AQucsaiJr Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 What is the difference? What is the advantage, or disadvantage, of have blocks in individual drawings as apposed to a bunch of blocks in one drawing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanjt Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Separate: Able to xref, even with Tool Palettes. Some programs that insert blocks require them to be separate. Able to insert with use of "insert" command. Together: Cannot xref. Cannot insert just one with "insert" command. Can be easier to modify several of. For Tool Palettes, I prefer them together so I can go ahead and put the blocks on the correct layers, then drag into Tool Palettes. There are plenty of other difference, I just thought I'd name a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AQucsaiJr Posted October 15, 2009 Author Share Posted October 15, 2009 Ya... This sounds like about the same things I have... I am trying to figure out what would be the best process to go with for use of tool palettes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coosbaylumber Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 What is the difference? What is the advantage, or disadvantage, of have blocks in individual drawings as apposed to a bunch of blocks in one drawing? I am confused. Are you trying to use WriteBlock to export a few blocks from your current drawing? or... Trying to INSERT a few blocks (or import) into your current drawing then? Wm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AQucsaiJr Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 None? I am just trying to figure out what the best method is for saving my blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbroada Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 it depends as alanjt has already pointed out there are good and bad with each. Historically our blocks are individual but I have started grouping "similar" blocks in a single drawing and using a palette. There are two points I would make. If your company is in the habbit of renaming folders don't use palettes as you can lose the source file. and I would avoid pulling your blocks from an existing assembly drawing and would recomend a dedicated "blocks" drawing (or drawings). Using an existing drawing can reake hovok if somebody decides to redefine a block without realising it is linked to a palette. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AQucsaiJr Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 I see... What about editing the blocks? I have noticed that the blocks that all the blocks that are grouped in a drawing have the option, when you right click on the image in the palette, to edit the block and the blocks that are in there own drawing do not get this option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbroada Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 if you want to edit the block you can open the source file and modify it there. It will then be modified for all future insertions of the block. If you use a collection of blocks in one drawing each individual block can be modified using BEDIT. I am not sure how modifying the block using the right click menu works. It isn't clear if you are modifying the blocks within the current drawing (probable) or the source block (possible). I would have to look closer before using this option. As it is, I either BEDIT the block if I only want to change it in the current drawing or go back to the source and modify it there and then reinsert it back into the current drawing if I want it changed for all future insertions. This way I can be certain what is changing. Don't forget you can also insert all your existing individual blocks into a single drawing as a source for your palette if you want more flexibility/potential confusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbroada Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 I am confused. Are you trying to use WriteBlock to export a few blocks from your current drawing? or... Trying to INSERT a few blocks (or import) into your current drawing then? Wm. with pre 2000 you probably haven't encountered palettes but they are a way of grouping "like" items. I use them for blocks but others use them for text styles, layers, dim styles etc. You can drag a defintion from the palette into your current drawing for imediate use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanjt Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 it depends as alanjt has already pointed out there are good and bad with each. Historically our blocks are individual but I have started grouping "similar" blocks in a single drawing and using a palette. There are two points I would make. If your company is in the habbit of renaming folders don't use palettes as you can lose the source file. and I would avoid pulling your blocks from an existing assembly drawing and would recomend a dedicated "blocks" drawing (or drawings). Using an existing drawing can reake hovok if somebody decides to redefine a block without realising it is linked to a palette. Just so you know, if this happens, you can open the .atc file in notepad and use find/replace to fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AQucsaiJr Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 I am not sure how modifying the block using the right click menu works. It isn't clear if you are modifying the blocks within the current drawing (probable) or the source block (possible). I would have to look closer before using this option. As it is, I either BEDIT the block if I only want to change it in the current drawing or go back to the source and modify it there and then reinsert it back into the current drawing if I want it changed for all future insertions. This way I can be certain what is changing. If you right click on the block icon in the tool palette, if the block is being sourced from within a drawing, you get the option of opening the source file the block exists in and it will take you directly to the Block Editor for that block. This will change the block within its source file and all changes in that file, after saving the file, will be carried over to the next insertion of that block from the tool palette. At least thats what I have found so far anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbroada Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 thanks, I've never looked at the .atc file. I'll keep quite about it though, don't want to give an excuse to all the people who delight in changing directory structure every couple of weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbroada Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 If you right click on the block icon in the tool palette, if the block is being sourced from within a drawing, you get the option of opening the source file the block exists in and it will take you directly to the Block Editor for that block. This will change the block within its source file and all changes in that file, after saving the file, will be carried over to the next insertion of that block from the tool palette. At least thats what I have found so far anyways. OK, that must be new for 2010. 2008 doesn't make it very clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AQucsaiJr Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 OK, that must be new for 2010. 2008 doesn't make it very clear. It works the same way in 2009 as well... I have not tried it in 2007, or 2008 yet, but ill let you know if it works the same way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanjt Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 thanks, I've never looked at the .atc file. I'll keep quite about it though, don't want to give an excuse to all the people who delight in changing directory structure every couple of weeks. Well, I don't believe it should be changed, but when we switched from 06 to 08, for some reason we had everything in a Acad2k6 folder and IT wanted us to move to a Cadd Standards folder. I've got a little dos based program that will find/replace contents of several files. I'll email it to you if you want. It saved me a lot of work. I think I would have quit if I had to open and find/replace 50-60 palettes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AQucsaiJr Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 It works the same way in 2009 as well... I have not tried it in 2007, or 2008 yet, but ill let you know if it works the same way. It does work the same way in 2007, and 2008. In your tool palette, just right click on a block icon, you should get a little menu that has the option for block editor, if you do not then your block is a wblock in its own file, otherwise this block editor option should open the drawing that contains the block and go directly to the block editor, there you can make your changes and close out of the editor, you will now be in the drawing that contains that block, you can save the changes to that drawing and the next time you insert that block you will get the updated block. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbroada Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 ah, I don't have any single blocks on my palettes. The majority of the blocks on palettes are dynamic ones while the individual blocks are in pathed folders so I just type their name on the command line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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