I'm trying to create blocks on the fly by drawing a polyline, using a jig, and then grabbing that polyline and creating a block from it.
I'm not interested in block names, so anonymous blocks seem to be the way to go. I've successfully managed to create the block and even add attributes to it. However, if I try and use battman or attsync AutoCAD tells me that "This drawing contains no attributed blocks." I can however double-click on the block and go to the enhanced attribute editor, which shows me the attributes with the tags I've given them. Exploding the block reveals that there is no nesting occuring.
My attributes seem to be stck in limbo...
The function that creates the stand is:
{
Transaction trans = ed.Document.TransactionManager.StartOpenCloseTransaction();
try
{
//create new instance of the polyline jig
polylineJig.polylineJig plJig = new polylineJig.polylineJig();
promptStatusResult = plJig.newJig();
if (promptStatusResult != PromptStatus.OK)
{
return;
}
//select the last created object (in this case, the polyline)
PromptSelectionResult psr = ed.SelectLast();
if (psr != null)
{
BlockTable blockTable = (BlockTable)trans.GetObject(db.BlockTableId, OpenMode.ForWrite);
BlockTableRecord space = (BlockTableRecord)trans.GetObject(db.CurrentSpaceId, OpenMode.ForWrite);
//create an anonymous block
BlockTableRecord newBtr = new BlockTableRecord();
newBtr.Name = "*U";
//set the origin to the left most vertex
newBtr.Origin = findBasePoint(psr);
//if there is an origin
if (newBtr.Origin != null)
{
//add the new block table record to the block table
blockTable.Add(newBtr);
//add new block to database
trans.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(newBtr, true);
//add the objectIds of the selected objects (polyline) to the objectId collection
ObjectId[] IDs = psr.Value.GetObjectIds();
ObjectIdCollection objIdCol = new ObjectIdCollection();
foreach (ObjectId ID in IDs)
{
objIdCol.Add(ID);
}
//move the objectIds to the new blockTable
newBtr.AssumeOwnershipOf(objIdCol);
//create a new block reference from the block table record
BlockReference newBlock = new BlockReference(newBtr.Origin, newBtr.ObjectId);
space.AppendEntity(newBlock);
trans.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(newBlock, true);
//create attInfo dictionary
Dictionary<ObjectId, AttInfo> attInfo = new Dictionary<ObjectId, AttInfo>();
addXrecords(ref newBlock);
addAttributes(ref newBlock, ref attInfo);
setAttributes(ref newBlock);
trans.Commit();
trans.Dispose();
}
else
{
trans.Abort();
}
}
}
catch (System.Exception ex)
{
ed.WriteMessage("\n Something failed: " + ex.ToString());
trans.Abort();
}
}
The addAttributes function:
private void addAttributes(ref BlockReference block, ref Dictionary<ObjectId, AttInfo> attInfo)
{
Transaction trans = ed.Document.TransactionManager.StartTransaction();
try
{
string[] tags = {"NO", "COMPANY", "AREA"};
AttachmentPoint[] points = {AttachmentPoint.TopLeft, AttachmentPoint.MiddleMid, AttachmentPoint.BottomRight};
for( int i = 0; i < tags.Length; i++){
//create an attribute reference
AttributeReference attRef = new AttributeReference();
attRef.Tag = tags[i];
attRef.Justify = points[i];
attRef.Visible = true;
attRef.Position = block.Position;
attRef.AlignmentPoint = block.Position;
ObjectId attRefId = new ObjectId();
attRefId = block.AttributeCollection.AppendAttribute(attRef);
if (attRef.Tag != "STANDAREA")
attRef.TextString = "";
else
{
//check for extension dictionary
if (attRef.ExtensionDictionary.IsNull)
attRef.CreateExtensionDictionary();
DBDictionary extDict = (DBDictionary)trans.GetObject(attRef.ExtensionDictionary, OpenMode.ForRead);
//check for field dictionary
if (!extDict.Contains("ACAD_FIELD"))
{
DBDictionary acadFieldDict = new DBDictionary();
extDict.UpgradeOpen();
extDict.SetAt("ACAD_FIELD", acadFieldDict);
}
DBDictionary fieldDict = (DBDictionary)trans.GetObject(extDict.GetAt("ACAD_FIELD"), OpenMode.ForRead);
//check for field
if (!fieldDict.Contains("TEXT"))
{
Field textField = new Field();
fieldDict.SetAt("TEXT", textField);
}
Field field = (Field)trans.GetObject(fieldDict.GetAt("TEXT"), OpenMode.ForWrite);
string stringID = block.ObjectId.OldIdPtr.ToString();
string updateString = "%<\\AcObjProp.16.2 Object(%<\\_ObjId " + pLine.ObjectId + ">%,1).Area \\f " + "\"" + "%lu2%zs12%ct8[1e-006]" + "\"" + ">%";
string fieldCode = field.GetFieldCode(FieldCodeFlags.AddMarkers);
string newFieldCode = fieldCode.Replace("?BlockRefId", updateString);
field.SetFieldCode(newFieldCode);
}
trans.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(attRef, true);
//initialise dictionary with object id of attref and attdef info
attInfo.Add(attRefId, new AttInfo(attRef.Position, attRef.AlignmentPoint, attRef.Justify != AttachmentPoint.BaseLeft));
}
trans.Commit();
trans.Dispose();
ed.WriteMessage("\naddAttributes completed successfully");
}
catch (Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime.Exception ex)
{
ed.WriteMessage("\naddAttributes()");
ed.WriteMessage("\nError: " + ex.Message);
trans.Abort();
}
}The field code is taken from another one of my files, which works, but uses an existing block definition within the drawing. As this is creating an anonymous block, there is no existing block definition, save the one I create earlier on in the calling function.
I've attached the file for anyone to look at/play with.
Hopefully I'm doing something wrong that's obvious to one of you gurus. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
MrRamsden
... never read such a wish in a forum, great! 
