Sheet Set Manager - Replacement for Windows Explorer?
Sheet Set Manager (SSM) is a very powerful tool, but with its power comes a degree of complexity. The average end-user should never have to dig into the back end of SSM, and have to set up fields and the like. On the other hand an average end user will use the “Sheet Management” functions on a daily basis. Note the usage of “management” in that last sentence.
The average user has a preconceived notion that SSM is first a plotting tool, and second a tool to fill out their titleblocks. Although both are strong functions of SSM, it is not the boundary of SSM’s limitations. In many ways SSM is like a miniature “Windows Explorer” within AutoCAD.
Say for example you need to rename the filename of a sheet contained in your set. Go to Windows Explorer? Not so fast pal! If you rename a DWG that is linked to your Sheet Set, you will soon find 
[?] marks next to all of your sheets. The? mark next to your sheet of course means that the link between SSM and the actual file have become broken.
To avoid that, rather than going to Windows Explorer to rename your sheet files, use the “Rename Renumber” function within SSM. Using that function will rename the file, and update the SSM reference to it.
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Hello Donnie,
I wonder if you could give me some hints here on how to solve this important issue. I did a search and found a “solution” at the AUGI forum. However, it does not completely solve the issue. http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?p=907205#post907205
In my office (networked), one person (CAD station) could rename fimes from the Sheet Set Manager while others cannot. Though I was the one who created the set, I cannot rename the files from the SSM. What would be the controlling factor?
In another sheet set I created, anyone in the office could rename the file names. So some SSM would let you rename file names and some won’t.
Would you have any answer to this? Thanks for your time.
Oka Morah
Anchorage, Alaska
@Oka - As the thread indicates, I’d certainly verify the Xref thing (assuming you are using xrefs). Although AutoCAD is supposed to delete the dwk file when you exit, take a look at the directory where your sheets are stored. If you see any dwk files, delete them. Likewise be sure to verify network permissions. For instance if you copy local can you reproduce the problem? If not, there’s a strong chance you have some network permission issues going on in the background.