Dynamic Blocks Showcase: Share Your Favorite Dynamic Blocks

[Victoria.Studley]

Dynamic Blocks Showcase: share your favorite dynamic blocks and show us how you made them!

As a follow up to our latest dynamic blocks webinar, we'll post our favorite dynamic blocks here with Screencasts to illustrate how we created them.

Please join the conversation: share your own blocks or get some inspiration from your fellow community members. Let us know how you save time in your designs by using dynamic blocks!

If you're interested in watching our Dynamic Blocks webinars, or signing up for future AutoCAD webinars, check out these links:

• Sign Up: If you'd like to sign up for future AutoCAD webinars, you can do so via this link.
• Webinar 1: Introduction to Dynamic Blocks in AutoCAD
• Webinar 2: Dynamic Blocks Deep Dive in AutoCAD 2018

[timothy_crouse]

I am assuming by SWING LINE you are referring to the thin leader line, Eg not the arrow tip.   

The line type is set to BYBLOCK you you can either place the symbol on a layer with a continuos line type or set the line type of the block to whatever you want via the line type properties setting.

[timothy_crouse]

The Tip of the arrow is the origin so it has a built-in point move.

You could add a second flip to the center of the text and select the leader objects to flip or you could re-assign the existing flip if you wish for it to be centered on the text.

[guardian2563XY93]

I meant the arc that shows the swing. At 90 it shows up as a arc with a dash in it. At 45 it's fine

[timothy_crouse]

I have had the basic fan in my library for a long time waiting for some inspiration on how to jazz it up.  I hope you like the results.

It's a good block to add some detail to your drawing.

Best Regards

-Tim C.

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[dstewardEGNTS]

This may not be real impressive but it saves a lot of time

[markymarkRE7H6]

I built a dynamic block to use as an ID Tag in P&ID drawings. I was not happy with the stock block when the label text was too long. So I made one that can stretch to fit. In some cases the Tag doesn't need a leader line, so I added a visibility state to hide/show that. I use a polar stretch so the block can follow any line angle. I added a wipewout background to hide the pipes behind. The text moves half the distance of the polar stretch so it stays centered. I made the leader line follow the center as well. Hope this is helpful 

[timothy_crouse]

Here are a set of light fixtures useful for plan view work.

Migrated predefined objects and hatches to "byblock" (hatch color, hatch transparency, plot style) to provide more user control to achieve better plot results without having to rework or explode the block.

Hope folks find these useful

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[timothy_crouse]

Dynamic Light Fixture R1

Rework outer object line and hatching to provide better plot control

Added a few more light fixtures to the multi-type fixture

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[timothy_crouse]

Here are a couple of distance Tags I used on non-scaled diagrams.

I found these useful to display both values on a drawing without hand jamming the conversion each time I needed it.

As they are dynamic getting linked attributes to refresh can be tricky, a sure way to get the refresh to happen is to edit the MASTER LENGTH attribute via dbl-click, then edit a linked attribute BUT exit before making any changes, then run the REA command.

Hopefully, someone else will find it useful.  As it is a dynamic block updates can be tricky so a set of attributes were provided to allow the values to be hard coded as well.

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[wiscontech]

The line type (arc) is set to BYBLOCK you can either place the symbol on a layer with a continuous line type or set the line type of the block to whatever you want via the line type properties setting.

[timothy_crouse]

Here are a couple of dynamic blocks loaded with electrical receptacles.

Hope folks find them useful

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[timothy_crouse]

UPDATED

Here are the elevation views updated:

-Added Wipeouts

-Added Block Properties Table to set up a menu selector

As always, I hope folks find these useful

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[timothy_crouse]

Here is an updated dynamic door block.

Many update, see instruction visstate for user tips.

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[timothy_crouse]

Here is a set of receptacles electrical designers may find helpful.  The Visstate table has been provided to allow you to easily break the block up into smaller groups if so desired.

There are many visstates, which tends to slow the block editor down.  One trick that seems to speed the block editor GUI up is toggling "SHOW ALL VISSTATES"   This may seem counter productive but if this is not toggled ON visstate selection can be painfully slow inside the block editor (at least on my matches).

This block took some time to create, if you find any errors please let me know.

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[timothy_crouse]

Here is an update to a previous release.  

The blocks have been updated to include a ByBlock Visstate to provide control over a single block instance.

As always, hope a few folks find these helpful.

Beast Regards

-Tim C.

[dissonant77]

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@buckeyefever2 wrote:

Here is a dynamic block I created for miscellaneous electrical outlets. It has multiple visibility states that we frequently use in our electrical design drawings. With frequent changes from building owners these designs can change dramatically. So, with the flexibility of changing receptacle types may seem minor, but with 100+ in a design this saves a bunch of time. With it also being annotative makes inserting these in to different scale drawings quick and easy. I broke this out into each side of a wall (i.e. bottom, left side, etc.) to even simplify the insertion process. Hope you enjoy this block, and any suggestion on how to improve this block or add to it would be appreciated.

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This is a great block but I'm having some issues with the entering in values for MoveReceptacleX and Y and RotateReceptacle.  The block starts with MoveReceptacleX=0, MoveReceptacleY=1'7 3/8" and RotateReceptacle=90 (the starting value within MoveReceptacleY does not make sense to me).  When I enter a number into MoveReceptacleY, the RotateReceptacle value changes (When I enter 2, RotateReceptacle=160 even while maintaining the same orientation on the screen).  However, entering in a value into MoveReceptacleX doesn't change the RotateReceptacle value as long as the value remains 90.  Entering any value into RotateReceptacle  appears to work only once and then after displays the wrong value (If I change the value to 0, it will show the receptacle at the correct angle, yet changes RotateReceptacle=251.  Entering a subsequent value, ie 90 degrees will not show the receptacle in the proper orientation any longer and RotateReceptacle=159.)  Also, negative numbers cannot be entered into MoveReceptacleX or Y to allow the block to move left or up.  (Reattaching block from original thread so others can verify function/issues).

This is a great block and hope it can be fixed to work properly!  Would also be nice if it incorporates other receptacles (simplex, floor, ceiling, dryer, stove, EV and other special) and had a height attribute!

Dynamic electrical blocks and other electrical design tools have been hard to find.  Do you have any for light switches (given all the energy codes now requiring occupancy, vacancy, photocell controls not to mention your low voltage switches), circuits and home runs?

[Francisco_Melo]

A dynamic plate with holes and a two-way stretch.

Beast Regards

Francisco Melo

[chriswade]

Here is a callout block with multiple options, including point of connection, point of disconnection, reference note, additional text, leader line, etc.

Also attached is a detail box with options for with scale, without scale and key plan along with another block of gridlines on a nonplot layer to allow for making a 4x4 grid of detail boxes of equal sizes.

[latif_ozdem]

IPE400 and IPE400 Bolted Connection Stiffened End Plate

[tj6TCQ5]

Here is one I created to help teach my newer CAD technicians about wall section footings.

We don't use this day-to-day, and I usually draw from scratch but it might be helpful to others.