Trying to create a block with annotative and non annotative parts

[rutgerwuyts3963]

I'm trying to create a block to name different axes according to our company's cad-standard. The problem I'm struggling with is that I want it to be annotative for the attribute definition of the axis' name and it's surrounding circle, but I want the actual line of the axis to remain the same length for different scales. For example an axis with 25m length over a building of 20m, remains 25m of lenght in a different viewport with different viewport scale, but has an annotative annotation attahed to it consisting of a changeable attribute (axis name) and a surrounding circle.

Anyone with some ideas/help?

Many thanks

[ampster40]

Research Dynamic Blocks, they may do what you need - I'm not sure about attributes though.  But you can use Dynamic Blocks that auto adjust to different sizes for example.

[rutgerwuyts3963]

I'm not sure what you mean with dynamic blocks that auto adjust to different sizes other than being annotative? I have created several dynamic blocks and have an understanding of most functions, but am not sure what you mean here or what function you're referring to.?

To better explain my exact problem, see the attached dwg.

I have more complex blocks as well with a similar problem of wanting to have a part of the block (line or variable distance...) non annotative in an annotative block with attributes, but was wandering if that's even possible?

Kind regards

[pendean]

You can be partially Annotative with blocks: it either is or is not.
But as a dynamic block you can have multiple text entries that you can toggle, the differences could be size as you wish.

[ampster40]

auto adjust isn't the correct term, I should not have used it.  Since you mentioned it now then you are aware you can have DB's setup to be what ever size you need, with user intervention of course, it doesn't automatically change to what ever size.  Like Dean says you either have annotative blocks or don't, with that in mind I'd still go with DB's and just live with the idea the length of the line may need to always be adjusted.

[ampster40]

let's get back to my misstated "auto update" idea, sorry I do not have time to test this process but in some cases it would be best for you to do the testing and come up with what data source to use (and then test the upper and lower limits to determine if "automatically adjusting length" really works or not)

Using Autodesk Inventor as an example here - and considering somewhat recent additions to AutoCAD capabilities - in Inventor you can easily use math equations to determine the length of a line by applying the math equation directly to the dimension.

AutoCAD now contains parametric dimensioning so there might be a possibility for example if your scale determines the length of that line, then you could use a scale parameter to drive the length of that line.  You just have to come up with some number or attribute that could be used to determine the length of that line every time.

In theory anyways since it can be done in Inventor.

[Anonymous]

Any new information to this post? I'm having the same problem.

[pendean]

Fixing my original response:
You CANNOT be partially Annotative with blocks: it either is annotative or is not.
But as a dynamic block you can have multiple text entries that you can toggle, the differences could be size as you wish.

AutoCAD is not INVENTOR sadly.