Dynamic Blocks

[#1]

Niko, any way to explode the blocks and retain visuals?

[#2]

No, visual states do not exist outside dynamic blocks.

Nikolay

[#3]

Let me rephrase.  Is it possible to set a block like you need it, then explode it and have whatever it was set at but exploded.  I.E. Take your example block OneBlock-MultipleVisPars!.dwg and set the block to Group1 - Obj1 and Group2 - Obj1 then explode it.  I would expect to have 1 circle and 1 square.  Is this still not possible?  I can NCOPY out of block before it is exploded ok, so just wondering if it is possible.

[#4]

Of course if you explode your dynamic block reference right now you will lose all the extra visibility states.

But there is an interesting observation by Andrey Lazebny.

If you launch REFEDIT command and select reference AutoCAD will tell you that it is going to create a static definition. Reply OK. After saving new block definition and closing REFEDIT (!) you will see block reference as earlier and can explode it.

So you will get what you want!

[#5]

That worked perfect!!  I just need to make sure not to purge out the original block!  Thanks guys!  and again, very awsome programming.

[#6]

First of all I would like to apologize myself for the rudeness of my question

I am a student and my knowledge of AutoCAD is very limited.

A few weeks ago I started experimenting with the visibility features of AutoCAD and noticed the problems and restrictions of one visibility set. After some research I discovered the "mysteries of Autodesk’s caves". It was a punch in the face. As most people I was convinced I could handle my little problem in a matter of hours but this article showed how little I actually knew of AutoCAD. 

The next few days I studied everything I found concerning visibility-add and LISP but it wouldn’t help. To say it plain and simple: I don’t understand the basics of the program and wouldn’t know where to start looking for the explanation.

At this point I would prefer to follow some courses to at least try to understand the basics of these programs. But there comes the problem of time. I need the drawings for a project at school.

Therefore I humbly ask if there is somebody who can explain in a very simple way how I can use this nice piece of programming. Unless my interest in the hole concept my only goal is to make a drawing like the DWG file in the article.

I sincerely hope there is somebody who can help me with my problem and would like to complement you all with the work you have done on adjusting AutoCAD to everyone’s needs.

Thomas Leflere

[#7]

To understand the programs you need to know Visual LISP rather well. If you do not understand the mentioned programs using very deep knowledge of AutoCAD internal structure you may write to their author (A.Lazebny), email address is given at the "mysteries of Autodesk’s caves". I can answer some of your questions too because I took part in examining and publishing of the "mysteries" programs.

[#8]

That is exactly my problem. I don't understand Visual LISP at all. What I am asking for is way harder than understanding the program. I’m looking for a guideline so to say to use the visibility-add application without understanding the underlying programs. Starting from the block editor.

I know that it is not an easy task (and certainly not very defiantly). But I would be very grateful if somebody can help me with it.

Thomas leflere

[#9]

As was said ask and post your attempts here in this thread or in a new thread for guidance.

But I think several larger questions loom:

Why do you seek to do something that is outside of the core program?

Is this to impress your instructor?

Are you making your Dynamic Block far to complicated?

And you are using a full version of AutoCAD and not LT correct?

[#10]

First and foremost I would like to stress that impressing my teacher has nothing to do with it. If that was my goal I would have taken a complete other way with the project.

Further I would like to explain the project.

We are looking at the possibilities of AutoCAD to design residential ventilation installations.You buy ventilation pipes with standard lengths of 3m so we aren't speaking of very precise drawings. One of the last things you decide is the diameter of the tubes. This depends on the flow rate of the air. So my plan was to design a block with the possibility do change both length and diameter of the blocks. And this for tubes in 3D. This is why multiple visibility modes would be very handy.

But if this can’t be done with AutoCAD we probably we will look for other possibilities. If on the other hand it is possible in AutoCAD we can take the next step and bring in some guys who can work properly with the program.