Topic: Block Manager... are you using one and if so, which kind?

[M-dub]

What kind of limitations are you refering to?

My guess would be "any limitations you can think of." 

[deegeecees]

What kind of limitations are you refering to?

My guess would be "any limitations you can think of." 

That's about right.

What if I wanted to insert a block, and move it to a certain layer, and then run a lisp program to extract xdata from it, then construct a reactor for it to update a table in the drawing? I haven't looked but I don't think there are any BM's out there that will accomplish this any easier than me rolling my own.

[M-dub]

We have a few extras available to us with BW... here's a small taste...

[Maverick®]

Sheesh.  How many ways can you make a teeter totter?

[kdub_nz]

Sheesh.  How many ways can you make a teeter totter?

Here's something with Odcl


... anyone want to buy a copy ? 



The Name is to be changed of course ..

[t-bear]

Dotsoft Symbol Manager...works well with our 3D blocks and is easily expandable.  We don't attribute our blocks here, so that aspect doesn't come into play.  We've been using it since '04 with no problem...over 5,000 blocks in 38 directories.

[jbuzbee]

kdub, very nice form.  post it over at OpenDCL.com for the guys and gals to see.

[Matt__W]

Here's a pic of the one I created (I used some of the code/ideas that JB posted a while back) and incorporated a search function as well.
The form is resizable and you can pan/zoom the preview image.

[gmyroup]

Are your blocks organized by directories and sub-directories?  i.e. Is the department a directory and the libraries sub-directories under it?

Are your blocks mostly purchased libraries, shareware, or blocks created over the years?

How do you deal with views on 2D or 3D components (i.e. top, side, front. etc.)?

[Matt__W]

Are your blocks organized by directories and sub-directories?  i.e. Is the department a directory and the libraries sub-directories under it?

Are your blocks mostly purchased libraries, shareware, or blocks created over the years?

How do you deal with views on 2D or 3D components (i.e. top, side, front. etc.)?

The department is a folder, the library is a DWG file, the details are blocks within the host DWG file.  These are details that have been created in-house (mostly), all strictly 2D not to scale.

[M-dub]

We used to do the subdirectory thing, but when we redrew our block library, I also gave the blocks some logical filenames.
A couple examples:
M-SW-PressureSwitchNormallyClosed
M-ELECT-ResistorVariable

M = Metric
ELECT = Electrical ( duh! )
SW = Switches
...Followed by a description.

Using these different prefixes gives us some organization without having to use subdirectories.
All of this came as a result of A) the need to redo our standard blockset and B) being fed up with block names that meant nothing to the user like "162.dwg", "734.dwg", etc.

[gmyroup]

Do you use the type of block drawings as Matt W, where there are multiple blocks in 1 drawing or are your blocks a 1 block per drawing type?

[M-dub]

1 file = 1 block

[gmyroup]

So what you end up with is 1 directory with a large number of drawings that are named so they can be easily located?

[gmyroup]

Hey Matt W, if you have multiple blocks in a drawing... how does your application insert the selected one into a drawing?  Do you write the block description into the the drawing(if it doesn't already exist) and then add an block reference?