Smart Blocks

[Dustin.warner7863P]

Bare with me here for I'm not real sure how to word this. On my title block I have a block created I use for different stages of my project. To change the stage i move the bubble (Hatch) from one circle to another in block editor and it updates on all my sheets in the DWG. Is there a way to make it have a drop down, I select the stage I want and then it updates on all the sheets in the DWG?

[Dustin.warner7863P]

as of now I have the block on our templates, so I do use it on all our projects. But would love to find a faster way of utilizing it, but keep it where when changed it only affects the drawing I'm currently working in.

[ChrisRS]

I reread your original post.

I think that I see the disconnect.

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@Dustin.warner7863P wrote:

... Also, I don't want this to work across multiple drawings for that would not be good. All I want is for it to change on a drawing to drawing basis.  ...

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For some reason, I thought that you were working on large, multi-sheet, multi-discipline projects.
Apparently, I was confusing this with another post.

In my mind, I could not envision a single drawing file with 20-30 (or more) layouts being workable.

This is even harder to envision if the "disciple sheets" originate from different internal groups or sub-consultants.

Arguably, assembling these separate drawings is the underlying rationale for the Sheet Set Manager (SSM).
I sometimes use SSM for single-sheet plans. Link: AutoCAD Stresses and Successes: SSM Hidden Treasure

If your plan sheets are all in a single drawing, you do not have multi-drawing concerns.

Other users of this forum may have multi-drawing concerns.

I think the discussion is beneficial to the overall community.

Differing situations will have different solutions.

[Dustin.warner7863P]

I work for a civil engineering company. we have a 14 page (24x36) template we use. those 14 sheets all have same title block, but what each sheet shows is different. so i was trying to streamline the "approves use" selection on the title blocks to where if i changed one in the project it would update them all. before i worked here, they would go to each sheet and move the hatch. I made it into a block and now we go into the block editor and move the hatch and it updates on all sheets in the project. I was hoping to take it a step further by making a dynamic block that when you select the visibility state it would update across all of the 14 sheets. But cant seem to figure that out. beginning to think the basic block is the best route and just dealing with changing it in block editor. its already quicker this way than changing it on every sheet.

[Dustin.warner7863P]

in other words, is there a way to link a dynamic block to other blocks to where the initial dynamic block controls the others on a drawing to drawing basis?

[MMcCall402 · Accepted solution]

How about this, it uses bits of everyone's suggestions.

A dynamic block on the first tab of your 14 sheet template drawing that chooses the phase of the project.  The remaining 13 sheets have text objects with fields that draw their content from the attributes of that dynamic block on the first sheet.  The dynamic block uses a Block Table to supply a value of \U+25CF (black dot) to one of the 4 attributes with each selection.

[MMcCall402]

... never mind. It doesn't work across tabs. The fields lose their link

[Dustin.warner7863P]

@MMcCall402 thank you for this. will be trying it out soon. hoping I can figure out "text objects" & "fields". Something I've not dealt with in AutoCad

[MMcCall402]

Hold on,  I tested it over multiple tabs and it doesn't work.  The fields lose their link when pasted.

I don't know how to get it to another tab and still function. 

[MMcCall402 · Accepted solution]

Ok, I figured out how to get it to work across tabs ... it's a bit of a pain to set up.  The field expression content needs to be copied from a working filed on the first page and copied into the content of the text object field(s) on the subsequent pages for all 4 attributes.

One thing that might help in the setup, once one additional tab is working, copies of it will also work.

I attached a new working file to this message.

[Joe-Bouza]

Simple attribute block with SSM fields. Across tab and files

[Joe-Bouza]

The other simple way is to xref the border and embed the stamp.

edit xref done all sheets