Help with Angular-Dimension-Based Dynamic Door Block

[nrz13]

First off, sorry for posting yet another message requesting help with a dynamic door block.

I'm experimenting with redoing our dynamic door block, which currently uses a scaled arc and visiblity states to control the angle.  I recently read about making a dynamic door block using an angular dimension for the door swing, which automatically adjusts to the rotation of the door panel.  I've tried tackling this challenge from two different angles (terrible pun intended), but I ended up being stumped either way.

Method 1:  I move the width grip and everything works perfectly and smoothly until I change the door swing to anything but 90 degrees and then change the opening width.

Method 2:  I get everything working, but I require two separate grips: one for the door panel and one for the opening width.  I would love for them to be linked since they're changing by the same distance (just different angles).

I've attached the drawings below.  I plan on adding vertical and horizontal flips to the block after I get it working (assuming it can be done).

Thanks!

[nrz13]

For anyone who's interested, I've modified the version with lookups by adding flip grips and a threshold line visibility state.  It's attached below.

[Anonymous]

Probably an open door,

But why don't you use block as made in attachemend?

Its only a trial version but this way you don't use a lookup table and can add everything you want

Regards

Thomas

[nrz13]

Thomas:

Thanks for posting your drawing.  Unfortunately, with it set up using the scale command, the door panel thickness also changes, which I do not want.  Also, there are several alignment issues that present themselves as the block is adjusted in the test block you posted.

[Anonymous]

Whel now it is getting interesting.

What about block in attachement.

Most alignment problems you probably can sort out on your one.

but i added a few constrains (very first time i used them in a useful way :D) to keep the distance of the door the same.

Regards

Thomas

[nrz13]

Thomas:

Thanks for keeping with it.  I've never used constraints before...not entirely sure how they work.  I've been reading up on them just now and it all seems pretty complex.  I'll keep studying it and see what I can do with it.

However, if you start changing the door size and angle on the block that you posted, it falls apart pretty quickly, so I'm not sure if that's the way to go in this case.

[Anonymous]

And what about this one? (only conceptual)

If it works fro you i will explain you how to make it yoruself

Regards

Thomas

P.S.: sory for short responses, mutlitasking 😄

[nrz13]

Thomas:

In concept it appears to work, but I can't get it to work on my own block properly.  I've attached what happens to it after adjusting it with the constraints.  I tried to set it up like the example you posted, and it looks the same as far as I can tell, except the perpendicular constraints didn't put the little blue dots on the corners.

[Anonymous]

can you do me a favor and try to make the block exactly the same way i did?

Whitout extra parameters and stuff.

This will make it easyer for me to explain how i made my one.

And i am trying to upload a video of how i created the block but this will take some thime.

Regards

thomas 

[nrz13]

Thomas:

Drawing attached.  I noticed that I had not removed a stretch action on the door panel, so that vastly helped the outcome.  However, the door panel end is not moving with the block, but if I delete it, the perpendicular constraints go away.

One other thought as I've been reading about this:  are these blocks with constraints going to break if they are opened in older versions of AutoCAD?  We occasionally send drawings out in 2004 format, which wouldn't support the constraints, so will the door blocks break or what?  I don't need them to function in the older version, just retain the size, angle, and width that was last displayed in AutoCAD 2012.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

This is why i use the coincident points. 

I constrained the end of the door to its two side pannels.

Are you still interested in the movie? (i will be able to upload it tomorow i think)

And i am afraid i don't have eny experience whit older versions of autocad.

So can't answer on that question.

Regards

Thomas

[nrz13]

Thomas:

Sorry for the delayed reply...usually I get an email when I have a response, but not this time for some reason.  I would say don't worry about investing the time in the movie.  I don't understand the possible repercussions of sending this down to a version that doesn't support constraints and then bringing it back into 2012.  And for some reason, when I try to use constraints they keep disappearing on me.  Sometimes they show up, sometimes not.

I would say that Charles' solution is still the simplest of all, if we could just figure out how he did it.  It doesn't have any lookups (for the door, anyway; you can delete the one for the text in there and the door still works fine) and it only uses one linear parameter to control the opening and the door panel width.

Otherwise, the one with lookups that Ojuris posted (and that I edited) works fine, but I'd just prefer a simpler solution since I know it's possible.  If I or someone else has to edit the doors in the future, it'd be nice to quickly and easily see what's going on.  The lookups complicate it by having the same data in 6 different places versus 1.

[Anonymous]

Yea constrains can be a real pain.

But for what it's whort here is the video:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_RZcuIH5hb1b2h0aFBDN3NNMkk

Regards

Thomas

[nrz13]

Thomas:

Thanks for posting the video.  I watched it a couple of times and I appear to be doing everything you are, except where the constraints are concerned.  The equal and perpendicular constraints apply fine, but AutoCAD seemingly won't let me place the coincident ones where you clicked.  And even if I were able to follow along, it's a tough concept for me to get my head around.  I'm not sure exactly how all the constraints are doing what they're doing (or exactly what they're doing once the block starts functioning dynamically).  At any rate, in this case we know we can do the door without constraints and that it is a simpler solution, so that's what I'll still try for.  Thanks again for your input, though, and the time you invested in making the video.

[nrz13]

I'm going on vacation for a couple of weeks and will follow-up with this thread upon my return.  Thanks, all.

[Charles_Shade]

Couple weeks?

I need that job!

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I know you won't be back for a while, but figured I could add my two cents. 

Looking at the video Thomas posted, I saw that in selecting the "coincident" points, your cursor has to be hovering over the line you want to associate the parameter with. Said another way, move your cursor to select the line and make the red box appear over the point you want to apply the parameter to.  There are two lines and while it may look like your telling Autocad to make a point coincident with itself, you aren't.

---

@nrz13 wrote:

... I'm not sure exactly how all the constraints are doing what they're doing (or exactly what they're doing once the block starts functioning dynamically).  ...

---

This is what they do in a nutshell.  While you may have drawn objects with a certain property(length, diameter, center-point,...), in a dynamic block, they may change their properties (e.g. length, radius, width,...) with some of the dynamic actions (stretch, rotate,...).  These parameters "constrain" or "fix" the different properties of the objects to their present value.  For example, a coincident parametric constraint ensures that those two points always have the same (x,y,z) value.  That point may change, but it will change for both of them.  HTH

(In my opinion, Autodesk is trying to include something they've needed to for a long time.  SolidWorks has had this ability forever.  Yes, that's a 3D specific software, but you'd think that Autodesk could have come up with this a little sooner than they did (2010?).  The stretch command usually does what I want, but it would be nice if they could come up with a way to constrain things as you're drawing.)

Brandon Gingerich

[nrz13]

Brandon:

Thanks for the info.  I'm overwhelmed at the moment with backlogged work from my vacation, but I'll try out your tip when my workload frees up again.

[nrz13]

Sorry for taking so long to get back.  I'm probably not going to have much time to work on this much right now, but I did want to say that given all the issues with the alternative blocks I previously mentioned, I think I still want to try and figure out how to get it to work with just a single linear parameter and no constraints, like the first block Charles posted (attached below).

If anyone can help me with figuring out what Charles' block has that mine doesn't to make it work, please let me know.  My block is also attached below.

Thanks!

[ojuris]

hi!

You must include stretch action (in Your block with name "Strech") in rotate action

Juris

[nrz13]

Juris:

You don't know how many times I've compared these two blocks trying to find the answer and all along it was something simple!  Thanks!

One issue, though.  Although moving the linear parameter into the door panel stretch action initially solves the arc problem, when the block is flipped, either vertically or horizontally, the door goes back to behaving the way it did before.

The first thing I thought was that the linear parameter needed to be added back into the flip states, but it's in both of them.  Any idea of what is going on here?

Thanks again!