Control block visibility state via external dbase?

[Doove]

Just wondering if anyone has done this and if so could give me a pointer or two to start me off.

 

I want to draw a P&ID with my new marvellous dynamic valve block.

 

The block has one attribute for the Valve Number (unique).

 

It has lots of visibility states so I can change it to show different types of valves, e.g. butterfly, ball, gate etc.

 

Can I link a valve schedule in either excel or access to the drawing so that if I alter the valve type in the external database (lets all go with excel sheet or access table = database), then the visibilty state in the dwg of that unique valve will change automatically?

 

Or am I dreaming?

 

I'd also appreciate hearing about other uses people have connecting external dbases to dwgs.

 

cheers

 

Doove

[Freerefill]

There are ways to do it. The first thing that pops into my mind would be a reactor; you set up a reactor that, upon opening a drawing, scans the drawing for all instances of that block, then compares that block to a spreadsheet (each block would probably need an individual ID somehow), from which it could determine what visibility state it should show, if any.

 

Unfortunately, someone else will have to help you with that. My knowledge of reactors is effectively nil. >

[jalucerol]

I am developing an VB6 application wich does something similar. It's a form in wich user select a specific valver (butterfly, gate, globe, diaprhagm, etc), select diameter and rating, imput a tag and then place it on P&I dwg.

It also check if there is a piping class specification, and then compare if the selectend kind of valve is allowed for that piping class.

I'm working on it, i can share it if you like...

[Doove]

There are ways to do it. The first thing that pops into my mind would be a reactor; you set up a reactor that, upon opening a drawing, scans the drawing for all instances of that block, then compares that block to a spreadsheet (each block would probably need an individual ID somehow), from which it could determine what visibility state it should show, if any.

 

Unfortunately, someone else will have to help you with that. My knowledge of reactors is effectively nil. >

 

Thanks for reply, this sounds like it would work. I shall investigate reactors... whatever they are and have a go!

 

I was kind of hoping I could do this via built in acad commands using dbconnect and just linking the visibility state field in the database to the block visibility state somehow.

 

If I get it to go i'll let you know!

[Doove]

I am developing an VB6 application wich does something similar. It's a form in wich user select a specific valver (butterfly, gate, globe, diaprhagm, etc), select diameter and rating, imput a tag and then place it on P&I dwg.

It also check if there is a piping class specification, and then compare if the selectend kind of valve is allowed for that piping class.

I'm working on it, i can share it if you like...

 

Thanks for replying. I'm not actually looking to insert the blocks but alter them via an external database.

 

Your app seems like a good tool though and I'd be interested to have a look and give you some feedback if you like?

 

I'm going to investigate 'reactors' as Freerefill suggested above, though my programming skills are not good, but it should be a good excuse to develop them a bit!

 

cheers

Doove