Creating a Title Block to Use in all New Drawings

The steps in this section of Avontus Designer help enable you to create a Title Block that will be the default Title Block for all new drawings.

This page contains the following:

Enable Developer Mode and Open the Template

You start the process by preparing Avontus Designer and open the Avontus Designer template.

To enable developer mode and open the template:

1. Start Visio and open the Avontus Designer template file, located here:

C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Scaffold Designer\Templates\ScaffoldDesigner.vstx

(Be sure to make a backup copy of this file, in case you want to revert your changes)

Note: If the file name contains an "M" then this template is for Avontus Designer using metric drawings. It it does NOT contain an M, then it is a template for Avontus Designer for imperial drawings.

2. Click the File tab.

The Info interface appears.

3. Click Options.

The Visio Options dialog appears.

4. Click Customize Ribbon.

5. If required, enable the Developer check box in the Main Tabs column.

6. Click OK.

The Visio interface returns, displaying the Developer tab.

7. Click the Developer tab, then click the Document Stencil checkbox in the the Show/Hide group.

Replace the Title Block

Next, replace the Title Block.

To replace the Title Block:

1. Right-click the Title Block and select Properties from the menu that appears.

The Shape Data dialog appears.

2. Click the Locked dropdown, select False and then click OK

3. Right-click the Title Block and select Open TitleBlock.SD from the Group sub-menu

Visio launches a second window and displays the Title Block.

4. Make any changes on the title block in the right window that you want to be on the default Title Block., add a graphic, change the company name, etc.

Whatever changes you make in the right window, Avontus Designer makes in the left window.

5. Highlight and drag the edited Title Block (in the left window) onto the Shapes stencil

6. Delete the existing stencil .TitleBlock.SD.

7. Rename the new stencil ".TitleBlock.SD"

8. Insert the new Title Block into the Visio template

Finish Up

Finishing up means adding the new Title Block to the Avontus Designer stencil.

To finish up:

1. Open the Avontus Designer stencil file by clicking More Shapes and select Open Stencil from the menu that appears.

The Open Stencil dialog appears.

2. Browse to: C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Avontus Designer\Templates\ and open ScaffoldDesigner.vssx

3. Click and drag the Title Block onto the Avontus Designer Stencil.

4. If you see a message regarding the Stencil being in Edit mode, click Yes to edit the stencil

5. Delete the existing stencil TitleBlock.SD.

6. Rename the new stencil "TitleBlock.SD".

7. Click and drag the new TitleBlock.SD back into the Visio template.

8. Save the template, ScaffoldDesigner.vstx

9. Right-click and close all templates

10. Re-lock the Title Block.

a. Right-click the Title Block and select Properties from the menu that appears.

The Shape Data dialog appears.

b. Click the Locked dropdown, select True and click OK.

c. Save and close ScaffoldDesigner.vstx

11. Reopen Avontus Designer.

Avontus Designer will now use the new Title Block for all new drawings

Note that if you leave the custom template files in the default folder, they will be over-written when you install a new update. To avoid this, we recommend copying all the files in the Templates folder to a new location, and then pointing to this location in Global Options. See Global Options for more information on accessing Global Options.

It is possible to run both the 2021 version and 2022 version side by side. If you are using custom Drawing Templates, you will need to point the two versions to different locations on the Drawing Templates file location. You can do this in Locations section of the Global Options. See Global Options for more information on accessing Global Options.