Author Topic: Dynamic Blocks are HORRIBLE!!!!  (Read 4914 times)

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craigr

  • Guest
Dynamic Blocks are HORRIBLE!!!!
« on: December 23, 2008, 09:58:57 AM »
IF you don't take the time to learn them.

We have been getting floorplans lately that have the Room #, sqft, etc.. as a dynamic block, (I think). Within the block(s) are info on several layers. All we want to keep is the Room# & Room Name, then put those two bits of info on ONE layer.

When we 'mess' with any of this info, it resorts to 'Room Name' rather than 'X-Ray' - (It looses its info).

What is a good resource to learn about this? Is the help file worth watching?

craigr

dustinthiesse

  • Guest
Re: Dynamic Blocks are HORRIBLE!!!!
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2008, 10:17:25 AM »
Are you exploding the blocks?

If so, try using "burst" instead of explode.  It is part of express tools.

When you explode a block that has attributes, they take on the tag name instead of keeping the text that you see on the screen.
The burst command does an explode but keeps those attribute values that you see.

craigr

  • Guest
Re: Dynamic Blocks are HORRIBLE!!!!
« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2008, 10:56:06 AM »
That sounds like what we need, but unfortunately, we are using LT without the 'express tools'.

craigr

dustinthiesse

  • Guest
Re: Dynamic Blocks are HORRIBLE!!!!
« Reply #3 on: December 23, 2008, 11:58:37 AM »
Doh!

I'm not sure what the limitations are on LT.
If you can run lisp routines, I've attached the burst program.

craigr

  • Guest
Re: Dynamic Blocks are HORRIBLE!!!!
« Reply #4 on: December 23, 2008, 11:59:25 AM »
No Lisps either.

Thanks anyway.

Shinyhead

  • Guest
Re: Dynamic Blocks are HORRIBLE!!!!
« Reply #5 on: December 23, 2008, 12:58:23 PM »
IF you don't take the time to learn them.

We have been getting floorplans lately that have the Room #, sqft, etc.. as a dynamic block, (I think). Within the block(s) are info on several layers. All we want to keep is the Room# & Room Name, then put those two bits of info on ONE layer.

When we 'mess' with any of this info, it resorts to 'Room Name' rather than 'X-Ray' - (It looses its info).

What is a good resource to learn about this? Is the help file worth watching?

craigr

in the block editor, laymrg the stuff you dont want to a layer you can turn off, then laymrg the stuff you do want to another layer.
exit the editor (saving the definition of course) then turn the layers on and off appropriatly in your drawing.

Give that a shot, and laymrg IS in LT now (as of 08 anyway)

craigr

  • Guest
Re: Dynamic Blocks are HORRIBLE!!!!
« Reply #6 on: December 23, 2008, 02:07:20 PM »
Layer Merge is the way we have been handling them. It's a cumbersome way but it works.

As far as just turning the offending layers off, I try to 'thin out' as many layers as I can. I find the stuff we use and move them to our standard layers, such as 'floorplan' or 'RoomNumbers', etc.. For our purposes, we don't need a layer called '127579000_iden'. It doesn't tell US anything anyway.

craigr

Shinyhead

  • Guest
Re: Dynamic Blocks are HORRIBLE!!!!
« Reply #7 on: December 23, 2008, 04:05:04 PM »
make a script for it and make a toolbar button that calls it.  Then you only have to hit it once per drawing.

here is a layermrg script I use, just add something that turns layers on and off

In retrospect you don't have to be in block editor for this to work. We update standard details to clients layering standards this way.  The first part makes the layers (even if they are already there) so the routine won't error out and quit.

Quote
-LAYER
N
HIDDEN
N
HARDWARE
N
LIGHTLINES
N
LINES
N
WALLS
N
NOTES
N
DIMS
N
PGS-4

-laymrg
N
HIDDEN
N
HARDWARE

N
AEQNI-E
Y
-LAYMRG
N
LIGHTLINES

N
HATCH
Y
-LAYMRG
N
LINES

N
AELCA
Y
-LAYMRG
N
WALLS

N
ADLWA
Y
-LAYMRG
N
PGS-4

N
AELDI
Y
-LAYMRG
N
NOTES

N
AELTE
Y
-LAYMRG
N
DIMS

N
AELDI
Y

craigr

  • Guest
Re: Dynamic Blocks are HORRIBLE!!!!
« Reply #8 on: December 23, 2008, 04:08:14 PM »
Wow!!

That's a neat idea. I'll have to give it a try.

Thanks