topic Re: Extract the location of the block (paper space, object space) in VBA Forum

Extract the location of the block (paper space, object space)

NeoLitik — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 12:25:55 GMT

Hi there.
I'm making a VBA code who extract blocks with a selection filter and write these informations in excel.

please find here an extract from my code :

For i = 0 To GetSS_BlockName("CARTOUCHE").Count - 1
Set BlocRef = GetSS_BlockName("CARTOUCHE").Item(i)
If BlocRef.HasAttributes Then
Cells(1, Column).Value = acadDoc.Name
Cells(2, Column).Value = BlocRef.Name
Cells(3, Column).Value = BlocRef.Handle
Cells(4, Column).Value = BlocRef.Layouts

For the last cells, i wish to extract the position of the block. I mean, if the block is in model space, or paper space. I didnt find an easy way to do this.

Do you have an idea ?

Regards !

Re: Extract the location of the block (paper space, object space)

norman.yuan — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 13:48:55 GMT

Each AcadEntity (AcadBlockReference, in your case) has a property "OwnerID", which you use to decide which space the entity belongs to. Since this property only points to the owning AcadBlock, not directly to the layout, you'd be better to create a separate function to get entity's layout name with OwnerID as input. Something like:

Private Function GetEntityLayoutName(ownerId as LongPtr) As String

Dim layoutName As String

Dim lay As AcadLayout

If ownerId=ThisDrawing.ModelSpace.ObjectId Then

layoutName = "MODEL"

Else

For Each lay In ThisDrawing.Layouts

If lay.Block.ObjectId=ownerId Then

layoutName=lay.Name

Exit For

End Id

End If

GetEntityLayoutName = layoutName

End Function

Then in your code:

...

Cells(4, Column).Value = GetEntityLayoutName(BlockRef.OwnerId)

...

Hopefully, your method GetSS_BlockName() find targeted block references correctly (that is, if the block could be dynamic, you do not rely on block name as selection filter).

Re: Extract the location of the block (paper space, object space)

NeoLitik — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 12:08:21 GMT

Thank you for your solution. I'll check that.

Indeed, my method select blocks with a selection filter based on their names.
This solution will not work with dynamics blocks ?
Why ?

Thank you in advance

Re: Extract the location of the block (paper space, object space)

Ed__Jobe — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 14:05:21 GMT

It has to do with the way dynamic blocks work. Whenever you change any configuration of the dynamic block, AutoCAD creates an anonymous block of the new configuration and sets it's EffectiveName property to the name of the original block. So if you are trying to select dynamic blocks by their name, you need to check each block for its EffectiveName property.

Search this forum for "EffectiveName".

Re: Extract the location of the block (paper space, object space)

norman.yuan — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 15:26:41 GMT

Further to @Ed__Jobe 's explanation, here is the way to do it, if you use SelectionSet with filter. That is, you cannot use block name as filter, if the targeted blocks could be dynamic blocks. Instead, you only use filter for "INSERT" (i.e. block references). Then you loop through the selection set to test is "EffectiveName" property:

Dim grpCode(0) As Integer

Dim dataValue(0) As Variant

grpCode(0)=0 : dataValue(0)="INSERT"

'' Select ALL block references

Dim ss As AcadSelectionSet

Set ss=ThisDrawing.SelectionSets.Add("mySet")

ss.Select .., , , grpCode, dataValue

'' Find target blocks

Dim blk As BlockReference

For Each blk in ss

If UCase(blk.EffectiveName)="THE_BLOCK" Then

'' This is the block reference in interest, which has its name like "*Uxxxx"

End If

HTH

Re: Extract the location of the block (paper space, object space)

NeoLitik — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 08:35:54 GMT

thank you so much for your explanation