BUG 2021 BlockPaette - creates a folder with png files for preview content

[cadffm]

2021.0.0

Start BlockPalette (or Insert), navigate to another file via Libraries TAB to insert this dwg or an internal block.

If done, you will find a folder ".blocksMetadata" in the folder of the selected DWG

Content: PNGs ->Preview image  files of the blocksand modelspace

filenames are [DWGNAME].[FILEEXTENSION].[BLOCKNAME].[PreviewSizeData].png]

and a PNG and JSON file for the whole DWG/modelspace

filenames are [DWGNAME].[FILEEXTENSION].png  and the same for ,json

This folder and the content are not temporary.

I have admin rights and i use 2021.0.0 on a Win8.1 OS

Sample Screenshot for a selected file without internal blocks:

[hencoop]

@JianStewart I found my way to this thread while trying to figure out why suddenly there are over 1,100  .log files in my Log File Location ("C:\Users\>user>\AppData\Local\Autodesk\C3D 2021\enu") which causes AutoCAD to post a Message "There are #### log files in your log file folder", apparently a matter of concern to AutoCAD.  It turns out that AutoCAD's creating of these .png files for every block known to man ALSO creates a log file... for each one!

I wrote a new program that creates hundreds of "line" blocks, one-per-layer/linetype/color combination for all of the LINEs, POLYLINEs, and LWPOLYLINEs found in the drawing.  This makes adding linear symbols to our Legend (a Table) very simple for the program.  Every time I run the program (and I run it a lot as I'm debugging and tweaking it) AutoCAD logs every block created or redefined... and that is what is loading up my "Log File Location".

NOT ONE of these blocks will EVER be inserted by a user so there is absolutely NO NEED WHATSOEVER for ANY thumbnails of them!

I use AutoCAD C3D 2021 at work and AutoCAD C3D 2022 at home... they BOTH do this!

After reading this thread, let me add my hearty endorsement to the suggestions you've received... TO FIX THIS!

[hencoop]

...AND WTH! the log file location contains other files too... one which cannot be deleted (a good thing since I didn't notice this at first).  InfoCenter.log is the file that would not delete.  I checked out its contents and found day after day of this crap:

1/4/2022 6:29:32 AM: Configuration Read from: C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Autodesk\C3D 2021\enu\Support\infocenter.xml
1/4/2022 6:29:54 AM: ICommunicationCenterConnector.SubAwareServiceUrl does not contain valid URL.
 Attempting to load from registry
1/4/2022 6:29:54 AM: System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x80040154): Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {CEE92F99-D9C7-4E46-9AB7-E3F705B9A543} failed due to the following error: 80040154 Class not registered (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80040154 (REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG)).
   at Autodesk.Private.InfoCenter.CommunicationCenter.InitCommCenter()
1/4/2022 6:29:54 AM: Error executing network check
1/4/2022 6:29:54 AM: Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {9E928A7C-095E-4F44-81C5-D4F14F4F0265} failed due to the following error: 80040154 Class not registered (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80040154 (REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG)).
1/4/2022 6:29:54 AM: Error executing network check
1/4/2022 6:29:54 AM: Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {9E928A7C-095E-4F44-81C5-D4F14F4F0265} failed due to the following error: 80040154 Class not registered (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80040154 (REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG)).

Who, exactly, is Autodesk trying (and failing) to "communicate" with and why!?

[reuben.h]

We have this problem as well. We also backup our folders daily so when I look in our backups we have millions (eventually billions) of these files duplicated. 

This is not a great solution to speeding up the Block Palate. 

From what I am reading all it takes is for one user to open the block palate (which we don't typically use) and this .blocksMetadata folder is created for all time. 

What a mess.

[jccoyle5WQ9G]

I also just encountered this behavior in ACAD2020 (and confirm it still works this way in ACAD2023). I run an alias for CLASSICINSERT but some other designers don't, and I don't want to be dealing with these junk files (they are junk! rest assured!). Simply browsing a folder within AutoCAD should not affect the target filesystem without good reason! There are a lot of ways to handle this "expected" behavior that would be kinder to the users.

+ Store data in a central folder somewhere, and allow the user to set a maximum size for the folder.

+ Provide a setting to enable or disable thumbnail caching entirely, and set it to be disabled by default. If you must, then prompt the user to enable it the first time they attempt to browse a folder with a high number of blocks in the palette where such caching might actually be useful.
+ Only generate previews for block folders with a high number of blocks

For my part, I'll probably be stuck manually deleting these folders whenever I encounter them only for them to reappear weeks later when another designer fires up the palette. Awful.

[cadffm]

The behavior is explained(they create the thumbnails for a better performance if you have a lot of blocks/dwg),

so write a product feedback to AutoDESK!

That's the way - and a lot of hope (for new option in the feature)

I am with you 🙂

[cdstpa]

Thankfully I had a back up for my blocks in my archived file so I deleted all the meta-nonsense and restored the .dwg block files, back to the way they were as .dwg files.

[stelve]

For us it is a major problem that individual  users are able to add information to our standard library structure.

It "disturbs" our setup where we strictly control all files on our servers.

We would strongly urge Autodesk change this behaviour is changed so the files are not "infecting our system".

If it is absolutely needed, the information  could be saved under the user profile.

[pendean]

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@stelve wrote:

For us it is a major problem that individual  users are able to add information to our standard library structure....

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That's a local to you I.T. problem to solve, explain where the challenges for you exist and why are all of your users able to access locked folders on a server?

[gdumenil]

@stelve hello.

The only way we find to avoid creation of PNG files in library is using DDINSERT for "I" command in the alias.PGP file (for all users profiles).

If someone know how to fix .blocksMetadata in personnals folder, as for temporary .AC$ /.BAK files...

[gdumenil]

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@pendean  a écrit :

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@stelve wrote:

... why are all of your users able to access locked folders on a server?

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I think that the working/project files are on the same server as library. Logic : these are all commons files.

[trenteria_cives]

How do i restore above mentioned blocks???

[CGBenner]

@trenteria_cives 

Welcome to the forum.  Can you be a little more specific about which post in this thread you are referring to?

[trenteria_cives]

So... It seems as though a handful of blocks were deleted or not saved to .dwt template. Is there a way to restore the missing blocks from the metedata files????