Dynamic Block Scale and Mirror

[Spinxy]

Hey again,

 

On some of my blocks i have started using quiet a few parameters, Although i have noticed on the blocks that have scale and flip, it goes wrong. is there a way i can get the flip parameter to follow the center of the block after scaling?!

 

similar with a block of a door in plan, i have got the rotate working, and the scale to fit the door opening, but if i rotate first the scale parameter don't follow the rotation of the door making it difficult to then scale the block from the using the block parameters!

 

any help would be great

 

Thanks

[Glen1980]

Wouldn't you have to have the middle of the mirror line the point that the block scales around? I don't think there is a way to keep the mirror lines in the centre they will just move in the same ratio as everything else, so you would have to set the base point of your scale to be the same as the flip point.

[Rebel]

You need to include the states you are having problems with in the states that are causing the problem. ie:

 

1. Make sure your flip parameter is included in the selection of your scale parameter. This should also scale the location of the base point for your flip.

 

2. Just like above, make sure you include your scale parameter as a part of your rotation parameter, it should then follow the rotation and scale the same way no matter the rotation.

 

I'll do some test runs to make sure I'm giving you correct information, but I used to come across this same issue and I am pretty syre the above is how I solved it

[Glen1980]

Oops, missed the second bit of question.

 

Personally I don't use rotate for my doors. I have found in the past that if you copy dynamic blocks rather than insert them individually if you ever have to redefine the blocks nothing happens to them. Autodesk may have fixed this but I feel it safer to insert each block from the tool palette and have the PROMPT FOR ROTATE option turned on for doors. I then have dynamic flips for the door handing but I have set up the standard door sizes as we show our architraves and scaling would be unsatisfactory. I only use rotate for certain electrical symbols that have text so I can rotate everything but the text. Rebels advice should work as I have down rotate for doors in the past.

[Spinxy]

Hey cheers Rebel that works, and thanks glen really valid point as i'm sure to be adding and redfining my blocks, i have already noticed that after some updates the old blocks have just vanished!

as they are such small projects, i should be able to get away with not redfining.

 

thanks

[Glen1980]

Cool no worries, I had a colleague who just copied the wrong block with the right name over 110 flats once so when I redefined nothing happened, I eventually learned the RESET BLOCK command from the right click menu but that resets all rotation and dynamic settings but at least I had the block right showing.

 

As long as you have the origin of your block on 0,0 redefining won't be a problem later on.

[Glen1980]

Spinxy check out this thread, I have no idea what constraints can do, I don't know if LT even has them but that might be the answer to keeping the mirror line to the middle

 

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?58373-Dynamic-Block-Constraints&highlight=constraints

[Spinxy]

Cheers Glen, i'll do some extra testing on my blocks to check the if they reset ok.

 

yeah i see the constraints, had a quick play with them and couldn't figure them out i thought someone on here was going to direct me to them straight away!! i'll keep an eye on that thread, also have another play with them now!

 

thanks

[SLW210]

Do you have an example of what you are trying to do? I have a dynamic block with attributes that flips, stretches and rotates if you want to look at how I constrained that.

[Spinxy]

SLW210,

 

hey if i have uploaded it correctly, it's just a simple window elevation, which i'd like to fit any size opening, i'd like the divide to the top 2 windows to stay central.

 

is this the kind of thing you would use constraints for?!

Window_3pain_Elev.dwg

[SLW210]

I gave it a quick look.

 

You need to go through the help file for dynamic blocks as today is the last day of a short week and I have a lot of work and Help has plenty of info that would take me quite awhile to go through on here.

 

You will want to pay particular attention to chained actions and constraints. I really haven't had the need for chained actions, so I am not really up on that.

 

To be honest, since this is a window and most are in standard opening sizes, I would use look-up and/or visibility and give set choices. As someone that has had a home with oddball window sizes "it ain't no fun".

 

I learned most of my dynamic block info from help in AutoCAD and just looking at the provided Dynamic blocks and perusing this Forum and others and gleaming info from others.

 

Have a play with this one.