stretching block

All,

Attached is a drawing of a piece of unistrut. When I insert this drawing into another drawing as a block, I can't stretch it or trim it without having to explode it. Is there a way to make a block that allows stretching and trimming without having to explode them?

Thanks in advance,

David

unistrut.dwg

Create a dynamic block and put it on a custom tool palette so it is always available.

What do you mean by trimming? You can simply stretch it "shorter".

One cannot trim a block.

Warning, I did this in the iso view you left it in, so I have no idea what it will look like, or how it will work in any other view.

Here's how.

Select the objects you want in the block, and then click the Create (block) Button.

Name the block.

Select to convert to block when it offers you the choice, if you don't have to save the non-block object. That way you won't have to go to the trouble of inserting the block yourself.

In the block editor, first add a distance parameter, sort of like a dimension. In this case, the distance can be your entire length to each farthest point, including the iso lines.

Now attach a stretch action to the distance parameter, and pick the point where you want your stretch arrow (grip) to be on.

Now it will ask you to select the objects you want to stretch, in this case everything but the bottom isometric lines.

Now close the block editor, save the changes and go play with it.

If the insertion point is not in a place of your liking, you can edit the block again, and place a new base point parameter where you want it.

I may have missed some things, but you'll be ok. It pretty much is a cake walk.

Notice that you don't have to actually stretch it. You can click the arrow and then type a number, and it will assume that number as its length in units.

STRETCH-unistrut.dwg