Since we are discussing in programming forum, we'd better make sure to use correct technical terms. I believe you want to rename block reference (AcadBlockReference), not the block definition (AcadBlock).
Yes, you can rename block reference inserted in drawing to a different block name, AS LONG AS there is a block defined in the drawing that has that name. The effect of renaming a block reference is that the block refernce with the orginal name would be erased from the drawing and a new block reference to the block definition with the targeting name would be then created with the same insertion point/scale/rotation...
If you try to rename a block reference to a name that no block definition in the drawing bearing that name, an exception ("Key not found") would occur.
In your case of having 10 block references with a given name (e.g. name inherited from its block definition), if you want to rename 3 of them to another block definition's name, you need some code to distiguish that 3 block references first, for example, pick it one by one. Some quick code like this (didnot test-run in Acad, though):
Dim ent as AcadEntity
Dim blk As AcadBlockReference
Dim pt As Variant
Dim i As Integer
Do
''Pick block reference
ThisDrawing.Utility.GetEntity ent, pt, vbcr & "Pick a block AAA:"
If TypeOf ent Is AcadBlockReference Then
Set blk=ent
If Ucase(blk.Name)="AAA" Then
blk.Name="BBB" 'The MUST be a block "BBB" defined in this drawing first
i=i+1
Else
ThsDrawing.Utility.Prompt vbcr & "Picked block is not block AAA!"
End If
Else
ThisDrawing.Utility.Prompt vbcr & "Picked entity is not a block reference!"
End If
Loop While (i<3)
Obviously, you need to catch the exception if user hit "ESC", so that you can jump out from the Do...Loop.
Two things,
1. the comment you added after the If statement is not preceded by a single quote to mark it as a comment.
2. You don't rename a block reference, you need to rename the block definition, an AcadBlock object. The EffectiveName property is read-only.
Ed
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Why do you want to rename anonymous block generated by AutoCAD automatically due to the dynamic property value applied to a block reference? IMO, you SHOULD NOT DO this, or you risk losing AutoCAD's control of managing dynamic blocks in a drawing. Do not do it!
Sorry, I still not quite understand your question clearly, because your code CLEARLY shows you want to rename a dynamic block reference. So, here are my thoughts:
1. If you intended target is dynamic block reference, I'd say, do not do it. The "EffectiveName" property is read-only, because dynamic block reference is usually a reference to anonymous block, which is created/managed by AutoCAD automatically.
2. If it is regular block reference, yes, you can rename its "Name" property, but the new name MUST BE an existing block definition's name; or you would run into error. In this case, the renaming is actually changing the block reference to ANOTHER block definition, because "Name" property of AcadBlockReference is from the block definition, indicating which block definition it is referenced to, this, changing its name, you point this block reference to a different block definition. I am not sure if this is what you want to do.
OK, if we ignore the code you posted previously, and take what you said here, then things get clearer and simpler. However, I still have to make thing absolutely clear on what you want:
You insert a block from file, say, "MyBlock1.dwg" with Insert command, into say, current drawing in AutoCAD. The net result of that is:
1. A block definition named as "MyBlock1" is created in the drawing;
2. A block reference to this block definition is created in current space (model, or paper), this block reference ALSO has name "MyBlock1".
3. Now you want to run a piece of code that change the block name from "MyBlock1" to, say, "MyBlock2".
Now it is not very clear on your intention: rename the block definition, or block reference.
1. Rename block definition. In this case, once a block definition is renamed (of course you cannot use a new name that has already exists in block table), all block references to this definition (0 or more) will automatically has the new block name and remain as references to this definition. If this is what you want to do, then the code would be very simple:
Dim blk As AcadBlock
For Each blk in ThisDrawing.Blocks
If UCase(blk.Name)="[WHATEVER]" Then
blk.Name = "[NEW_NAME]" '''' As long as the new name is not duplicated
Exit For
End If
Next
After this code, if there are block references of this block definition in drawing, they will automatically get new block name. That is, changing block definition's name would change the names of all block references (to this definition).
2. Rename block reference. Theoretically, block reference name is is definition's name and should be "Read-only". However, in AutoCAD COM API, AcadBlockReference's "Name" property is used to track which block definition it is referenced to, thus it is changeable, meaning if the name is changed (to another existing block definition's name), you literally change the block reference to point to a DIFFERENT block definition. I suspect this is not what you are after.
If you step through your code and look into the value of this variable "BlockName", you would have found it is empty: it is declared but never given a value, so there is where it went wrong:
For Each acadBlock In ThisDrawing.Blocks
If UCase(BlockName) = "FSM4L- INCH INCREMENT_DONE_01" Then
'BlockName = "Block1" ' As long as the new name is not duplicated
BlockName = "Block1"
Set acadBlock = acadDoc.ModelSpace.InsertBlock(InsertionPoint, BlockName, _
BlockScale.X, BlockScale.Y, BlockScale.Z, RotationAngle * 0.0174532925)
Exit For
End If
Next
As you can see, you compare an empty string to a string value, so, nothing runs inside the "If... Then". So, ALWAYS DO debugging first. If you place a break point inside the If.. clause, you would have immediately noticed that the break point would not be hit, and the If... condition is wrong.
Also, you meant to RENAME block, not a string value (BlockName). So the code really should be something like:
Dim BlockName As String
'' The new block name you want the block to be renamed
'' However, you may want to loop through the AcadBlocks collection to
'' make sure the name does not already exist.
BlockName = "Block1"
... ...
... ...
For Each acadBlock In ThisDrawing.Blocks If UCase(acadBlock.Name) = "FSM4L- INCH INCREMENT_DONE_01" Then acadBlock.Name = BlockName Set acadBlock = acadDoc.ModelSpace.InsertBlock(InsertionPoint, BlockName, _ BlockScale.X, BlockScale.Y, BlockScale.Z, RotationAngle * 0.0174532925) Exit For End If Next
Again, do debugging your code by placing break point somewhere in your code and use F8/local window to step through the code; most likely than not, you would fix code error easier, faster.