tema Automatically updating a block library en AutoCAD for Mac Forum

Automatically updating a block library

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 15:24:36 GMT

I’m experimenting with using dynamic blocks more in drawings; creating drawings which are composites of wall types, floor types, and opening types etc., all defined in dynamic blocks. The aim is to be able to edit a master file of these blocks to make amendments, rather than tracking changes through multiple drawings.

The problem is updating the blocks. Autocad insists on storing blocks locally in each drawing. There needs to be a foolproof way of automatically updating these blocks in the same way as Xrefs. Otherwise the entire advantage of using blocks to manage drawings is lost; it’s all too easy to forget to redefine a block, and it’s not easy either. Using Xrefs would miss all the advantages of dynamic blocks, and create a nightmarish mess of layers.

How are other people using block libraries? If you want to change a door jamb detail after it’s placed as a block across hundreds of drawings, what happens? Surely being able to edit a single master drawing is the entire point?

What could be an enormously powerful tool seems to be made near useless by this problem. Or am I missing something?

Thanks for any thoughts.

Re: Automatically updating a block library

maxim_k — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 16:08:47 GMT

Hi,

If you are using AutoCAD 2016, maybe BLOCKREPLACE (Express Tool) can help you?

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-for-mac/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/AutoCAD-MAC-Core/files/GUID-C2E32C55-28E4-4FC5-BCCA-F141D5AAA614-htm.html

Maxim

Re: Automatically updating a block library

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 19:36:15 GMT

Thanks Maxim.

I did look at BLOCKREPLACE, but it doesn’t seem any help for this; you can’t select blocks from outside the drawing, just make substitutions. This is the only way I can make it work so far;

- Create various blocks in individual .DWG files.

- Insert blocks into desired drawings.

- Edit the original .DWG of each block file to make amendments.

- Go into each drawing file that uses the amended blocks, and re-insert each updated block, selecting ‘re-define block’.

This is just incredibly laborious, open to mistakes, and seems to defy the point of having blocks.