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Overlapping Blocks on Drawings / Seeing through blocks / We don't want

9 REPLIES 9
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Message 1 of 10
rjtcm1
6248 Views, 9 Replies

Overlapping Blocks on Drawings / Seeing through blocks / We don't want

"Hi, I do not know how to prevent seeing through a block that gets put on top of another block. e.g. I lay down a din rail. Then I want to put my ACAD E block (panel symbol) on top of the din rail. I do not want to see the din rail portion behind/through the panel symbol that I just put down. Do I have to explode and trim the din rail lines within the block that I put on top? Or, are there other ways to create overlaying/overlapping like what is used in MS Visio and other graphics programs? Is there a top/bottom -or- front/back feature that my AutoCAD guys don't know about? We are setting up our Panel Symbol Library and this is a critical issue for us. Please, could someone explain my options. I had assumed we could do this since I've done this on a couple of other tools like Visio in the past. Now I'm told that it was a wrong assumption. Any help or suggestions is appreciated.
9 REPLIES 9
Message 2 of 10
Anonymous
in reply to: rjtcm1

rjtcm1 The way I would recommend to get your desired results is using the AutoCAD REFEDIT command(you can type refedit at the command line). Each time you insert dinrail, it is created on the fly and therefore each one will have a unique block name. Since each instance of the dinrail has a unique block name, we have the ability to make use of this refedit feature. This will allow you to modify each particular instance of the dinrail to meet the specific needs in that area. Say you ran a refedit on a push button, it would modify each and every instance of a push button on that drawing because they all have the same block name. You will actually trim out the dinrail around the components you are showing mounted on it and you should have the results you are looking for. I hope this helps! -- Regards, Jared Bunch Technical Support Specialist Autodesk, Inc "rjtcm1" wrote in message news:29993819.1074038343904.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum1.autodesk.com... > "Hi, I do not know how to prevent seeing through a block that gets put on top of another block. e.g. I lay down a din rail. Then I want to put my ACAD E block (panel symbol) on top of the din rail. I do not want to see the din rail portion behind/through the panel symbol that I just put down. Do I have to explode and trim the din rail lines within the block that I put on top? Or, are there other ways to create overlaying/overlapping like what is used in MS Visio and other graphics programs? Is there a top/bottom -or- front/back feature that my AutoCAD guys don't know about? We are setting up our Panel Symbol Library and this is a critical issue for us. Please, could someone explain my options. I had assumed we could do this since I've done this on a couple of other tools like Visio in the past. Now I'm told that it was a wrong assumption. Any help or suggestions is appreciated.
Message 3 of 10
rjtcm1
in reply to: rjtcm1

Simply put; I want to know if I can overlay blocks and NOT have to use the TRIM Command. Can I cover without TRIMming ?
For a layman; The ACAD E view to be as if they are actual physical objects blocking the views of each other.
Note; A Jared Bunch \(Autodesk, Inc from the discussion group made a recommendation using REFEDIT. This is not what we want. The point, using something other than a din rail, like a mounting panel, relay socket, then the relay on top. If I mount a relay on top of the socket, I do not want to see the details of the socket through the relay.
Message 4 of 10
Anonymous
in reply to: rjtcm1

rjtcm1 There is nothing that I know of. I know there isn't any Electrical specific functionality that would do this. You may try posting this in the AutoCAD group as it would be part of the core AutoCAD functionality. -- Regards, Jared Bunch Technical Support Specialist Autodesk, Inc "rjtcm1" wrote in message news:17160581.1074101372165.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum1.autodesk.com... > Simply put; I want to know if I can overlay blocks and NOT have to use the TRIM Command. Can I cover without TRIMming ? > For a layman; The ACAD E view to be as if they are actual physical objects blocking the views of each other. > Note; A Jared Bunch \(Autodesk, Inc from the discussion group made a recommendation using REFEDIT. This is not what we want. The point, using something other than a din rail, like a mounting panel, relay socket, then the relay on top. If I mount a relay on top of the socket, I do not want to see the details of the socket through the relay.
Message 5 of 10
MartinLee
in reply to: rjtcm1

At McKee Foods, we had a lisp routine created that uses the Mline command. Our dinrail mounted footprint symbols have a node on either side, so we can draw node to node to show dinrail. Unfortunately this was done in visual lisp and the source file was deleted, so we can't modify the file. But it works quite nicely when using Osnap to the node and repeating the command.
Message 6 of 10
Anonymous
in reply to: rjtcm1

If you make your blocks with regions and insert them 1/16" above the din rail then use hide plot then the din rail will be hidden by the region. The better option is to create all of your panel objects as 3D solids (including the din rail) then in paperspace run soldraw or solprof which will create hidden lines for all objects that are behind the inserted item. -- Phil Custer II, PE Custer Services, Inc. custer@landfillgas.com "MartinLee" wrote in message news:16850582.1074108079906.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum2.autodesk.com... > At McKee Foods, we had a lisp routine created that uses the Mline command. Our dinrail mounted footprint symbols have a node on either side, so we can draw node to node to show dinrail. Unfortunately this was done in visual lisp and the source file was deleted, so we can't modify the file. But it works quite nicely when using Osnap to the node and repeating the command.
Message 7 of 10
MartinLee
in reply to: rjtcm1

Thanks for your suggestion. It looks to be a bit compiicated, and if were just me it might be worth a try. But we have several users in more than one location, so we tend to keep things on the simple side as much as possible. And these users' skills range from novice to very profficient with AutoCAD. Also, we have been using AutoCAD since the mid-80s (v2.18) when symbols libraries weren't commerically available. We had to create our own, so all of our ACADE symbols are a migration from that system.

Our way of drawing dinrail may be simple, but it is easy to use and it works.
Message 8 of 10
testsubject
in reply to: rjtcm1

Here is something you could do. It has worked for me. Go into the dwg drawing for each part. Offset all the lines and text that you want viewable @0,0,2.. Then draw a plline that matches the perimeter of the part. Select Draw/region and pick the pline you just created. Move this new region back @0,0,1. Now if you want to place each item side by side (like terminals) then create a line that starts at the insertion point and ends perp to the opposite side with z=0. I typically lay down a construction line at the insertion point of the dinrail and put it on a non plotting layer. you can then either insert the new part or just insert block and have it redefine the existing blocks. Now when you type Hide, the lines under the new block will be hidden. Just be sure that the viewport has HIde lines selected for plotting. This allows you to keep the dinrail as a AE block ( usually type in the length for CNT and "in" for UM this way it automatically adds up the lengths.)

I would recommend only doing the specific blocks that you will use all the time. It would take too much time to convert them all. After that, just convert the new ones you use.

I hope this helps. It make a little bit of time to set up, but after that it is a breeze. I have been using AE for about 7 years now and love its flexiblility.

Robert Hanrahan
Weigh Right Automatic Scale

PS

Sorry, Phil. I was just rereading this post and realized you said the same thing I just spelled out.
Message was edited by: testsubject


Bob Hanrahan
Ace User since 1998
If this answered your question, please click on "Accept Solution"
Message 9 of 10
Anonymous
in reply to: rjtcm1

Have you tried the Wipeout command? This is an express tool that creates a raster image in the current background color, effectively hiding the background entities. Create the Wipeout as an outline around each of the footprints blocks, then change the display order, moving the Wipeout to the back, (thus allowing the footprint to appear). When you insert the block, the wipeout should hide the underlying entities (dinrail) allowing the footprint to appear.

Let me know if this works for you.
Message 10 of 10
Anonymous
in reply to: rjtcm1

Well,
Here is a not proper way I am dealing with the din rail, though it would not be much help with the blocks and mounts.
I move the din rails onto their own layer. After the components are placed, I draw over the (few) areas where the rail shows. Then I hide the original din rail layer.
Lynne

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