Topic: Using Wipeouts in Dynamic Blocks

[ELOQUINTET]

I am trying to solve a problem using Wipeouts in Dynamic Blocks and want your opinion on it. Basically I have cases which come with a set number of components in them so it makes sense for me to show them in my elevation blocks. However, The client may not actually use all of the components and for custom shop they want the elevation to look as it really would. I already know how I can make the parts movable and removable. The tricky part has been trying to figure out the best way of hiding the beadboard behind as the shelves are moved. Yesterday I was playing around with putting wipeouts inside of the component blocks and setting them to back using draworder. This way whatever I lay the shelf on top of will not appear. It works but I’m just not sure if I want to use wipeouts as we may send these drawings to people not using Autocad or previous versions and I’m not sure how they will appear. Do you think this is a good idea or bad?

[ELOQUINTET]

I may be using a different method for placing the shelves (i.e. a lookup table) in 2010 as my nodes do not cover all of the possible positions but that's not really what I'm focusing on at this point.

[ELOQUINTET]

Hmmm What I suspected might happen is already. The wipeout is masking the graphics on all blocks. I went into one and sent wipeout to back again and now it's working but for how long who knows.

[Keith™]

The real issue is going to be the draworder of the objects in the block and how the dynamic block gets redrawn once it is modified.

Wipouts are essentially the same as images, but without the image, so any software that recognizes images presumably could recognize the wipeouts, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[ELOQUINTET]

I was thinking about Andrea's DHLINE routine in the beginning and tried it but I don't think it does what I need. Is there any way to just tell Autocad that if I place a block with a certain name on objects on a certain layer that it mask them? Thanks Keith

[Keith™]

That probably could be accomplished with a reactor, but that would also dictate that the person who has your drawing also had the reactor ... and AutoCAD, which kind of makes the exercise pointless.

I suspect that there isn't going to be a simple solution

[Krushert]

I have no problem with wipeouts in DBs but they were simple DBs with stretch actions.  Like an ceiling access panel in a GWB ceiling.   What you will run into is when and if you need to print to PDF.  Not all PDF writers and/or Readers and/or Printers can handle wipe outs.  I would not go hog wild in using them at first  Just my two cents

[ELOQUINTET]

Yeah that's the conclusion I came to. I've abandoned the idea of using wipeouts. I'm thinking more along the lines of constructing the blocks so they can explode them and modify as needed because I also have the issue of there being so many variations that it would get messy. Thanks for the feedback

[drizzt]

instead of wipeout, use a layer colored 255

[ELOQUINTET]

So you're saying the vertical lines would run through the horizontal shelves but it would not be emphasized as much because it would be ghosted if on 255. That's a thought but this may require the creation of an additional layer which they are very reluctant to do around here. Thanks for the thought though I'll propose it.

[Keith™]

the color thingy might be doable ... except instead of using a special layer for it, put it on layer 0 with an entity color of 255 this way it won't be modified by the drafter or laymerged or any other process that would render the block unusable.

I can imagine a closed polyline with an associated solid hatch then when the block is stretched, the hatch fills the area. I am not sure how this would work for plotting though, it probably would just be a black spot on the plans.

[mjfarrell]

have you considered obscured linetype?

[drizzt]

I put mine on layer "wipeout" and color it 255. If you ever need the blocks to pop a bit more, you can then change the color of that layer to yellow or something.

[grush]

I set mine to color 255 with a screening of 1-2%.
That works fine when printing to pdf's.

[drizzt]

I set mine to color 255 with a screening of 1-2%.

great idea!