Block Labeling

[brad_walkerLEUWS]

I have a model of a manufacturing floor layout where I've inserted machine footprints drawn as blocks. A lot of the machines are similarly sized/shaped so I'm looking for best practices to label the blocks.

Edit: I have the blocks labelled in the block drawing via ATTDEF tags, but they're not appearing in the model. 

TIA!

[Kent1Cooper · Accepted solution]

I would include the Block name as Text in the Block definitions, on a distinctive Layer that you can set to not plot, or turn off, when you don't want to see the labels.  That way you won't have separate independent label objects at every insertion, that can get separated from their Blocks, etc.

But it does have potential drawbacks, such as reversed Text in Mirrored insertions, or less readable angles depending on rotations.  It could depend on what you want the labels for -- just for your information when you're working in the drawing, or as something to appear in plots, or...?

[Patchy]

Here is one from ronjonp

https://www.cadtutor.net/forum/topic/74345-label-every-single-block-in-a-drawing-with-text-of-its-bl...

[brad_walkerLEUWS]

I'm okay with the setbacks you described. However, I don't completely understand how to execute your solution. Can you walk me through it a little, please? Sorry, I'm a Solidworks guy being forced into Autocad for the first time. 

[Kent1Cooper]

Use REFEDIT or BEDIT to edit the Block definition, and draw in a piece of Text or Mtext with the Block name; REFCLOSE or BCLOSE [pick the appropriate close-out item in the ribbon] to get out, answering the question about saving.  All insertions of the Block you've edited will now contain that label.  If a Block contains no Attributes, you can get into BEDITing it just by double-clicking on an insertion of it.

[brad_walkerLEUWS]

I got the mtext added to the block, but it's not appearing in the model. Any idea why that might be?

[Kent1Cooper]

Does REGEN make them appear?  If not, describe exactly how you added it to the Block, and post a [small] drawing file.

[neaton]

When you add an attribute to a block you need to run ATTSYNC (attribute  sync) on the block then Regen. Type it on the command line.

[brad_walkerLEUWS]

When I try to run the ATTSNYC it tells me it contains no attributed blocks, but the drawing clearing has the mtext I added via block editor. I'm not sure what I'm doing incorrectly. I've attached the block file below. 

[pendean]

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@brad_walkerLEUWS wrote:

When I try to run the ATTSNYC it tells me it contains no attributed blocks, but the drawing clearing has the mtext I added via block editor. I'm not sure what I'm doing incorrectly. I've attached the block file below. 

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Friend, TEXT and MTEXT objects inside a block are not attributes: never have been still are not.

Attributes are a different type of "text" in AutoCAD designed to be inside blocks to ease editing without going into the block editor. You seem to need to do more with your block first https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2023/ENU/?guid=GUID-4B47412C-108C-4F69-BB0D-60DDDB713169

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ziGCk7dvCE 

[brad_walkerLEUWS]

I agree, however, time is not a luxury I have at the moment. I have text saved as a part of all of my blocks. I'm just confused as the why the text is not coming over when I insert the block into my larger drawing. 

[Kent1Cooper]

Attributes are a red herring -- you don't need to concern yourself with them.  Your Block has an Mtext label in it, on the same Layer as the box around it, and in a Text Style without a fixed height nor Annotative that might throw things off, so I can't think of any reason the label would not show up, if the surrounding box does.  It might help if you post a [small] drawing file with some of these Inserted with their labels not appearing.

[pendean]

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@brad_walkerLEUWS wrote:

...I'm just confused as the why the text is not coming over when I insert the block into my larger drawing. 

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You probably want to start a new post then, this is not quite the topic of this post.

But you can test this (your issue, your time to try and fix): your larger drawing may havethat blockname already in use with a different content more often than not is the likely issue, expand your commandline to 5-10lines tall and watch if the program tells you as much when you insert it.

Or your STYLE settings for the mtext inside your block is different in the larger file from the source file.

Or that MTEXT layer is turned off or frozen.

Or... there are lots of guesses, you can spend the time testing it out or start sharing DWG files here.

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@brad_walkerLEUWS wrote:

I agree, however, time is not a luxury I have at the moment. I have text saved as a part of all of my blocks...

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At some point if you want the tools you want, you'll have to deal with it as you know. Best wishes.

[scooberu]

Your text may be annotative... Annotative text in blocks is finicky. If the drawing scale or view scale or some view settings are different the text will not show.

Change the text to non-annotative in the block definition & do ATTSYNC.