stephen.coff
2005-12-17, 02:02 PM
Guys,
If there is anyone out there with knowledge in this area that would be patient enough to assist me, i'm a little slow.
I decided today to look in to dynamic blocks and how i can use them, hell what they even are ? Never seen one let alone tried to make one.
Well i couldn't really find much, well anything with much detail on how to create a dynamic block from scratch. Well i have been making a lot of blocks lately for my tool palette so when it came to making a block of a cooling tower from a catalogue, i figure this could be a great place to make a dynamic block. The models range simply change width and depth and a vary of fan and intake pipe sizes. so i figured i could make one model and set it up as a dynamic block to vary the sizes to cater for the complete range.
So i've drawn up the first model and from here tried to make the dynamic functions ?
Seem to have got very close to perfecting it but not close enough, errrrrrrrrrgh!
It's really starting to $#&^%^(* me off.
The first function is to stretch the width of the tower to the left.
Step 1: I select the "Linear Parameter" icon and give it a name and a label name, not sure what the "Chain" function does though i selected "Y". I give a "Description", set the "Base" to "S" and set the "Palette" to "Y". I open "Value Set" and use the "List" function, from here i put in 500,600,775,825 and press enter (these are the additional widths the rest of the range has on my block).
Step 2: I selct a "Start Point", i have selected the outter edge of the tower. This point would be the "0" point for which the "List" values refference. I am not sure if the end point has much relevance if there is a list of set values ? I set the "End Point" to the last distance "825". I now set the label location.
Step 3: I select the "Stretch" icon and then select the parameter. I set the "Start Point" to the outter most grip ? not sure if this is right. Here i cast a window around the area to be stretched and then selct the objects to be stretched, i select the location for the icon.
Step 4: I select the "Look Up" icon and locate it in the sheet, i grab the "Look Up"action and selcet the "Look Up" parameter. Now i open the action and add the property, from here i select each one of the "Listed Values" in an input column and then "ok".
I save the the block dffinaitions and close the editor.
Step 5: I insert the block and selct the block, i select the outter grip and try to stretch the block out wards as intended. Without any luck the block will stretch, though inwards and it doesn't seem to be in the sized increments or atleast in the order as i have input them ?
I am really sorry for the text, but if anyone could assist and tell me where i am going wrong i would greatly appreciative it.
Better still if anyone could direct me to some detailed info on making dynamic blocks, that would be greatly appreciated as well.
Regards
Stephen
If there is anyone out there with knowledge in this area that would be patient enough to assist me, i'm a little slow.
I decided today to look in to dynamic blocks and how i can use them, hell what they even are ? Never seen one let alone tried to make one.
Well i couldn't really find much, well anything with much detail on how to create a dynamic block from scratch. Well i have been making a lot of blocks lately for my tool palette so when it came to making a block of a cooling tower from a catalogue, i figure this could be a great place to make a dynamic block. The models range simply change width and depth and a vary of fan and intake pipe sizes. so i figured i could make one model and set it up as a dynamic block to vary the sizes to cater for the complete range.
So i've drawn up the first model and from here tried to make the dynamic functions ?
Seem to have got very close to perfecting it but not close enough, errrrrrrrrrgh!
It's really starting to $#&^%^(* me off.
The first function is to stretch the width of the tower to the left.
Step 1: I select the "Linear Parameter" icon and give it a name and a label name, not sure what the "Chain" function does though i selected "Y". I give a "Description", set the "Base" to "S" and set the "Palette" to "Y". I open "Value Set" and use the "List" function, from here i put in 500,600,775,825 and press enter (these are the additional widths the rest of the range has on my block).
Step 2: I selct a "Start Point", i have selected the outter edge of the tower. This point would be the "0" point for which the "List" values refference. I am not sure if the end point has much relevance if there is a list of set values ? I set the "End Point" to the last distance "825". I now set the label location.
Step 3: I select the "Stretch" icon and then select the parameter. I set the "Start Point" to the outter most grip ? not sure if this is right. Here i cast a window around the area to be stretched and then selct the objects to be stretched, i select the location for the icon.
Step 4: I select the "Look Up" icon and locate it in the sheet, i grab the "Look Up"action and selcet the "Look Up" parameter. Now i open the action and add the property, from here i select each one of the "Listed Values" in an input column and then "ok".
I save the the block dffinaitions and close the editor.
Step 5: I insert the block and selct the block, i select the outter grip and try to stretch the block out wards as intended. Without any luck the block will stretch, though inwards and it doesn't seem to be in the sized increments or atleast in the order as i have input them ?
I am really sorry for the text, but if anyone could assist and tell me where i am going wrong i would greatly appreciative it.
Better still if anyone could direct me to some detailed info on making dynamic blocks, that would be greatly appreciated as well.
Regards
Stephen