Hi Nick,
[quote user="Nick D"]place regular text as the same coordinate as the pile[/quote]
It makes the situation substantially simpler! :-)
[quote user="Nick D"]which is in a reference[/quote]
As Jon wrote, it's important information, especially for coding.
[quote user="Nick D"]If any of the piles change, I would just delete all the text and start over[/quote]
As long as the text element will be in the same level and there will be no other text there, to delete them is simple, it's about to "select all texts in <level>;delete" ... so another simplification.
[quote user="Nick D"]I am not very experienced with programming[/quote]
Don't care about the programming. It's often mistake of non-programmers they focus on a code features too much. But the code is not magical box, it just automates what can be done manually also ... and if a process cannot be described precisely step by step, it cannot be transformed into the code. So focus on the process how you should do it by mouse and keyboard. An example how your design file looks like would be useful, because the algorithm depends on design file structure (e.g. are there more different elements on the same level?) and its "look and feel" (how piles are represented?; in what shape they are typically organized? etc.).
Example (using circles because I don't know how your piles are drawn):
A: It's simple (probably just to enter data point at first pole would be enough)
B: It's still simple, but a tool workflow will be slightly different, because also orientation should be defiend (e.g. by second point).
C: Probably still "quite simple", but some algorithm tunning would be required.
D: Probably cannot be solved easily and in my opinion because there is no exact definition how souch drawing should be numbered, it cannot be solved at all.
[quote user="Nick D"]Thanks again - maybe i'll find something one day, for now, its good ol copy/increment text![/quote]
I guess you will not, unfortunately, because it's a bit unusuall ... or maybe it's often situation but other users simply have not discussed it yet. The problem is I guess not extremely complex (but we have not seen any example yet), so the question is if to "lost" time with manuall renumbering or to invest into automation (so you will have tool designed exactly by your needs) ... or maybe we are talking about so simple situation that it can be solved by someone in his spare time ;-).
If you have to number the poles rarely, the macro is valuable because of lesser chance of mistake. But if it has to be done often (e.g. twice per month), any reasonable investment will return very quickly.
With regards,
Jan