Chaining stretch actions

I have been trying to figure out a way to make my section of a cabinet a dynamic block with multiple options for changing sizes of such. My main concern is when I stretch the cabinet depth I want the drawer depth to be a specific size however I can't get this chaining stuff figured out.

The dynamics are already in the block, with others to come so that it can change in height as well, however when I stretch the cabinet body the drawer is supposed to change to the sizes specified and it does not do it on it's own. What am I doing wrong?

~Skilled Warrior

DWR-DR cabinet.dwg

So I am not sure if this is too difficult of a questions or if people are just too busy to try and help figure this out. I will be a little more elaborate with what I am trying to do.

I am currently making tons and tons of sections that my company standardly uses. My co-workers and I want to be able to insert (1) block and be able to change the heights, depths, and countertop heights all without inserting multiple details. I have done this with other more simple details where the heights differ by using the visibility action/ parameter and then stretching the cabinet depth at the fronts.

This detail however is the first one with a door and a drawer in which the drawer depth can only be specific sizes but hte cabinet body can by a range of them. I hope to accomplish this block using visibility, and multiple stretching parameters.

Is this even feasible or am I trying to get too complicated? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

~Skilled Warrior

Well with no responses but enough views.....I have decided to not chain the stretching. This is the end result if anyone wanted to see what I was intending this for.

I am a little disappointed that no one that viewed this post was able to comment even a question or anything but can comment on other things that are not CAD related.

~Skilled Warrior

dr-dwr cabinet.dwg

Hi sorry you've not had a response- I will have a look when I get more time, just very busy at work right now...

I feel your pain with any explanation of chaining- often it's not explained very well at all.

I will add a post which might give you some help with chaining issues which I was subscribed to recently in the meantime...

Link as discussed:

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?t=38341

Also, how many options do you require? If only a few you might be better using visibility states instead?

Well I am required to have (4) different heights, along with (3-4) different depth options. Also the countertop thickness as shown in the second detail I attached is able to be stretched as well, and the drawer body depth changes based on the depth of the cabinet. All in all if I were to do visibilities there would be 296 of them I believe if my math is correct. Thanks for the link and the reply. I will read up on that link and see if I can't find something there that helps me so I don't have all the stretch grips.

Thanks again GE13579.

~Skilled Warrior

I get the feeling the mirrored stretch might not be of use if the stretch is not proportional- perhaps a better approach would be to combine the mirror stretch with some visibility states using a different stretch ratio on each vis state?

Mirror Stretch? Is that where I enter a negative distance versus a positive distance to make the drawer body go in the opposite direction from the drawer face?

Yep- it's not a technical term though... not sure what Autodesk call it?

Are the examples I posted on the linked thread the kind of things you're trying to achieve or have I misunderstood somewhere along the lines??

I actually have a co-worker that went to that AU class last year and he got the same documentation from it. However, I am not in a position to be able to go to those classes so he just threw that packet at me and asked me to figure it out.

If I am reading it correctly, it says that you are not to select the 2nd action items in your first action. In other words I am not to select the drawer when trying to stretch the depth of the cabinet. This causes a problem due to the fact that the drawer front needs to stay aligned with the door front for each different depth. Without selecting the drawer in the cabinet depth stretch action, it does not stay aligned with the door front.

I think you were on the right path, i just don't think I can get it to work for a cabinet detail due to needing to align everything and still be able to stretch the crap out of the entire block.

~Skilled Warrior

Did you have a look at my examples on the linked thread? I just thought if you were to look through and change the properties you might get a better idea- you can see what is included in each action by clicking the action... Sorry I can't give any more help I'm just too busy with work at the minute!

I'm a little unsure as to what you need.

I've uploaded a typical puddle pipe block I create that uses a mixture of visibility states, streches and look-ups.

Are you trying to make your counter block do something similar?

cheers

Doove

DN400 PUDDLE PIPE DYNAMIC.dwg