Autocad 2014 Parametric blocks

[geordieboy]

We have a vba program running in excel which calculates the dimensions of various 2d generic drawings then updates the attributes in the drawings then save them under another name in a job file. These drawings are not re-drawn to scale so we redraw them in our cnc package (Radan).

We are just starting to update from autocad 2009 to 2014.

Not having worked with parametrics is it possible to use these values to update parametric drawings which we could save as DXF files and import into Radan. 

George

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> Not having worked with parametrics is it possible to use these values to update parametric drawings

Do you mean "parametric blocks" (dynamic blocks) or drawings with parametrics?

I don't know your CNC app, but I would first try to create a drawing manually with some parametric settings (or dynamic blocks) as you think to develop later in VBA (or VB.NET) and transfer then this DWG/DXF to your CNC system ... just to see if it can be imported error free.

If that is working then you can decide to develop an app based on that set of parametric drawings or dynamic blocks (...and I would do that in dotNET as afaik the parametrics info is not accessable with VBA-API, but I have not looked into this now).

- alfred -

[geordieboy]

They are at present 2d drawings with dimentional attributes (not drawn to scale).

The idea would be to redraw these to scale and add parametric dimensions so when updated they would be to scale 1:1

This would save us redrawing them when exported to DXfs for later importing to the Radan Software.

As these would now be parametric attributes - are they addressed to differently or the same as standard attributes?

George

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> As these would now be parametric attributes - are they addressed to differently or the same as standard attributes?

If you mean block-attributes when you say "standard attributes" then yes, it's different.

Look to the attached drawing, there are some geometric constraints (e.g. the parallel and rectangular icons) and dynamic dimensions (defining the length and width of the rectangle).

If I misunderstand something then show a drawing like you want to have it "with parametrics" (and don't forget to test it with your CNC-application, because if that software does not understand the type of objects you use it also makes no sense to develop in that direction).

- alfred -