MicroStation PowerDraft CONNECT Edition Help

Guidelines for Using Page Numbering and Total Page Tokens With Variable Print Definitions

Print Organizer supports several tokens that correspond to the current page in a print set and you can use them in a variety of ways:

  • In print definition name expressions, in output filename expressions, and in print border comments, by using the "PrintDefinition.SetPrintDefNumber" expression
  • In design script text substitution, by using the "page_number" assignment keyword
  • In pen tables, by using the "_DOCSET_CURRENTSETDOC_" replacement string

Because variable print definitions do not strictly correspond to one page of printed output, you should exercise caution when using page numbering tokens in Print Organizer. If a print set contains variable print definitions, using the page numbering tokens can lead to inaccurate results for any print definition, whether variable or fixed, that follows the variable print definitions in the print set.

When printing the entire print set, accurate values will be given for the current page, but for all other contexts (i.e., preview, printing partial sets, and print definition naming), Print Organizer may not obtain an accurate value for the current page number and will set the value to zero.

There are a couple of ways to work around this limitation. One way to guarantee accurate values for the current page value is to first convert all of the variable print definitions in the print set to fixed print definitions. Then when you preview, print partial sets, or in print definition naming you will always get accurate values for the current page value.

Another way to work around this limitation is to use the "PrintDefinition.Sequence" expression. The sequence value is the position of the print definition within the collection of items currently being printed or previewed. The sequence number begins with one regardless of the position of the print definition in its folder or in the print set, and will always give an accurate value when printing and previewing. This expression should not be used for print definition names.

Print Organizer also allows you to make use of tokens corresponding to the total number of pages in the print set in the following ways:

  • In print definition name expressions, in output file name expressions, and in print border comments, by using the "PrintSet.PrintDefCountR" expression
  • In design script text substitution, by using the "total_pages" assignment keyword
  • In pen tables, by using the "_DOCSET_NUMSETDOCS_" replacement string

Total page number values will almost always be inaccurate if the print set contains variable print definitions, and if Print Organizer cannot obtain an accurate value for the total page number, it will set the value to zero. The only way to work around this limitation is to first convert all of the variable print definitions in the print set to fixed print definitions, and then print or preview the print set.