topic Re: Dimensions in blocks are invisible when drawing is opened, become visible when block is edited in AutoCAD Forum

Dimensions in blocks are invisible when drawing is opened, become visible when block is edited

jamieq — Thu, 11 May 2023 11:14:03 GMT

I have a drawing with a bunch of blocks in it. In each block I have added a bunch of dimensions. All the dimensions were fully visible yesterday when I saved the drawing and shut down my computer. Today, when I opened the drawing, the dimensions were gone. But I discovered that editing the blocks - either in the block editor or editing each block in place, then saving the block - would cause the dimensions in that block to reappear. I have a LOT of blocks, and doing that to each one isn't feasible. Especially not every time I open this drawing. I have no idea what is going on here. The dimensions are not annotative, they are on a layer that is thawed, turned on, and unlocked. I've never seen this behavior before, ever. Any idea how to fix it without editing each block?

Re: Dimensions in blocks are invisible when drawing is opened, become visible when block is edited

imadHabash — Thu, 11 May 2023 11:07:28 GMT

Hi,

Would you please attache here a CAD dwg file with block sample for testing?

Re: Dimensions in blocks are invisible when drawing is opened, become visible when block is edited

jamieq — Thu, 11 May 2023 11:14:31 GMT

Sorry, should've done that before. I added a file to the original post.

Re: Dimensions in blocks are invisible when drawing is opened, become visible when block is edited

imadHabash — Thu, 11 May 2023 11:24:25 GMT

Thanks for the CAD file..

Click on the below image to see how it looks when i open the file. Would you tell us exactly where to look please?

Re: Dimensions in blocks are invisible when drawing is opened, become visible when block is edited

jamieq — Thu, 11 May 2023 11:27:58 GMT

I'm sorry, it's early and I keep forgetting details. If you edit any of the blocks named "Layout *" then you will see the dimensions. If you Save Changes to the block, then they will remain visible. If you Discard Changes then they remain invisible.

Re: Dimensions in blocks are invisible when drawing is opened, become visible when block is edited

imadHabash — Thu, 11 May 2023 11:48:33 GMT

Your issue fixed with me by RECOVER command . Before opening the CAD file and from File tab select RECOVER command.

Re: Dimensions in blocks are invisible when drawing is opened, become visible when block is edited

jamieq — Thu, 11 May 2023 12:11:06 GMT

Thank you!!! I hadn't even thought of RECOVER. You just saved me a ton of work!

Re: Dimensions in blocks are invisible when drawing is opened, become visible when block is edited

jamieq — Fri, 12 May 2023 13:55:51 GMT

Thankfully this works, but now I'm curious what happened and why. Working on the same drawing today, it happened again, but this time while it was open. I don't recall what exactly I did when it happened. I just noticed suddenly that the dimensions were missing again. I should have tried UNDO a few times but instead I saved, closed, and recovered, which worked. But what a super weird thing to happen. I've been using AutoCAD for 20 years and never seen it do anything like this.

Re: Dimensions in blocks are invisible when drawing is opened, become visible when block is edited

imadHabash — Fri, 12 May 2023 14:10:58 GMT

Hi,

I share your opinion that this is strange!!
We don't know how the file was originally created.As you can see with attached image that your drawing have a Proxy Information . Try to clean your drawing and delete every unwanted things.

All the best...

Re: Dimensions in blocks are invisible when drawing is opened, become visible when block is edited

pendean — Fri, 12 May 2023 14:28:15 GMT

Why don't you ask the vendor who's add-on you are using or that the file creator placed into your file

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Re: Dimensions in blocks are invisible when drawing is opened, become visible when block is edited

jamieq — Fri, 12 May 2023 14:28:25 GMT

While I didn't create the architectural backgrounds, I am the one using SprinkCAD, so that's not going to be the issue. But it just happened to me again and this time I noticed immediately. I was editing another block in place, adding dimensions, and when I saved the changes the dimensions in all the other blocks disappeared. Undoing didn't work to get them back. Had to RECOVER again. Thank goodness that works. But I am beyond baffled now.

Re: Dimensions in blocks are invisible when drawing is opened, become visible when block is edited

jamieq — Fri, 12 May 2023 14:29:29 GMT

I've been using SprinkCAD for 12+ years and never seen this happen.

Re: Dimensions in blocks are invisible when drawing is opened, become visible when block is edited

jamieq — Fri, 12 May 2023 14:51:41 GMT

Ok now it gets REALLY weird. So just in case it is a proxy issue, I used AECTOACAD and opened the new file that was generated. Then when I went to copy a block that has the dimensions clearly showing, when I click to place it in a new spot, the dimensions disappeared!! I don’t have the program that records AutoCAD so I attached a video I took with my phone. I do not at all get what’s going on with this drawing.