About Using Description Keys When Creating Points

Use description keys when you create drawing points using the Create Points command.

When you create a drawing point and description key matching is active, the raw description you enter at the prompt initiates a search. The leading element in the raw description is compared to each description key code in every description key set in the drawing until either a match is found or all description key sets have been searched.

If a match is found, the point style, the point label style, and the layer specified in the description key are used to create the point. The raw description you entered is translated into a full description using the format specified in the description key. If the raw description includes scaling and rotation information, the point symbol is scaled and rotated as specified.

If a description key match is not found, the point is created without a point style or point label style. The point is displayed using point group styles.

Managing Description Keys

Description keys are organized into sets. The description key sets for a drawing are listed in the Settings tree under the Description Key Sets collection, which is found under the Point collection.

Each description key set contains one or more description keys. To view or edit the description keys contained within a set, use the DescKey Editor.

When description key matching is active and a drawing point is created, each description key code in every description key set in the drawing is searched for a match. You can control the order in which the description key sets are searched.

Include description key sets in a drawing template so they can be used in multiple drawings and shared with other people.