How can I purge AutoCAD Blocks from my Drawing Resources in my custom template?

[mattslay]

In my IV2008 custom drawing DWG template, somehow I have three blocks in the
"AutoCAD Blocks" section of the "Drawing Resources" area of my drawing
template. I want to delete them. They are not used in the drawing and I do
not even know where they came from.

When I right click on them, the word "DELETE" is there, but it is greyed
out.

Any ideas?

[Anonymous]

Without seeing a list of the blocks I can only guess they are arrow heads
related to your dim styles and cannot be deleted.

[Anonymous]

mattslay,

The most likely reason you are unable to delete the block from the "AutoCAD
Blocks" section of the "Drawing Resources" is that the block is in use on
one of your sheets. For a given sheet, if there are blocks in use, there
should be a "AutoCAD Blocks" group where each item is an instance of a
block. Go to each sheet and delete the instances (the instances should
cross-highlight in the graphics to show you where they are used) then go
back to the "Drawing Resources"->"AutoCAD Blocks" and see if the delete is
now enabled.

If this doesn't work, please post your dwg.

Thanks,
- Matt

wrote in message news:5872655@discussion.autodesk.com...
In my IV2008 custom drawing DWG template, somehow I have three blocks in the
"AutoCAD Blocks" section of the "Drawing Resources" area of my drawing
template. I want to delete them. They are not used in the drawing and I do
not even know where they came from.

When I right click on them, the word "DELETE" is there, but it is greyed
out.

Any ideas?

[Anonymous]

Here's a new blank drawing created by Ctrl+Shift > New. As you can see it
comes with an arrow head block that can't be deleted.

[Anonymous]

Dave,

Good point. I have two comments (which you may already be aware of):
1. The Ctrl-Shift->New dwg is simply the Standard.dwg located in your
templates folder. You could save an idw as Standard.dwg so that your
starting dwg's do not have any AutoCAD blocks.
2. If you'd like to remove the usage of these arrowhead blocks, you would
need to open the dwg in Autocad and modify the dimstyles to not reference
the Filled-2 block. Once that is done, the option to delete in Inventor
becomes available. This kind of workflow is necessary for any AutoCAD block
usages that are not exposed through Inventor.

Thanks,
- Matt


"Dave Hoder" wrote in message
news:5872985@discussion.autodesk.com...
Here's a new blank drawing created by Ctrl+Shift > New. As you can see it
comes with an arrow head block that can't be deleted.

[Anonymous]

1. I didn't know that. Why does Ctrl+Shift omit everything but the ACAD
blocks? Our dwg template was created from our idw template and has never
been an ACAD drawing. (we switched from idw to dwg in 2008)
2. I opened the template in AutoCAD and changed the dim styles so they
didn't reference any blocks. I then purged all until there were no entities
to purge (I saw the Filled block purge out). When I opened the template in
Inventor the ACAD block was gone, however when I saved the block
re-appeared. I re-opened the template in AutoCAD and the block is back. This
tells me it's being created by the Filled terminator in the Inventor dim
style. As another experiment I created an isolated project with the template
directory as ./ and created a blank idw and saved it as a dwg - the Filled
block appeared in that drawing also.


"Matthew Smith (Autodesk)" wrote in
message news:5873580@discussion.autodesk.com...
Dave,

Good point. I have two comments (which you may already be aware of):
1. The Ctrl-Shift->New dwg is simply the Standard.dwg located in your
templates folder. You could save an idw as Standard.dwg so that your
starting dwg's do not have any AutoCAD blocks.
2. If you'd like to remove the usage of these arrowhead blocks, you would
need to open the dwg in Autocad and modify the dimstyles to not reference
the Filled-2 block. Once that is done, the option to delete in Inventor
becomes available. This kind of workflow is necessary for any AutoCAD block
usages that are not exposed through Inventor.

Thanks,
- Matt


"Dave Hoder" wrote in message
news:5872985@discussion.autodesk.com...
Here's a new blank drawing created by Ctrl+Shift > New. As you can see it
comes with an arrow head block that can't be deleted.

[Anonymous]

Dave,

After investigating further, I've found that you are correct. The blocks
are being created due to the Inventor dimension style's arrowhead to deal
with the disparity of arrowhead graphical representation between Inventor
and AutoCAD. So I believe that for all intents and purposes you will not be
able to get rid of these blocks as you originally surmised.

Thanks,
- Matt

"Dave Hoder" wrote in message
news:5873811@discussion.autodesk.com...
1. I didn't know that. Why does Ctrl+Shift omit everything but the ACAD
blocks? Our dwg template was created from our idw template and has never
been an ACAD drawing. (we switched from idw to dwg in 2008)
2. I opened the template in AutoCAD and changed the dim styles so they
didn't reference any blocks. I then purged all until there were no entities
to purge (I saw the Filled block purge out). When I opened the template in
Inventor the ACAD block was gone, however when I saved the block
re-appeared. I re-opened the template in AutoCAD and the block is back. This
tells me it's being created by the Filled terminator in the Inventor dim
style. As another experiment I created an isolated project with the template
directory as ./ and created a blank idw and saved it as a dwg - the Filled
block appeared in that drawing also.


"Matthew Smith (Autodesk)" wrote in
message news:5873580@discussion.autodesk.com...
Dave,

Good point. I have two comments (which you may already be aware of):
1. The Ctrl-Shift->New dwg is simply the Standard.dwg located in your
templates folder. You could save an idw as Standard.dwg so that your
starting dwg's do not have any AutoCAD blocks.
2. If you'd like to remove the usage of these arrowhead blocks, you would
need to open the dwg in Autocad and modify the dimstyles to not reference
the Filled-2 block. Once that is done, the option to delete in Inventor
becomes available. This kind of workflow is necessary for any AutoCAD block
usages that are not exposed through Inventor.

Thanks,
- Matt


"Dave Hoder" wrote in message
news:5872985@discussion.autodesk.com...
Here's a new blank drawing created by Ctrl+Shift > New. As you can see it
comes with an arrow head block that can't be deleted.

[Anonymous]

"The blocks are being created due to the Inventor dimension style's
arrowhead to deal with the disparity of arrowhead graphical representation
between Inventor and AutoCAD."

Now that's what I call a bad "fix".

Inventor should revert back to it's own standard arrowhead, just like it did
with Inventor 11 (and Inventor 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5.3, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1),
instead of creating an AutoCAD block. That's just plain stupid.

--
T. Ham
CAD Automation & Systems Administrator
CDS Engineering BV

HP xw4300 Workstation
Dual Pentium XEON 3.6 Ghz
4 GB SDRAM
NVIDIA QUADRO FX 3450/4000 SDI (Driver = 6.14.10.9185)
250 GB SEAGATE SATA Hard Disc
3Com Gigabit NIC

Windows XP Professional SP2
Autodesk Inventor Series 10 SP3a
Autodesk Inventor Suite 2008 SP2
--

[Anonymous]

>>That's just plain stupid.<<
C'mon Teun, that's a little harsh isn't it 🙂 ?

Here's the deal. As I recall, the default Inventor arrowhead is slightly
different proportion than the default AutoCAD arrowhead. To keep the default
Inventor arrowhead the same as it's always been, we make the custom
arrowhead for the matching AutoCAD dim styles, which we create to make sure
you can create dimensions in AutoCAD that match your Inventor dimensions.
Remember that AutoCAD uses blocks for any custom arrowhead.

This arrowhead is only in the DWGs, not IDWs (IDWs don't support any AutoCAD
blocks or xrefs).

So the bottom line is that Inventor is using the same standard arrowhead it
was in previous versions. This block is purely for AutoCAD support. If you
want to use the DWG functionality, the block pretty much has to be there.

If having that block in the list really offends you, you could probably ask
Andrew and Matt to hide it 🙂

__________________
Chris Palmatier
Product Designer
Autodesk Intent
(Previously Autodesk Inventor)

[Anonymous]

"C'mon Teun, that's a little harsh isn't it 🙂 ?"

Not if it gets the job done 😉

It just bugs me that I can't get a 'clean' template anymore.
Almost every user has asked me "why is that AutoCAD block there? Can I
delete it?"

"If having that block in the list really offends you, you could probably ask
Andrew and Matt to hide it :)"

Yes please!...just as long as you are not using some sort of correction pen
on my widescreen 🙂

--
T. Ham
CAD Automation & Systems Administrator
CDS Engineering BV

HP xw4300 Workstation
Dual Pentium XEON 3.6 Ghz
4 GB SDRAM
NVIDIA QUADRO FX 3450/4000 SDI (Driver = 6.14.10.9185)
250 GB SEAGATE SATA Hard Disc
3Com Gigabit NIC

Windows XP Professional SP2
Autodesk Inventor Series 10 SP3a
Autodesk Inventor Suite 2008 SP2
--

[Anonymous]

I know AutoCAD uses blocks for arrowheads, even their basic dots and ticks
and such. I think AutoCAD creates them on the fly the first time you create
a dimension that references them, so that's why you don't see them in the
template. They are in any drawing that uses them, though.

Seems like there's bigger fish to fry, don't you think?

I used to be one of those AutoCAD users who had to purge everything, but I
got over it :).

Chris

[Anonymous]

yup

>Seems like there's bigger fish to fry, don't you think?

[Anonymous]

"Teun Ham (IV10 SP3 / IV2008 SP2)"
wrote in message news:5874772@discussion.autodesk.com...
Almost every user has asked me "why is that AutoCAD block there? Can I
delete it?"

Teun:

A problem clearly stated is a problem half resolved and I think you've
clearly stated your problem.

Collect the names of every one of these observant individuals. They're the
problem. They were hired to design products for your company, not find
irrelevant trivia. What's the cost of this 'bad "fix"' vs. the cost of all
these designers jousting these windmills? Fire them.

Unless your statement "almost every user" is a gross exageration, by doing
this, you could not only cut the design payroll by 95%, but the remaining 5%
would be twice as productive as the entire department because you've shown
the leadership to separate the wheat from the chaffe.

Richard

[Anonymous]

I agree with that...

--
T. Ham
CAD Automation & Systems Administrator
CDS Engineering BV

HP xw4300 Workstation
Dual Pentium XEON 3.6 Ghz
4 GB SDRAM
NVIDIA QUADRO FX 3450/4000 SDI (Driver = 6.14.10.9185)
250 GB SEAGATE SATA Hard Disc
3Com Gigabit NIC

Windows XP Professional SP2
Autodesk Inventor Series 10 SP3a
Autodesk Inventor Suite 2008 SP2
--

[Anonymous]

"Unless your statement "almost every user" is a gross exageration, by doing
this, you could not only cut the design payroll by 95%, but the remaining 5%
would be twice as productive as the entire department because you've shown
the leadership to separate the wheat from the chaffe."

I will keep that in mind 🙂

--
T. Ham
CAD Automation & Systems Administrator
CDS Engineering BV

HP xw4300 Workstation
Dual Pentium XEON 3.6 Ghz
4 GB SDRAM
NVIDIA QUADRO FX 3450/4000 SDI (Driver = 6.14.10.9185)
250 GB SEAGATE SATA Hard Disc
3Com Gigabit NIC

Windows XP Professional SP2
Autodesk Inventor Series 10 SP3a
Autodesk Inventor Suite 2008 SP2
--