Topic: Block References, Attributes, and Attribute Synchronization

[Keith Brown]

I have an application where I am inserting block references into a paperspace into a side database.  If the block reference contains certain attributes then I am populating the attributes with calculated text.  The issue that I am having is that the text is not formatting properly.  The attributes are set to be center justified but the resulting attribute is not.  After running the routine I open up the created drawing and select the attribute.  The text says that it is center justified but it is not displayed that way.  I can do an attribute sync at the command line and the text will snap into its correct location.


So I thought that I would just need to synchronize the attributes in code.  Using giles brute force method here.  Unfortunately it does not correct the incorrect justification.  I can follow the code through and see that it is setting the position of the text correctly.


I have followed the instructions in this post and followed all links about as far as you can go but without much success.  Here is the code that I am using to add my attributes to a block reference.

Code - C#: [Select]

1. public static void AddAttributeReferences(this BlockReference blockReference, Dictionary<string, string> attributeValues)
2. {
3.         if (blockReference == null)
4.         {
5.                 throw new ArgumentNullException("blockReference");
6.         }
7.  
8.  
9.         var transaction = blockReference.Database.TransactionManager.TopTransaction;
10.         if (transaction == null)
11.         {
12.                 throw new AcRx.Exception(ErrorStatus.NoActiveTransactions);
13.         }
14.  
15.  
16.         var blockTableRecord = blockReference.BlockTableRecord.GetObject<BlockTableRecord>();
17.         var database = blockReference.Database;
18.  
19.  
20.         foreach (var objectId in blockTableRecord)
21.         {
22.                 if (objectId.ObjectClass != GlobalAcad.AttributeDefinitionClass)
23.                 {
24.                         continue;
25.                 }
26.  
27.  
28.                 using (new WorkingDatabaseSwitcher(database))
29.                 {
30.                         var attributeDefinition = objectId.GetObject<AttributeDefinition>();
31.                         var attributeReference = new AttributeReference();
32.                         attributeReference.SetDatabaseDefaults(database);
33.                         attributeReference.SetAttributeFromBlock(attributeDefinition, blockReference.BlockTransform);
34.                         if (attributeValues != null && attributeValues.ContainsKey(attributeDefinition.Tag.ToUpper()))
35.                         {
36.                                 if (attributeReference.IsMTextAttribute)
37.                                 {
38.                                         attributeReference.MTextAttribute.Contents = attributeValues[attributeDefinition.Tag];
39.                                 }
40.                                 else
41.                                 {
42.                                         attributeReference.TextString = attributeValues[attributeDefinition.Tag];
43.                                 }
44.  
45.  
46.                                 if (attributeDefinition.Justify != AttachmentPoint.BaseLeft)
47.                                 {
48.                                         attributeReference.AlignmentPoint = attributeDefinition.AlignmentPoint.TransformBy(blockReference.BlockTransform);
49.                                         attributeReference.AdjustAlignment(database);
50.                                 }
51.                         }
52.  
53.  
54.                         blockReference.AttributeCollection.AppendAttribute(attributeReference);
55.                         transaction.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(attributeReference, true);
56.                 }
57.         }
58. }

I have tried many different possiblities including trying to set the position, etc.  Everything I have read however states that you just need to set the alignment point and then make a call to AdjustAlignment.  This works in other applications where I am using the active document but for some reason I cannot get it to work in a side database.  Anyone have any additional ideas?

[Keith Brown]

Well as usual about 5 minutes after posting this issue I have been working on for about 2 days I figured it out.  I had previously wrote a attribute sync method to try and get the attributes to sync up but had the same issue.  After making changes to my attribute insertion code I had forgotten to make the changes to my sync code.  So I was properly inserting the attributes and they would center up nicely but then when the synchronization code ran it would move them back to the wrong spot.  Once i updated the sync code and removed it from this application (it was no longer needed) everything worked as expected.  (Working in side databases can be a pain sometimes)


For anyone interested in the sync code I started with Giles code from here.  I made some modifications for it to work with a side database and justifications other then left center and ended up with the code below.


The original block reference add attribute insert code and the attribute sync code.

Code - C#: [Select]

1. /// <summary>
2. ///     Adds attribute references to the block reference.
3. /// </summary>
4. /// <param name="blockReference">The block reference to add to.</param>
5. /// <param name="attributeValues">The attribute values.</param>
6. /// <exception cref="System.ArgumentNullException">
7. /// If the BlockTableRecord is null.
8. /// </exception>
9. /// <exception cref="Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime.Exception">
10. /// If there are no active transactions.
11. /// </exception>
12. public static void AddAttributeReferences(this BlockReference blockReference, Dictionary<string, string> attributeValues)
13. {
14.         if (blockReference == null)
15.         {
16.                 throw new ArgumentNullException("blockReference");
17.         }
18.  
19.  
20.         var database = blockReference.Database;
21.         var transaction = database.TransactionManager.TopTransaction;
22.         if (transaction == null)
23.         {
24.                 throw new AcRx.Exception(ErrorStatus.NoActiveTransactions);
25.         }
26.  
27.  
28.         var blockTableRecord = blockReference.BlockTableRecord.GetObject<BlockTableRecord>();
29.  
30.  
31.         foreach (var objectId in blockTableRecord)
32.         {
33.                 if (objectId.ObjectClass != GlobalAcad.AttributeDefinitionClass)
34.                 {
35.                         continue;
36.                 }
37.                
38.                 var attributeDefinition = objectId.GetObject<AttributeDefinition>();
39.                 var attributeReference = new AttributeReference();
40.                 attributeReference.SetDatabaseDefaults(database);
41.                 attributeReference.SetAttributeFromBlock(attributeDefinition, blockReference.BlockTransform);
42.                 if (attributeValues != null && attributeValues.ContainsKey(attributeDefinition.Tag.ToUpper()))
43.                 {
44.                         if (attributeReference.IsMTextAttribute)
45.                         {
46.                                 attributeReference.MTextAttribute.Contents = attributeValues[attributeDefinition.Tag];
47.                         }
48.                         else
49.                         {
50.                                 attributeReference.TextString = attributeValues[attributeDefinition.Tag];
51.                         }
52.  
53.  
54.                         if (attributeDefinition.Justify != AttachmentPoint.BaseLeft)
55.                         {
56.                                 using (new WorkingDatabaseSwitcher(database))
57.                                 {
58.                                         attributeReference.AlignmentPoint = attributeDefinition.AlignmentPoint.TransformBy(blockReference.BlockTransform);
59.                                         attributeReference.AdjustAlignment(database);
60.                                 }
61.                         }
62.                 }
63.  
64.  
65.                 blockReference.AttributeCollection.AppendAttribute(attributeReference);
66.                 transaction.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(attributeReference, true);
67.         }
68. }
69.  
70.  
71. /// <summary>
72. ///     Resets the attributes on a block reference.
73. /// </summary>
74. /// <param name="blockReference">The block reference.</param>
75. /// <param name="attributeDefinitions">
76. /// The attribute definitions to reset.
77. /// </param>
78. public static void ResetAttributes(this BlockReference blockReference, List<AttributeDefinition> attributeDefinitions)
79. {
80.         if (blockReference == null)
81.         {
82.                 throw new ArgumentNullException("blockReference");
83.         }
84.         var database = blockReference.Database;
85.         var transaction = database.TransactionManager.TopTransaction;
86.         if (transaction == null)
87.         {
88.                 throw new AcRx.Exception(ErrorStatus.NoActiveTransactions);
89.         }
90.  
91.  
92.         var attributeValues = new Dictionary<string, string>();
93.         foreach (ObjectId objectId in blockReference.AttributeCollection)
94.         {
95.                 if (!objectId.IsErased)
96.                 {
97.                         var attributeReference = objectId.GetObject<AttributeReference>(OpenMode.ForWrite);
98.                         attributeValues.Add(attributeReference.Tag, attributeReference.IsMTextAttribute ? attributeReference.MTextAttribute.Contents : attributeReference.TextString);
99.                         attributeReference.Erase();
100.                 }
101.         }
102.  
103.  
104.         foreach (var attributeDefinition in attributeDefinitions)
105.         {
106.                 var attributeReference = new AttributeReference();
107.                 attributeReference.SetAttributeFromBlock(attributeDefinition, blockReference.BlockTransform);
108.                 if (attributeValues.ContainsKey(attributeDefinition.Tag))
109.                 {
110.                         if (attributeReference.IsMTextAttribute)
111.                         {
112.                                 attributeReference.MTextAttribute.Contents = attributeValues[attributeDefinition.Tag];
113.                         }
114.                         else
115.                         {
116.                                 attributeReference.TextString = attributeValues[attributeDefinition.Tag];
117.                         }
118.  
119.  
120.  
121.  
122.                         if (attributeDefinition.Justify != AttachmentPoint.BaseLeft)
123.                         {
124.                                 using (new WorkingDatabaseSwitcher(database))
125.                                 {
126.                                         attributeReference.AlignmentPoint = attributeDefinition.AlignmentPoint.TransformBy(blockReference.BlockTransform);
127.                                         attributeReference.AdjustAlignment(database);
128.                                 }
129.                         }
130.                 }
131.  
132.  
133.                 blockReference.AttributeCollection.AppendAttribute(attributeReference);
134.                 transaction.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(attributeReference, true);
135.         }
136. }

[Jeff H]

Sounds like you need a rubby ducky to talk to.

[Keith Brown]

The sad thing is that i gave one to all of my coworkers last Christmas.  In my defense I did talk it out with myself and a couple workers last week and this morning but could come up with nothing.