topic Re: Dynamically divided Path Array, omitting last item in Dynamic Blocks Forum

Dynamically divided Path Array, omitting last item

reinout.devlaming — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 13:23:55 GMT

Hello Everyone,

My name is Reinout, I am from The Netherlands. After losing my job as a stage technician due to the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2020 I have started a new career and I am now learning to draw in AutoCAD. I have started studying the software about three months ago and I am very happy to have found a company that offered me a job. I try to learn something new every day and today is no different. That's why I came to the forums to ask for help.

I am working on a dynamic block based on what I learned from this post: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/dynamic-blocks-forum/variable-array-of-a-dynamic-block/m-p/7548763 (Thank you @MMcCall402 for providing the answer in that thread. I learned a lot from it!)

!! I describe my block and its desired function briefly below !!

!! In the .DWG file I have added a more in dept description and my two attempts at trying to find a solution !!

This part of my block is working:

I created a Path array that stretches until the distance between two items in the array reaches a maximum distance.

When that distance is surpassed, the array adds one extra item and respaces the items so that the distance between them is equal. To do this I have used:

1. A horizontal constraint on the path of the array

2. A User Parameter that divides the distance of the horizontal constraint by the desired maximum distance. Then it rounds the result up to the closest integer to get the number of items in the array.

I would like block to do this in addition:

I want to use this block to place it one after another. It goes around corners and eventually connects to itself and creates a closed circuit. With the current state of the block, every last item of the array would overlap with the first item of the next block. Using the COUNT command now shows a lot of extra items because they are overlapping each other.

I am trying to get the last item to be omitted, while the array pretends it is still there to maintain the correct spacing between the other items. Hiding the item only visually would not be a solution because the COUNT command would still know it is there.

Simply put, the array should do this:

ITEM--------ITEM-------ITEM-------[Emptiness like social life in lockdown]

I call upon the Wizard Council of Dynamic Block Sorcerers; Can you help me create this block and most importantly, teach me how to do it myself in the future?

Thank you all in advance.

-Reinout

Re: Dynamically divided Path Array, omitting last item

MMcCall402 — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 01:33:43 GMT

How about adding an attribute to display the correct number of arrayed objects? You could place it on a non-plotting layer/color. You could also access it with a Data extraction.

An attribute with a field with the formula below could work. The formula uses a field to access the ArrayPathDivide value and then subtracts 1 for the last one in the array.

Re: Dynamically divided Path Array, omitting last item

reinout.devlaming — Sun, 03 Oct 2021 13:55:24 GMT

Hey!

Thank you so much for the suggestion you made. I have tried to replicate your idea so I could test if it's a viable solution for my problem.

The paths that my block is going to make are not always closed trajectories. If every block would deduct 1 item from the calculation it would cause an incorrect result when the chained blocks do not form a closed trajectory. (Image below)

I can see a solution in manually placing an overlapping block at the end of the trajectory. But since visually the last item is present in the dynamic block it's an easy mistake to forget placing the overlapping block. That would cause problems in the financial calculation later on outside of AutoCAD.

Your suggestion is not the 'Holy Grail' solution I am looking for. But I am very happy that you shared your suggestion with me because I did not know it was possible to use fields and formulas within block attributes. I learned a lot from trying to recreate your idea and I'm going to use attributes with fields in new blocks I am working on! So thank you for teaching me about that.

Re: Dynamically divided Path Array, omitting last item

j.palmeL29YX — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 04:52:44 GMT

@reinout.devlaming wrote:

.. my problem.

The paths that my block is going to make are not always closed trajectories.

Sorry, I don't understand what you want to do. Would you please explain what you expect as result. Can you post the block what you have until now please?