Custom Scale bar and fields

[Anonymous]

I have read many posts that have been made over many years and none tell me exactly what i need to know.

Situation:

CAD team of course wants a scale bar block that isn't in the stock options 😐.  I have told them to use the built in ones and use the Layout tools for the bar but that just doesn't seem to make them happy.  SO what they want is for the bar to be in the sheet layout templates we have made.

Problem:

I have read how to make dynamic custom scales for ArcMap and the walk thru doesn't seem to work. 

Create Custom Scale bar 

If i create a block that uses field to link to the Viewport object it works, Unless you delete the viewport and now your up the creek.  I also dont want to have to manualy create each bar and do the fields for each viewport on our now 30 different layouts.

Question:

1.  Does anyone know how to repath the object that a field is linked to?  This would solve the problem of deleting a VP and would allow me to make a block.

2. Does anyone have better guidance on making a block that works in teh Load bar scale tool for Layout tools?

[rl_jackson · Accepted solution]

Personally I use a dynamic block similar to the attached, while its not linked to the VP it has the scales.and is easily adjustible. I also use fields to scale as well, the issue there is every viewport gets its own Object ID, so you have to run through the process to re-link it as you've found.

[Anonymous]

TY master Yoda.  You just confirmed my fears.  They can either use the stock bars that have some intellegence but are hinky or they can use a block and choose a scale.

[danielBM5ME]

I have also done the walk through, there is some issue with the attributes being generated in all caps (i.e. MAP.SCALEBAR.DIV). It should be in the Map.ScaleBar.Div type format. This cannot be edited while in _ATTDEF, you will need to edit it in the Properties>Text>Tag box. That fixed all of my custom scale bars so no field is needed and they are dynamic.