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]

Inside the attached detail there is a ISO cable bundle with a wipeout.

Hope a designer or two find it useful.

Best Regards

-Tim C.

Please note the drawing uses named plot styles so if you're using CTB there is a little conversion required to get it to plot the way you would want/expect.

[timothy_crouse]

Here's an example of placing a curtain wall along a curved area using a dynamic block.

Hope folks find this useful

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[timothy_crouse]

Two 36 in dynamic door blocks, BYLAY and SWING BYBLOCK

Please note the swing is controlled via a parametric constraint which seems to get out of sync at times, specifically the arrow control will switch to the opposite end of the arc.  If this happens reset the block and use native acad commands to set the door into position.  It doesn't always happen and I have not been able to nail down the exact sequence to resync the control.  Hardly a hard stop, Anyways, hope someone finds these useful

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[satoshiq]

sorry in the lookup table 5, what is (0,) [0,60] or something like that mean.

[uwe.laessig]

Hi,

hat wer interesse an mehr?

[timothy_crouse]

Here are a couple of staircase blocks predefined as new and existing, I hope a few folks find them helpful.

UPDATED ON 20241020

Added Block Table 

Added Setup Instructions

Tweaked color byblock assignment

UPDATED ON 20241022

Added another staircase

block to the drawing along with a direction

or traffic flow symbol

20241025

-Added more control over the break symbol

-Added (2) move visstates with a continuous handrail

20241027

-Updated Info visstate to provide ctrl movement distance ref info

-Added another version of the block using a different stretch origin setup

-removed one of the width controls to reduce user interface confusion

-Added Flip & Rotate Controls

-Added additional visstates for fixed upper staircase

-Left the original block in the file for folks who wish to explore different techniques used

-Added Scale Picklist to Direction Flow Symbol Block

20241028

-Added Block Intended Use Note

-Added Dashed Line Tips to Info visstate

Added Break Symbol Symmetry Note

20241103

-Added Example Staircase Setups

20241109

-Updated examples to include continuous handrail examples

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[tanbqtb03]

Would you like to sharing this drawing? Thanks bro

[timothy_crouse]

Here is an adjustable monitor mount with 34in curved monitor.

Hope folks find this useful

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[timothy_crouse]

Here is a block useful when reworking architectural building drawings

Hope folks find this useful

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[timothy_crouse]

I use these components to clean up Revit floor plan files when creating a buildout package in cad format.

The pieces are in imperial format.

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[timothy_crouse]

Two Sets of Power Panels

1. power panels have been setup dedicated per system type, Eg not nested, with minimal visstates and settings.

2. Nested block setup with many states

Here is a tip for the Electrical Designers out there:

Remember to set your panels off the wall a bit if the wall lineweight is a bit heavy it may overlap the panel graphic a bit.

Hope some folks find these useful.

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[timothy_crouse]

Here are a few Panduit Fiber Runner Type Component block the data center designers out there may appreciate.

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[timothy_crouse]

Here are a few updated RAF blocks I use in com room data center designs.

The individual rows have a visstate of no boundaries so they can be used in between grid blocks without having stacked boundary lines.

These have been set in an STB plot environment, adjust layering to meet CTB requirements.

Hope a few folks find these useful

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[timothy_crouse]

Here are some updated electrical panels, transformers and house keeping slabs.

Hope folks find these useful

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[vcocoraP86VJ]

Please see attached an example of dynamic block screw together with a couple of concrete anchors, from my collection.

I used McMaster-Carr screws and anchors as templates due to their visual fidelity. The dimensions in the blocks are following McMaster's inventory.

Also, the linework color, lineweight and linetype are "by block" instead of layer. In my drawings, I show objects not in the scope of work with thinner lines (0.05) whereas objects in the scope of work are shown thicker (0.09). Concealed objects are shown in hidden line. That explains the "by block" option, which allows customizing each block individually.

Also, I strive to maintain a small size of the .dwg file by using the least amount of linework in the block definition. It does not always work, depending on the amount of geometry used, so some blocks end up being larger than 1 Mb.

[timothy_crouse]

Here is a Cold Aisle Containment Block folks may find useful.

Best Regards

-Tim C.

UPDATED 24 FEB25

-Converted all objects to bylayer to accommodate xref viewport override functionality

-Add new visstate for a narrow sliding door frame (note this block is based around the Chatsworth CAC Kit).

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[timothy_crouse]

Here is a new 36 In Door set up folks may find useful.

See attached for a lisp useful for placing / replacing doors

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[hencoop]

@timothy_crouse I appreciate your contributions.  I have struggled with dynamic door blocks and the attached is my current result.  It gripes at me that it is not fully constrained when I close the block editor; but, it works as long as I close the door (set the angle to 0°) before I do any resizing.  

P.S. I thought maybe your lisp routine was duplicating the MTP osnap... but it's not, there's much more to it.  It looks like it may be of help in relocating this block as well as placing a copy of it as the other half of a double door.  Mirror works too but if the door isn't set in a horizontal or vertical wall the user would still need to set SNAPANG.

[timothy_crouse]

This may give you some ideas.

-I moved the origin to the center so it works good with the lisp I created to assist with placing the door.

-I added a block properties table to create a menu, I used this over a lookup table as the block table allows one to add

a filtering string parameter to assist with setting up the menu.  A lookup block only allows existing controls to be added

-If the block was going to be used in my library and it is known how it would be routinely placed, I would add point move at convenient spots, and if you were to add a point move to a mid-point on the frame be sure to include it in a move that has o.5 multiplier to keep the point moved centers as the frame /threshold mask is tweeked.

-notice how I reduced the control count and added multiple actions to a control and adjusted the offset angle a distance multiplier properties.

-I changed the sweep layer to DASHED2 linetype and set the sweep path linetype scale to 0.25 which give a good appearance at multiple viewport scale.

- change the way the swing path was adjusted using a angle dimension constraint

-I added an info visstate to relay info to the user

Anyways I hope this gives you some ideas

Best Regards

-Tim C.

[hencoop]

@timothy_crouse Thank you, I have never noticed the "Reset Block" option before.  That'll be a great help.

I have used Block Properties Tables but I had not yet learned that they can refer to visibilities.  That'll also be a great help.

I returned the origin to the left side and moved it to the midpoint of the door frame.  Using Midpoint as the Base Location introduced more distortion issues for me.  I was able to use Midpoint as the Base Location for the Door Frame thickness.

I managed to reduce the incidences of the door panel graphics and the sweep arc and angle getting screwed up.  I removed them from the door frame sizing actions and added a Point Move property set that is initially at the hinge point and includes the door panel, sweep arc, radius parameter set and a new linear stretch for the door panel width as its selection set.  If door frame resizing results in a different hinge point, the door panel and these things remain unaffected.  Grip editing the Move Point to set it to the new hinge point completes the repositioning without any distortions.  If the frame opening is resized, it is  independent of the door panel width.  This allows the door panel to remain open without distortion when resizing the frame.  Finally, I changed the max rotation angle of the sweep arc to 360° and changed the number of grips to 2 (was 1).  This permits setting the sweep angle to any necessary position and allows repositioning the start angle to 0° when it sometimes shifts.

It works fine as a mirrored block to provide alternative opening direction or side.  Perhaps the isolation of the door from the frame also eliminates distortions caused by using Midpoint as the Base Location for the door frame width, but I didn't check.

P.S., I temporarily  reset the sweep radius to move its grips off of the other grips so they can be accessed.