f6,color:#fff,stroke:#2563eb
    style G fill:#10b981,color:#fff,stroke:#059669
    style B1 fill:#8b5cf6,color:#fff,stroke:#7c3aed
    style B2 fill:#8b5cf6,color:#fff,stroke:#7c3aed

Step 1: Prepare Your Sheet List

Before opening any tools, prepare a CSV file with your sheet information. The file should have these columns:

Number,Name,TitleBlock
A101,FIRST FLOOR PLAN,Standard 30x42
A102,SECOND FLOOR PLAN,Standard 30x42
A201,BUILDING SECTION 1,Standard 30x42
...

Tips for the CSV:

• Use your firm's sheet numbering standard
• Group sheets by discipline for easier management later
• Include all sheets you will eventually need, even if views are not ready yet
• Verify the title block family name matches exactly what is loaded in your project

Step 2: Create Sheets in Bulk

Tool: Batch Sheet Maker or Sheet Forge

For straightforward sheet creation, use Batch Sheet Maker:

1. Click Batch Sheet Maker
2. Choose "Import from CSV"
3. Browse to your prepared CSV file
4. Review the sheet list in the preview grid
5. Click Create

For more advanced scenarios (parameter overrides, grouping, presets), use Sheet Forge:

1. Click Sheet Forge
2. Walk through the wizard steps
3. Import your sheet list or define sheets manually
4. Configure parameter overrides per group if needed
5. Save as a preset for future reuse
6. Click Create

Step 3: Place Views on Sheets

Tool: Add Views to Sheets

With sheets created, assign views to them:

1. Select the target sheets in the Project Browser (multi-select with Ctrl+Click)
2. Run Add Views to Sheets
3. Search for views by name or filter by type
4. Select views and assign them to sheets
5. Choose placement mode: centered or manual

For views that need precise placement, place them roughly now and adjust positions in a later step.

Step 4: Renumber Viewports

Tool: Renumber Views

Open each sheet and renumber viewports in a logical reading order:

1. Open the first sheet
2. Run Renumber Views
3. Click viewports in the desired order (top-left to bottom-right is typical)
4. Pyvoid assigns sequential detail numbers automatically

Repeat for each sheet. This goes quickly since the tool remembers your numbering preferences.

Step 5: Reorder Sheets (If Needed)

Tool: Reorder Sheets

If sheets were created in a different order than desired, or if you need to insert sheets into an existing sequence:

1. Open Reorder Sheets
2. Drag sheets to the desired order in the list
3. Configure the renumbering scheme
4. Click Apply to renumber

Step 6: Pin All Viewports

Tool: Pin All Viewports

Once all viewports are positioned correctly, pin them to prevent accidental moves:

1. Run Pin All Viewports from the Views panel
2. The tool pins every viewport on every sheet in a single transaction

This is especially important in workshared projects where multiple users may inadvertently select and move viewports.

Step 7: Verify and Organize

Tool: Organize Views

Clean up the Project Browser after the production blitz:

1. Run Organize Views
2. Configure the browser organization scheme (by discipline, by sheet set, etc.)
3. Apply the organization

Then spot-check a sampling of sheets to verify:

• Correct title block on each sheet
• Views placed on the right sheets
• Viewport numbering is sequential and logical
• No overlapping viewports

Advanced: Sheet Forge Presets

If your firm produces similar sheet sets across projects, create a Sheet Forge preset:

1. Configure Sheet Forge with your standard sheet list and parameter overrides
2. Click Save Preset to open Sheet Forge, then use the Preset button's Save Current action and give it a descriptive name (e.g., "Residential - Full CD Set")
3. On the next project, click Load Preset and the entire configuration is restored
4. Adjust sheet numbers and names as needed for the specific project
5. Click Create

This turns a 30-minute setup into a 5-minute operation.

See Also

• Sheets Panel - full reference for all sheet creation and management tools
• Views Panel - view placement, viewport alignment, and template tools

Last updated: 2026-04-16