Burst All Blocks

[AQucsaiJr]

Anyone know of a command or program I can run to burst every block in a number of drawings? I have to convert my work over into a Microstations drawing and I don't know if the blocks are going to convert over very well. So I would like to run something that could open up each drawing in a selected folder and burst all the blocks.

[ReMark]

That sounds rather drastic. I'd do some further checking into how the AutoCAD blocks will be handled by Microstation before mass exploding all blocks in all drawings.

 

If you did have to go that route then it would seem like using a script file would be the way to go. AutoDesk offers a program called ScriptPro free for the download.

[AQucsaiJr]

Ya, unfortunately, I spend all this time creating these blocks just to have to burst before delivery. I don't know that this is the rout I am going to go, with bursting all the blocks. I just wanted to ask the question to see if I had options if the blocks don't convert over to Microstations well. If it was not a request directly from the client, I would never burst a block that I spend so much time to create. I will look into the ScriptPro to see if this is somthing i can use.

[ronjonp]

What version of AutoCAD do you have? And what version of Microstation are you converting to? If you have '08 plus use DGNEXPORT and check your results. Only as a last resort explode all blocks

[AQucsaiJr]

I am using ACAD Electrical 2010.... Converting too V8 Microstations.

[ronjonp]

I've never understood why people want these files converted when Mickeystation V8+ will open dwg files natively... I'd try the DGNEXPORT\IMPORT to view roundtrip results. IMO...the only way you will give them docs that look exactly like they "should" would need to be in PDF\DWF form.

[AQucsaiJr]

The problem is not that the files are difficult to convert to V8... My client runs an older version of Microstations and the blocks converted to Microstations have issues already... Now I have to contend with how they will act on the older system of Microstations once the project is delivered.

[ronjonp]

Ouch...good luck. If it V7- then explode away.

[AQucsaiJr]

Ya I'm hoping for the best and wishing for more options. This is why I chose to post the question here. This is the largest collaboration of ACAD techs I know of.

[ReMark]

Need help with AutoCAD related issues? Here's a listing of sources to consider:

 

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33652

[MiGo]

Well if your trying to burst bound external references watch out, because when you get into blocks of blocks of blocks... I've noticed that bursting keeps the current level of blocks layer settings. So if you turned a block off via layer control when you burst some layer settings of that block will change say if set to layer zero will now be the layer the block was set to and may become visible. Also if you use VP-Freeze to freeze an entire references in one viewport, but use it in a different viewport all of those objects will now be visible in the frozen viewport. All in all watch your drawing closely, but if not dealing with external references or blocks of blocks of blocks... then you shouldn't have any problems. I would use a script that goes something like this

 

model

burst c -10000000000,-10000000000 20000000000,20000000000

;;space after last ) for each burst line

burst c -10000000000,-10000000000 20000000000,20000000000

tilemode 0

burst c -10000000000,-10000000000 20000000000,20000000000

burst c -10000000000,-10000000000 20000000000,20000000000

qsave

close

 

I have tried to make selection sets for bursting but if it is nil then it will error out, so i'm not sure how exactly to burst until you run out of blocks to burst. And running this with script pro will be great, but if you have to touch every drawing anyway then I wouldn't bother for this. Plus if you have like 800 blocks, then you may find bursting to be a little time consuming. Also if you have no paperspace contents just remove the tilemode 0 section and the following bursts.

[AQucsaiJr]

I will look into this script. I am not to familiar with scripting but I guess I should be with most of my issues. If I went this bursting route, I would need to burst, on average, 15+ blocks in each drawing, with in a folder containing, on average again, 40+ drawings.

[MiGo]

Do you want the drawings that will be converted to be a copy of the original?

[AQucsaiJr]

Hen I finish the drawings, I just need them in that current state and then convert them... That is why bursting is an option. My clients will not need the blocks because they do not use blocks or cells, so if I just burst all the blocks in all the drawings, they should keep the same displayed text and geometry. That's all my client needs.