topic Re: attribute-only blocks are invisible when I insert them in AutoCAD Forum

attribute-only blocks are invisible when I insert them

mikegera — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 13:46:17 GMT

AutoCAD 2023

If I insert a block via drag-and-drop that contains only attributes, and said attributes have no "Default" defined (something I never do), they're invisible.

There is no way to select them or click on them to edit the attributes, thereby making them visible.

Even if I lower-left-drag-box-select the area that I know the block is in, nothing.

A workaround is to temporarily add a piece of geometry (a line, for example) to the block, then edit it, populating the attributes, then edit the block again, deleting the line. The visible block can then be copy, pasted, and edited in the drawing in various places as needed.

What am I doing wrong?

One thing I'm questioning is why, after I drag and drop the block, into the drawing am I not being automatically prompted to enter attribute text.

Thanks for any help.

Betreff: attribute-only blocks are invisible when I insert them

cadffm — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 14:25:22 GMT

Hi,

No graphical item, no selection method for graphical things can catch..(window cross faun and other)

But you have multiple other selection methods and commands to select items, also invisible ones.

In your case, selection method LAST would work.

Command: Select Last

Filter and Qselect worls to, but it isn't a good way in thus case.

>>" workaround is to temporarily add a piece of geometry"

For me it is a no go to create blocks with attdefs only, why? You found one sample case of why.

Betreff: attribute-only blocks are invisible when I insert them

mikegera — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 15:18:54 GMT

Thanks for the tip.

I just gave "Last" a try. It worked. I'd classify it as a "better than nothing" solution.

...and I agree, attribute-only blocks are not the best idea. Still, I find needs for them. On wiring schematics, for example.

Re: attribute-only blocks are invisible when I insert them

Kent1Cooper — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 17:28:01 GMT

@mikegera wrote:

....

One thing I'm questioning is why, after I drag and drop the block, into the drawing am I not being automatically prompted to enter attribute text.

....

If you use the INSERT command rather than drag-and-drop, are you prompted?

Re: attribute-only blocks are invisible when I insert them

RobDraw — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 18:25:31 GMT

@mikegera wrote:
that contains only attributes, and said attributes have no "Default" defined

That's your problem. Give at least one of them a default value.

Re: attribute-only blocks are invisible when I insert them

user181 — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 19:05:11 GMT

Since it hasn't been mentioned anywhere, do you have your variable ATTREQ set to 1? If you set it to 1 and drag in the block does it ask for the value of attributes now?

Re: attribute-only blocks are invisible when I insert them

mikegera — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 00:40:18 GMT

ATTREQ is set to 1.

When I do an INSERT, a multi-tabbed window pops up. The tabs are "Libraries", "Favorites", "Recent", and "Current Drawing".

If I drag and drop a block into the drawing, I'm not prompted to enter the attribute values.

Not sure why this is. I think I was being prompted before.

Re: attribute-only blocks are invisible when I insert them

cadffm — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 06:49:31 GMT

Test in new empty files only

>>"ATTREQ is set to 1."

and AutoCAD should ask for Attribut value

>>"When I do an INSERT, a multi-tabbed window pops up. The tabs are "Libraries", "Favorites", "Recent", and "Current Drawing"."

Yes, but the question was: If you insert your dwg as block by this block palette... does the dialog appear?

>>"If I drag and drop a block into the drawing, I'm not prompted to enter the attribute values. "

ATTREQ=1 Schould ask for it.. [by commandline [F2] or..

===

ATTRQ is for: Acad for attribut value YES/NO

and

ATTDIA ist for: IF AutoCAD is set up to ask for attribut values (Attreq=1),

should it ask by commandline(0) or by dialog window(1).

So what is your ATTDIA setting?

If you Attreq and Attdia is set to 1 and if Insert command also not showing up the Extended Attribute Editor,

the dialog is outside of your monitor.

Please follow my test: Attreq&Attdia set to 1

Insert your DWG by command CLASSICINSERT,

remove the checkmarks for Insertionpoint, scaling, rotation and explode,

select your DWG by [Browser..] ans press [OK]

The dialog closed now.

Q: Is the ribbon dark and you can not start anotrher command until you press [ESC] ?

If Yes: Do the same againafter the classicinsert dialog closed do this:

[ALT]+[SPACE]

[M]

[ArrowKey] Any arrow key, but not from the Num-block.

move your mouse in circles - without clicking any key/wheel.

Can you see the dialog now?

Re: attribute-only blocks are invisible when I insert them

mikegera — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 19:38:19 GMT

Thanks.

ATTDIA and ATTREQ are both set to 1.

CLASSICINSERT works. I get prompted to populate the attributes via that method.

Re: attribute-only blocks are invisible when I insert them

dbroad — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 12:47:07 GMT

Post a drawing with the block. A simple fix whatever else is wrong would be to put a box around the attributes on layer defpoints. Attribute definition settings could cause problems (invisible, preset, and constant) in particular.

Re: attribute-only blocks are invisible when I insert them

Kent1Cooper — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 13:01:04 GMT

@dbroad wrote:

.... A simple fix whatever else is wrong would be to put a box around the attributes on layer defpoints. ....

... as long as Layer 0 is always both thawed and on whenever you want to pick such a Block to edit its Attributes. If you were to have only some Layers showing, including the one a Block is inserted on and DEFPOINTS, but with Layer 0 either turned off or frozen, you would not be able to select the Block by that box, because things on the DEFPOINTS Layer cannot be either selected or Osnapped to when Layer 0 is not visible. That's one of the main reasons [there are others] that the DEFPOINTS Layer should not be used for things you don't want to plot.

If you want to do that kind of approach, it's better to make a non-plotting Layer intended for Attribute-grabbing-box purposes.

Re: attribute-only blocks are invisible when I insert them

mikegera — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 21:51:22 GMT

I tried setting ATTDIA to 0 on another AutoCAD system that's not having this issue. The behavior is not the same as what I'm seeing on the problem system.

On the same test system, I tried setting ATTREQ to zero. The behavior is identical to the problem system.

But, ATTREQ is set to 1 on the problem system.

Some sort of .DWG file corruption, perhaps?

ETA: I could have simply tried another .DWG file on the problem system. I just happened to be in front of another system when I decided to experiment.

Re: attribute-only blocks are invisible when I insert them

pendean — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 22:21:18 GMT

@mikegera wrote;
>>>...If I insert a block via drag-and-drop...<<<
How exactly?
So all the other 5-ish methods of inserting these blocks or this block does NOT present the problem?

is this a problem in ALL DWG files on that one computer?
Or just that one dwg file?
Or just this one "block"?

Reset or reinstall AutoCAD yet? Or just restart your problem computer yet?