Heidi Hewett's Blog

Dynamic Block Tip: Cycle Order

After reading my previous blog posting about dynamic block cycling, my coworkers Jon & John (aka the Dynamic Block Duo :-), offered the following additional information:

The BCYCLEORDER command opens the Insertion Cycling Order dialog box, which enables you to control the cycle order of dynamic block grips.

Dynamic Cycling!

When inserting a dynamic block, you may want to choose between multiple insertion points. For example, this pipe block has a default insertion point at the middle of the right edge. If you want to insert a new pipe so that the left side of the new one fits in the right side of the existing one, you can press the Ctrl key to cycle between valid insertion points upon insertion.

So, how do you create valid insertion points for a dynamic block?

Using the Block Editor, you can view the grips for all parameters in the dynamic block. When you select a parameter grip (not the entire parameter… only the grip), you can use the Property palette to view and edit the grip properties. Every grip includes a “Cycling” property, which is enabled by default. If you don’t want a grip to be included as an insertion point upon block insertion, you must set its cycling property to “No”.

 

When you combine insertion point cycling with dynamic block alignment, you can quickly insert blocks with the correct location and orientation right off the bat!

Align your blocks!

Inserting a traditional block often requires multiple steps to properly place and align the block. For example, if you insert a block of a kitchen range into a floor plan, you might have to rotate the block to align it with the rest of the floor plan. Even if you use the most efficient shortcut options it will require 6 steps (picks, clicks and keyboard entries), to properly place the block.
1) Right-click
2) Select Rotate
3) 9
4) 0
5) Enter
6) Pick to place block in drawing

If you update the block definition to use an alignment parameter, you will reduce the required picks, clicks and keyboard entries to 1! Simply push the cursor towards the object to which you want to align and pick!

To add an alignment parameter to your existing block definitions, use the Block Editor in AutoCAD 2006 or 2007.
1) Open the block definition in the Block Editor.
2) In the Block Authoring Palette, choose the Parameters tab.
3) On the Parameters tab, select Alignment Parameter.
4) For the Basepoint of Alignment, select the insertion point.
5) Pick a point to specify the alignment direction. By default, the alignment will be perpendicular to the direction you specify.

NOTE: In order for the block to automatically align upon insertion, the alignment parameter must be located at the basepoint of the block.

If the alignment parameter is not located at the block’s basepoint, it can still be used to move and align a previously inserted block, but it can’t align the block during insertion.

View Animation

Dynamic Detour!

I’ve decided to take a little detour from the Sheets Happen series to discuss dynamic blocks. Why? Because my current Sheet Set topics involve blocks and, although you don’t need to use dynamic block functionality to implement sheet sets and fields, you might want to!

Dynamic blocks enable you to reduce the size of your block libraries by combining block definitions and adding flexibility. For example, in AutoCAD 2005 I had ten callout block definitions to represent various architectural callouts. In AutoCAD 2006 I was able to combine all ten traditional block definitions into one dynamic block AND I added the flexibility to rotate the arrows at any 15 degree increment. My one dynamic block definition would require 55 traditional block definitions to offer the same options.

I won’t go into detail about creating dynamic blocks but I want to point you in the right direction using the callout block as an example. For the callout block, I use the Visibility Parameter with vour visibility states. The first state, which I named “Default” does not display an arrow. The second state displays the small arrow for the interior elevation. The third state displays the larger arrow for an exterior elevation. And, the fourth state displays four arrows pointing at 90 degree increments. 

   
Visibility is one of the easiest parameters to use because it does not require a corresponding action. You simply create all the geometry that you want to use in the block, add visibility states, and then, for each state, make the appropriate geometry visible or invisible using the visibility tools in the Block Editor.

In this example, we want most of the block geometry (circle, attributes, horizontal line) to remain static while the arrow, when visible, rotates around the center of the circle. But how do you rotate the arrow? You guessed it, with the Rotation parameter! You add the rotation parameter with a basepoint at the center of the circle and then adjust the parameter properties so that the rotation angle is constrained to a specific increment. In my case I specified an angle of 15 degrees. Before the rotation parameter will work, you must add a rotate action and specify what objects you want to rotate. Since you have multiple visibility states, you must ensure that all the arrows are included in the selection set of the Rotate action and that the Rotation parameter is visible for all states that display an arrow.

By the way, you can also update your View Label block using a Linear parameter and Stretch action so that you can easily adjust the horizontal line for the length of the view name.

I hope this was enough information to motivate you to learn more about dynamic blocks. At the very least, when I refer to dynamic blocks in an upcoming Sheets Happen post, you’ll have some idea of what I’m talking about :-).