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Easy Border Replacement Tool?


AQucsaiJr

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I need a way to replace a few existing old border blocks with the new updated border blocks. I had a tool that could do it using Visual Basic however the program no longer function very well in the updated AutoCAD and the person who wrote the programs no longer works for us. I am attempting to write a LISP that would insert the new block, call up BLOCKREPLACE to swap the two blocks and then delete the extra new border block. I just think there may be an easier way to do this. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know because this procedure does not seem to be working.

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I could think of many ways to do it with out lisp,but I need more information

1. Name the new block the same as the old block and insert it ant tell it to overwrite all blocks

2. use the refedit command: copy (ctrl+c) the new objects, use refedit on the old block, delete stuff and paste in the new stuff.

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The first option you mentioned I have already tried, however I do not have control over how the blocks are name so they do not have the same name unfortunately.

 

I am not sure I understand your second option.

 

Here is the short explanation; I work for an engineering company who is contracted to work for pig power companies to design there schemes to protect the high dollar equipment. We do all the design work with AutoCAD. So we are working with there prints and there document management system which does not allow me to change the names ot attributes of any of there blocks, including the borders. The original border replacement tool was designed to be used in AutoCAD 2000i, before the Express tools were put in. This tool no longer works because of the updates to AutoCAD so I have been asked to figure out how to design a new way to do it.

 

Worst part is the old border blocks that need to be replaced are not even named the same. So i am trying to figure out a way for the program to search for one of many possible old borders, and once it is found, be able to replace it with the new one that fits. By fits I mean there are A, B, C, and D size borders.

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You really don't need Lisp at all for this. Just keep a Tool Palette handy with all your new Titleblock borders, and plop them in when needed. That's what I do when we use much older plans and update them for renovation or rework purposes. Easy as cake. :)

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You really don't need Lisp at all for this. Just keep a Tool Palette handy with all your new Titleblock borders, and plop them in when needed. That's what I do when we use much older plans and update them for renovation or rework purposes. Easy as cake. :)

 

 

I completely agree with you!:D

Unfortunately the other employees at my office don't understand how to use the tool palettes I have created completely, or just want a one click block swap solution. I worked my butt off designing the tool palette we have in place now and I believe it solves the problem, but as I said, they want the one click option.

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Sounds like an internal problem to me. If someone doesn't understand how to do something in my office as simple as dragging something over from the Tool Palettes, then I let them know to get with the program. I've never had to raise an issue to my boss yet, but I would quickly if ever needed.

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if the old VB program worked you can download the vb package from autocad and your old program will work again.

in 2010 the vb part was left out of autocad but you can put it back. but i'm not sure if it will be avaliable for future versions.

 

could you post a before and after example drawing so we can see what's going on and if possible post the vb code.

 

tool pallettes are a great tool to use, it would be very benificial to teach the others how to use it or just fire the people that dont want to learn and hire people that do.

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I did not know there was a VB package you could download for 2010. I was told VB just wouldn't work on our ACAD. We have 2009 and 2010 in the office now. I will try and get you a screen shot if I can get it do work at all. It does work on ACAD 2007, that's what we used it on successfully most recently.

 

 

The problem with the Palette integration is that if I am one of a few who know how it works, it is hard to implement throughout the office. Fortunately my management are allowing me to continue tweaking the palettes because they know it could replace a lot of headaches we are having with blocks. However they want it to be a universal roll out so everyone is looking at the same tool palette and I am not ready for that yet because of the amount of blocks I need to create and add.

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However they want it to be a universal roll out so everyone is looking at the same tool palette and I am not ready for that yet because of the amount of blocks I need to create and add.

You do realize how easy this is to implement over a network, right? :)

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You do realize how easy this is to implement over a network, right? :)

 

 

I have a pretty good idea. I have it set up now, I am just having problems when it comes to how each person sees the palette layout. Some see blocks in the order and arrangement I see and want, and others have rogue blocks that seem to wind up out of place. Havn't work the bugs out yet. I also have not found an easy way for every user to load the palette. I want to avoid having to install it on every computer myself.

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I read your posts on that thread and I can confirm that I have walked through all the steps you wrote up. My problem is not that the blocks in the palette are not accessable to one or any users on the network, my problem is when I add aditional block to the palette, they don't seem to stick in the place I put them. Example, I have a drawing that contains many blocks, I used AutoCAD Design Center to convert the drawing to a palette and all the blocks showed up fine. I then added blocks to that same drawing, so while in the drawing I clicked, held, and dragged the new block over to the palette in the place where I want it to be. It sticks in that location on my palette, but drops to the bottem on other computers palettes.

 

 

Just noticed something: I just recently updated to 2010, and under Options>Files do I need to set the Authoring Palette File Locations to the location of the network tool palette? I have the Tool Palette File Locations set to the network tool palette.

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I read your posts on that thread and I can confirm that I have walked through all the steps you wrote up. My problem is not that the blocks in the palette are not accessable to one or any users on the network, my problem is when I add aditional block to the palette, they don't seem to stick in the place I put them. Example, I have a drawing that contains many blocks, I used AutoCAD Design Center to convert the drawing to a palette and all the blocks showed up fine. I then added blocks to that same drawing, so while in the drawing I clicked, held, and dragged the new block over to the palette in the place where I want it to be. It sticks in that location on my palette, but drops to the bottem on other computers palettes.

 

 

Just noticed something: I just recently updated to 2010, and under Options>Files do I need to set the Authoring Palette File Locations to the location of the network tool palette? I have the Tool Palette File Locations set to the network tool palette.

Don't mix AutoCAD 2010 with AutoCAD 2009. You're in a world of hurt if you try that. I've already been through that mess.... ugh.

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Don't mix AutoCAD 2010 with AutoCAD 2009. You're in a world of hurt if you try that. I've already been through that mess.... ugh.

 

 

Ok... You lost me... I am the only person in the office using 2010. Everyone else is using 2009. Do I need to fallow a different procedure in this case?

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Ok... You lost me... I am the only person in the office using 2010. Everyone else is using 2009. Do I need to fallow a different procedure in this case?

No. What I'm referring to is that AutoCAD 2010 is an entirely new file format. You'll start getting version errors when you mix them, especially since you're the CAD Manager apparently and everything will be created by your version of AutoCAD.

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So From your experience, should I be editing this palette in 2009 for the 2009 users and not in 2010? Could this be the problem with the blocks not sticking where I put them?

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So From your experience, should I be editing this palette in 2009 for the 2009 users and not in 2010? Could this be the problem with the blocks not sticking where I put them?

The blocks aren't sticking because the Tool Palettes are probably separated in "Palette Groups" under the CUSTOMIZE dialog box. In a network environment, get rid of these on every computer you set up on the network. That way it's pulling from the root Tool Palette, and there's no need for constantly managing all the updated blocks & tools.

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