Scale Bar as Dynamic Block with Labels

[CyberAngel]

I'm using Civil 3D 2008. I like to put scale bars in paper space so that they're tied to the sheet and plot actual size. Also it means there's only one size scale bar. The catch is that you have to replace the numbers for different scales.

 

This firm uses only a handful of scales: one inch is 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 or 100. What I'd like to do is create a dynamic block with a lookup parameter. Once I choose a scale, the block should replace all the numbers automatically. Is this possible? If so, how would I go about it? I'm a real noob with dynamic blocks, so use small words.

[ReMark]

I think someone has already done this. Perhaps it was covered in Michael's Corner (see link at top)? Can't recall at the moment.

 

Who knew? I just read where there was a dynamic block scale bar included in Civil3D 2009 so it might be worthwhile checking your program files. The person who posted the info said to look here:

 

c:\programs......sample/dynamic blocks/annotation.dwg

 

It's worth taking a look.

[lpseifert]

Try this... it uses Visibility States

maybe you can learn from it

 

actually the block that ReMark alluded to is on the Annotation Toolpalette (I don't know if it's available with LDD). It's real similar to the one I posted- uses Visibility States too.

Dyn-Scalebar.dwg

[qball]

I don't know about Civil3d, but in Acad2010 I made a block with a Field Attribute that is attached to the viewport.

 

edit: I just tried with lpseifert's block. I wanted the top scale bars to either reference the viewport - could not extract just the number, or "additional format"; or reference the other attribute.

SCALEBLOCK.dwg

Edited August 17, 2010 by qball

[CyberAngel]

Thanks for the examples. lpseifert's works for me, although I'm not quite sure how. I've never used visibility states, and I have one (count 'em, one) dynamic block under my belt. I will study it.

 

As for qball's, I had to use TrueView to open the drawing at all, and something apparently got lost in translation. There doesn't appear to be anything but an attribute, a text, a polyline, and a circle. No viewports, no fields, no blocks. Baffling.