Trouble Changing Lineweights on Block for new Titleblock, block reference.

[gilbbw]

AutoCad Architecture 2021. New to AutoCad. I have made a block for a new Titleblock containing changeable attributes for Drawing#, Date, Scale,etc. I believe I initially drew everything in default lineweight, played with layout and logo several times until satisfied. Now I want to thicken borders and vary weights according to a hierarchy of importance.

The progress of this document and the changes evolved were done by "copyclip" and "pasteclip" into new blocks, I have accumulated about 5 blocks. All the lineweights are set in layers, and all the lineweights, as per the Properties Pallette check out as intended in the final block I am choosing to use. The work was done in model space.

When I bring it into paperspace and print, all of the borders and lines are the same "default" weight. When I hover the lines with the mouse in paperspace, all the lines say "default" and "block reference". If I bring the block into block editor, everything appears correctly with the correct lineweights, and everything is in the correct layer and the properties pallette shows lineweight "by layer". When I print, everything prints fine, except the lineweights for borders are all the thin "default" weight.

I am about to start over by scratch, knowing all the lineweights to use from the start, but if there is a way to save some work (and to figure out this glitch), I would rather go the "fixit" route.

[pendean]

"... I believe I initially drew everything in default lineweight...Now I want to thicken borders and vary weights..."
So are you saying you never actually did anything inside this file, set no LWEIGHT settings nor layer settings? Or by chance did you just skip over that? If you did nothing, then nothing got applied, if that helps.

What does "...bring it into paperspace ..." mean to the rest of us please? uae actual AutoCAD command names and terms.

TIA

[gilbbw]

Thank you for the reply. I have the titleblock in a block. I have created 4 blocks as it evolved. I would copy from one block and insert into a new block and make changes. In the final block (the one I would like to use) in block editor everything appears correct, all of the different lines are in the separate and correct layers and when selected and checked in the Properties Pallette, all have the correct lineweight and "by layer" is selected. Visually, in block editor everything appears correct. When I insert this same block into layout in the viewport, all the borders appear thin, and when I  hover the mouse over the different borders and lines, it says "block reference" and "default" for lineweight. When I print, the borders are thin and the same lineweight. I am not sure why the same block, when inserted into the viewport changes lineweight. The text looks correct and the changeable attributes all operate correctly.

[pendean]

If the content of your block in the source file rely on LAYER settings for lweights, and your destination file have the same exact layers but without those exact lweight settings defined, then you get nothing.

Perhaps that is your issue? AutoCAD rule #1, content in the destination file overrides the same exact content coming from outside.

There is no 'print" in AutoCAD: PLOT is the correct term if you use that command and that dialog box. Are you by chance using something else?

Can you share your work here? Your source and destination DWG files would answer a lot of questions way faster I suspect.

And if I may ask, why "insert" a titleblock in a layout, do you only ever have one layout and one titleblock (and one DWG file) for an entire project at your office? perfect if that is the case, never a good idea if not. XREF is better.

[TomBeauford]

Properties like lineweight and color of block objects can be confusing, but this link explains how they work and why pretty well: https://www.cad-notes.com/layer-0-bylayer-and-byblock/

[gilbbw]

Thanks, if I had a bit more brain power available this evening, I would probably grasp the implications and usefulness of all that, however right now it seems overly complex for my titleblock situation. Simply, how do I get my block to print in paperspace for now in a WYSIWYG manner? The layers used to create the block are the same present in my Layout tab right now. Should I go back into block editor and delete all of the borders  and draw them in new layers with new lineweights? Did copying from the original block into a new block somehow make the lineweights unchangeable?

[TomBeauford]

No need to go back into block editor and delete anything! Try setting the lineweight properties of those borders in the block editor to ByBlock then they will obey whatever lineweight the layer is set to in your layout.

I have a border layer in all my drawings for that purpose as well. I usually keep all the properties of block objects set to ByBlock so setting properties of selected blocks work the same as setting properties of other objects like lines, arcs, & circles.

When you're feeling less stressed that exercise only takes a few minutes and when you're done it will make sense to you forever.

[gilbbw]

Thank you for that. I am in serious need for a boost of confidence and a few wins with AutoCad. So do I go into Block Editor and make the changes in "Properties". Do I also make changes to "ByBlock" for color and linetype in Properties? I also have a splash of color in the logo in the Titleblock. How do I make this consistently the correct color for everything going forward?

[pendean]

@gilbbw Why not share a DWG file or two, show your work, let's help you inside your file(s).

[TomBeauford]

In the block editor leave the splash of color in the logo to the color you set for it in the Titleblock. That way it could only be changed by modifying the block. You might want to not set the color and lineweight to ByBlock for the logo as you wouldn't normally want the lineweight for it modified like you would for the border lines.

Change color and linetype in Properties to ByBlock for objects you want to be able to control in the drawings your Titleblock is inserted into.

[gilbbw]

Thanks for the effort, but after killing about 8 hours on this I have to move on. After trying dozens of times I only managed to some how  have the border remain thin and turn magenta in color and have 90 percent of the titleblock get cut off of every test plot. Thankfully I was able to recover an earlier version that at least plots correctly, albeit with thin borders. I will have to live with it for a while. I need to get this out of my system and get things done.

[TomBeauford]

Glad you knew to always have a backup before modifying a block or file, sorry you weren't able to solve the issue yourself. If you attached the TitleBlock drawing we'd be happy to fix it for you, doesn't make any sense how just modifying the color and lineweight properties of a few objects would change what portion was plotted.

[gilbbw]

Ok, I am back to trying to sort this out. I am happy when I look at this titlebox and drawing border in my autoCad block. I am printing with the AEC stb. I have finally figured out how to get drawings to print in monochrome. My question is....When I am in paperspace and hover over the particular various parts of Titleblock, in which I have 4 different lineweights in 4 different layers within the AutoCad block, what am I supposed to see as far as "by Block" and "by Layer" ? I suspect I change it in the "Properties Pallette" while in paperspace? So far I have not hit on the correct combination to get the Autocad block to appear in paperspace with the correct lineweights, nor to appear as it does in the Autocad block in the "plot preview".

[TomBeauford]

As the only things you ever need to set ByBlock are  Block entities you would have to be looking at them in the Block Editor. Simply selecting and setting a Block to ByBlock doesn't do anything. There's lots of lisp that can set entities of a selected block to ByBlock.

This one sets color, linetype & lineweight to ByBlock and layer to 0. I commented out setting the layer to 0 with a : as you probably don't want that for your purpose.

; Written By: Peter Jamtgaard 12/20/2006
;^P(or C:BlkByBlock (load "BlkByBlock.lsp"));BlkByBlock
(defun C:BlkByBlock (/ colBlockReference
                    ActDoc dprSelection
                    objSelection strBlockName
                 )
 (if (setq dprSelection (entsel "\nSelect Block: "))
  (progn
   (setq ActDoc (vla-get-ActiveDocument (vlax-get-Acad-Object))
         dprSelection (car dprSelection)
         objSelection (vlax-ename->vla-object dprSelection)
   )
   (vla-StartUndoMark ActDoc)
   (BlkByBlock objSelection)
   (entupd dprSelection)
   (vla-EndUndoMark ActDoc)
  )
 )
 (prin1)
)

(defun BlkByBlock (objSelection / colBlockReference objBlock
                    strBlockName
                 )
 (if (= (type objSelection) 'ENAME)
  (setq objSelection (vlax-ename->vla-object objSelection)))
 (if (wcmatch (strcase (vla-get-objectname objSelection)) "*BLOCK*")
  (progn
   (vlax-for objBlock (vla-item
                       (vla-get-blocks ActDoc)
                       (vla-get-name objSelection)
                      )

    (vla-put-Color objBlock 0)
 ;   (vla-put-Layer objBlock "0")
    (vla-put-linetype objBlock "ByBlock")
    (vla-put-Lineweight objBlock -1)
    (if(=(getvar 'PStyleMode)0)(vla-put-PlotStyleName objBlock "ByBlock"))
   )
  )
 )
 (prin1)
)
(prin1)

[ChicagoLooper]

Hi @gilbbw 

Don't use the 'fixit' route. Also, don't use a block as a component of your final titleblock. Yes, you can (and so can I and everyone else) use a block 'inside' a block, but as you've already discovered, you'll run into problems when you try to edit. Draw your titleblock from scratch using those existing blocks as inspiration.

1. Don't use lineweight. Use polylines/polygons then adjust (increase) line thickness in the Properties Palette under Global Width. Do this for each individual line/polygon. Don't use plain vanilla 'lines.' Lines don't have Global Width parameter. <<Global width will conquer lineweight any day, all day. And you, not Acad, control the global width.>>
2. Draw on Layer 0. When creating the titleblock, draw ALL line work so they sit on 0 (zero) layer. That way, if you ever move your finished titleblock from layer to layer, it'll inherit the color of the host layer. Your zero layer should be black, continuous and have default lineweight. Put the finished titleblock on a dedicated layer with TTL (or similar) included the Layer's name. Don't put your finished titleblock on 0 layer.
3. Draw titleblock on layout tab. Don't draw it in modelspace. Before you draw it on a layout tab, establish the Layout's sheet size, then draw your line work directly on the sheet. An 'experienced' Cad user (or your boss) will know the most common sheet size and orientation to use.
4. Multiple layouts. You may create multiple layout tabs, with each tab displaying its own sheet size and version of a titleblock, for example, portrait 8.5x11 and 11x17, landscape 8.5x11 and 11x17. You can add a viewport, north arrow, scale bar and a dummy (or editable) legend to each layout tab. If a specific deliverable doesn't need a legend, delete it from the deliverable, not from the template.
5. Dwt vs Dwg. Save your Custom Template with .dwt extension. When you open and use this Custom dwt, you'll have 4 different layouts ready to go (refer to 4 above). Perform 'Save As' with dwg extension after you've started a new drawing--you don't want to over ride the Custom Template. 

[TomBeauford]

If you could post a small drawing with one layout with the title block and the CTB you use we should be able to modify it to what you want and explain how we did it.