Writing a naming standard CADKeeper can read
A good standard names each field, its allowed values and its exact format. You build it in CADKeeper's rule builder — set the fields by hand on any tier, fully offline. This page shows exactly what a complete standard spells out, using one worked example as the blueprint. (On Pro, you can also hand that same plain-English description to the AI-assist Describe it box and have it drafted for you — a convenience, never a requirement.)
Start from this example
Use a description like this as your blueprint — it names every field you'll set up in the rule builder. Every part of it is doing a job; the anatomy is broken down below. (On Pro, you can paste it straight into the AI-assist Describe it box instead of entering the fields by hand.)
Swap in your own project code, discipline list and separators. The structure is what matters — not these exact values.
The four things to spell out
A description works when it answers four questions. The example above answers all four — that's why it parses cleanly.
The pattern, with a real example
Name the fields in order and show one finished name. ProjectCode–Discipline–SheetNumber–Revision, e.g. 24015-C-101-RevA. The example name resolves any ambiguity words can't.
The vocabulary for each field
List the allowed values where they're fixed: C = Civil, G = Grading, D = Drainage, U = Utilities, E = Erosion Control. Without the list, the tool can't know a code is wrong.
The formatting rules
Say how each field is shaped: 3-digit sheet numbers, revision letters as RevA / RevB, hyphens as separators, no spaces or special characters. Digit counts, casing and separators are exactly what a renamer has to get right.
The scope & pairing rules
Anything that spans files: keep the same filename for the DWG and PDF of each sheet; which extensions the rule applies to; whether it's per-folder. These stop CADKeeper from breaking a set apart.
Vague in, vague out
The same standard, described two ways. The first forces CADKeeper to guess your codes, digit counts and separators; the second leaves nothing to chance.
Name files by discipline and sheet number with a revision at the end.
Which discipline codes? How many digits? Rev1 or RevA? Hyphens or underscores? The tool has to invent answers.
24015-C-101-RevA — project code, discipline letter (C/G/D/U/E), 3-digit sheet, RevA/RevB. Hyphen-separated, no spaces.
Every field, its values and its format are pinned down. This maps straight onto a ruleset.
Prefer to draft the description with an AI assistant? Pro
On Pro, the rule builder's Describe it box turns a plain-English description into a ruleset for you (with your own AI provider key). If it's easier, ask any AI chatbot to phrase your convention as a few plain rules and paste that in. It's optional, though — on any tier the manual rule builder gets you to exactly the same standard, and the example on this page is all the template you need.
You don't need AI to define a standard
The plain-English path is a convenience. Every standard can be built without it — fully offline, nothing leaving your machine.
- Build it by hand in the rule builder — set the fields, separators, allowed values and revision format, with a live example name as you edit. Always available, no AI, no key.
- Learn it from a folder — point CADKeeper at files that already follow the convention and it infers the pattern from them.
- Import a shared ruleset — a colleague can export their standard to a .ckstd file and you import it as-is. This is the most reliable way to match a firm-wide standard exactly.
Whichever path you use, nothing is applied until you preview it, and every change is logged and reversible. See the full workflow →
Define your standard, then fix a real folder.
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