Block Dropdown Menu inside of Block

[danniedingess]

Hey guys, I'm learning about blocks because I do a lot of electrical prints and having quickly customizable blocks would make my life a lot easier. I'll post a screenshot below so that you can see what I'm referring to. 

What I'm trying to accomplish is a drop down menu (well- multiple drop down menus) in my block to quickly change a symbol selection. In the screenshot you'll see 4 different symbol blocks that I want to be able to select between. I looked into visibility states, but the trick is that I need all of those to be selectable for the same spot, and for 20-ish different spots in my drawing. What I mean is, for position .0 I need to be able to select one of those out of them all, the same for position .1, and so on. 

Is this even possible, and if so, what is the best way to go about doing it? Thank you all. 

[h_s_walker · Accepted solution]

Visibility states is the way to go. Check the attached drawing for an example. Ignore the blue arrow on the right of the block.

Select all the items on the screen and you will see they are the same block, just with a different visibility state showing.

[Libbya · Accepted solution]

Visibility states are the way to go.  Create the block with the four visibility states.  Place it at each of the locations.  Switch the visibility state of each block to what you want to display.  

In order to compensate for the fact that the white lines extend a different amount in each block, add white lines of an appropriate length so that each block occupies the same width between lines.

Always post the block/file.  Starting from scratch to make a demonstration screencast is enough of a drag that I don't usually bother.  If you had posted your file I would have created a step-by-step screencast which would probably be more helpful than the text.

[danniedingess]

Got it, I'll be sure and include file next time. Thank you very much for the explanation, that's exactly what I was looking for 

[danniedingess]

That's perfect. Thank you hwalker

[rapidcad]

Hi Dannie - welcome to the forums!  There are several ways to get where you want to (typical for AutoCAD anything). You could add dynamic stretching to your blocks but I really don't think it is needed. I understand that often with schematic electrical symbols, a component can have a 90 degree turn in the path so you may not want to do the  following but I was going to suggest that you make your insertion point the center of the symbol and then include just enough of the white conductor path to make all symbols the same ultimate diameter as it were. (Trimming the conductor path where I drew my box and making insertion points at the center of the symbols.)