AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies (2006)

372 Going Dynamic

Table 2-1 (continued)

Base Point

374 Going Dynamic

7.In the Properties palette, change the properties under the Property Labels, Geometry, and Misc areas to change the behavior of the parameter.

The Properties palette allows you to control the different types of properties associated with each parameter type. The properties vary based on each parameter.

8.In the Block Editor, click Save Block Definition on the toolbar.

A message box appears that allows you to save the changes to the block definition or cancel the current save.

9.In the message box, click Yes to save the changes made.

The message box closes. You can stay in the Block Editor to add actions, or click Close Block Editor to exit.

Adding actions

You add actions to a block by using the Block Authoring Palettes or the BACTIONTOOL command. The following steps use the Block Authoring Palettes to add a move action to a point parameter in a block:

1.Open an existing block using the Edit Block Definition dialog box, or create a new block using the Block Definition dialog box and make sure that the Open Block in Editor option is checked. If you create a new block, you need to first add a parameter to the block.

For information on the Edit Block Definition dialog box, see the section “Editing a block definition” earlier in this chapter. For information on the Block Definition dialog box, see Chapter 1 in this minibook.

2.In the Block Editor, if the Block Authoring Palettes interface is not displayed, click the Authoring Palettes button on the Block Editor toolbar.

The Block Authoring Palettes interface appears.

3.On the Block Authoring Palettes interface, click the Actions tab and then click the Move Action tool.

The Parameters tab is displayed and the BACTIONTOOL command starts with the Point option.

4.At the command line or dynamic input tooltip, select the parameter that you want to associate with the action.

The command line prompt is as follows:

Command: _BActionTool Move Select parameter:

Based on the parameter you selected, you may need to associate the action with a parameter point.

376 Going Dynamic

Using parameter sets

Using parameter sets is no different than placing a parameter and then an action. They simplify the process of having to place each individually by combining the two into a streamlined process. To use a parameter set, display the Block Authoring Palettes interface while in the Block Editor and click the Parameter Sets tab. When the Parameter Sets tab is active, click the parameter set you want to use and follow the prompts at the command line or the dynamic input tooltip.

Visibility states

You can use visibility states to control the display of geometry within a block. This can be a great advantage when you are doing drawings and need to change out a block from one to another. For example, you may have a plumbing drawing that uses several types of valves. You can use one block to represent six types of valves. In releases prior to AutoCAD 2006, you had to erase the block and then find the other block to insert, which takes time. You can accomplish this task much more quickly by using dynamic blocks and visibility states. The Visibility States dialog box, shown in Figure 2-6, allows you to create, rename, delete, set current, or change the order of a visibility state for the block.

Figure 2-6:

Managing and creating visibility states in one place.

Follow these steps to place a visibility parameter in a block:

1.Open an existing block using the Edit Block Definition dialog box, or create a new block using the Block Definition dialog box and make sure the Open Block in Editor option is checked.

For information on the Edit Block Definition dialog box, see the section “Editing a block definition” earlier in this chapter. For information on the Block Definition dialog box, see Chapter 1 in this minibook.

378 Using Dynamic Blocks

3.Enter a name in the Visibility State Name text box.

You use the name to select and manage the visibility state when the block has been inserted into the drawing.

4.Specify one of the three options under the Visibility Options for New States.

These options control the display of the geometry in the drawing. You can hide or show all the objects in the block, or leave the objects as they appear based on the current visibility state.

5.Click OK.

The New Visibility State dialog box is closed, and you are returned to the Visibility States dialog box. The new visibility state is listed in the list box.

6.In the Visibility State dialog box, click OK.

The Visibility State dialog box is closed, and you are returned to the Block Editor.

7.In the Block Editor, select the visibility state you want to modify by choosing it from the Visibility State drop-down list on the toolbar.

The visibility state is set current.

8.Click either the Make Visible or Make Invisible.

If you click Make Visible, all the geometry currently marked as invisible is displayed in a light gray color so you can select them and make them visible again. If you click Make Invisible, only the visible geometry is displayed, allowing you to select which should not be displayed.

9.Click the visibility state from the Visibility State drop-down list that you want to use as the default state.

The selected visibility state will be the one that is displayed when the block is initially inserted into the drawing.

10.On the Block Editor toolbar, click the Save Block Definition button.

A message box appears that allows you to save the changes to the block definition or cancel the current save.

11.Click Yes to save the changes made.

The message box closes. You can stay in the Block Editor to add actions or click Close Block Editor to exit the Block Editor.

Using Dynamic Blocks

Dynamic blocks can be used and modified similar to how you use a legacy block, including the methods you use for inserting blocks, editing attributes,

380 Dynamic Blocks in Older Releases

Using a dynamic block’s custom grips

To modify a dynamic block, you can select the block to enable its grips and manipulate the geometry assigned to the parameter and action. You can also use the Properties palette to manipulate custom properties of a dynamic block under the Custom area. Select the custom property in the Properties palette and change its value. Some custom properties reference points, rotation angles, or a list of values.

Resetting a dynamic block

You may want to reset a dynamic block to its initial state. You can reinsert the block, but that requires unnecessary work. AutoCAD allows you to reset a dynamic block to its initial state by using the Reset Block option from the shortcut menu that appears when you select the block and right-click. Doing so resets only the custom properties of the block and none of the attribute values.

The RESETBLOCK command allows you to reset multiple block references at a single time.

Dynamic Blocks in Older Releases

When an AutoCAD 2007 file is saved to an older release (with the exception of AutoCAD 2006), the dynamic blocks appear as if they were static blocks. Dynamic blocks when listed in a release prior to AutoCAD 2006 show as anonymous blocks, which is a name that is assigned by AutoCAD and not the name that the block is given when it is created. The custom properties do not work in an older release because the release doesn’t understand the information. If the block is left unaltered in an older release after it is saved to a previous version, the dynamic properties of the block will work again when the drawing is reopened in AutoCAD 2006 or later. If the dynamic block contains Fields in its attributes, AutoCAD displays the Field values with their last updated value.

Because dynamic blocks are relatively new, older applications that are used to extend AutoCAD and work with blocks may not work correctly with dynamic blocks. You must test each application that manipulates blocks with dynamic blocks, and if they don’t work correctly, you need to contact the vendor of the application to see if an updated version is available.