Titleblock help

[stevenw00]

Goal: Create a titleblock to insert that automatically calculates the necessary scale, changes all necessary settings accordingly, inserts titleblock and doesn't explode it, and then prompts user for input to fill out the titleblock.

Problems: Previous titleblocks have been exploded and users accidentally move pieces of the titleblock or have problems removing them if they need to replace w/ another titleblock. We don't use xrefs at all, so this is out of the question. I can't get a lisp to edit attributes, which is how I believe the information needs to be input into the titleblock.

I am not set on using a block w/ attributes, but need something that will allow us to automate the process of putting in a titleblock and will also prompt users to fill in the titleblock after it is inserted. Attached is the lisp I was working on, so you can see how we scale and how I was TRYING to go about it.

I'm open to any suggestions, but am not an advanced user by any means, so I would imagine I will have follow up questions.

Thank you so much!

[RobertB]

If you set AttDia and AttReq to 1, you get the dialog interface for filling in the attributes of the titleblock. There is no need to use/force a command-line interface to get the information. Unless you want to refuse to place the titleblock until the information is completely provided.

Why, oh why, isn't the titleblock being placed in a layout? You have AutoCAD 2009, which means that your firm has known about paperspace for, oh, a decade or more.

[stevenw00]

If you set AttDia and AttReq to 1, you get the dialog interface for filling in the attributes of the titleblock. There is no need to use/force a command-line interface to get the information. Unless you want to refuse to place the titleblock until the information is completely provided.

Why, oh why, isn't the titleblock being placed in a layout? You have AutoCAD 2009, which means that your firm has known about paperspace for, oh, a decade or more.

I'm perfectly fine w/ using the attributes interface, however when I tried to do as you mentioned (several weeks ago) it ends up not setting any of the other settings I need to set, or the option of rescaling the title block. Are you recommending that I rearrange the lisp so that the last thing I do is insert the border? That still won't give me the option of rescaling the titleblock.

As for the layout vs. model space... "this is the way we've been doing it for 20 years." I've only been here 4, but there is no way I'll get the company to change their practice of having everything in model space. I completely agree w/ you that it should be done that way, but that isn't my decision to make.

[ccowgill]

I'm perfectly fine w/ using the attributes interface, however when I tried to do as you mentioned (several weeks ago) it ends up not setting any of the other settings I need to set, or the option of rescaling the title block. Are you recommending that I rearrange the lisp so that the last thing I do is insert the border? That still won't give me the option of rescaling the titleblock.

As for the layout vs. model space... "this is the way we've been doing it for 20 years." I've only been here 4, but there is no way I'll get the company to change their practice of having everything in model space. I completely agree w/ you that it should be done that way, but that isn't my decision to make.

well, sometimes the way things are done must be changed to be able to use customization. There are a few processes we have had to force our users to change in order to introduce new customization, plotting everything from paperspace was one of them.

[RobertB]

I'm perfectly fine w/ using the attributes interface, however when I tried to do as you mentioned (several weeks ago) it ends up not setting any of the other settings I need to set, or the option of rescaling the title block. Are you recommending that I rearrange the lisp so that the last thing I do is insert the border? That still won't give me the option of rescaling the titleblock.

Here is some sample code that shows you how to insert a block, using the normal attribute editor interface, and still allow for further modification such as scaling the block.

(defun C:Test  (/ lastObj)
 (setq lastObj (entlast))
 (setvar 'AttDia 1)
 (setvar 'AttReq 1)
 (command "._Insert" "Flag" "_s" 1.0 "_r" 0.0)
 (while (= (logand (getvar 'CmdActive) 1) 1) (command pause))
 (setq newObj (entlast))
 (cond ((/= lastObj newObj)
        (initget 0 "Yes No")
        (setq inp (getkword "\nRescale block? [Yes/No] <No>: "))
        (cond ((= inp "Yes")
               (command "._Scale" "_si" newObj (cdr (assoc 10 (entget newObj))))
               (while (= (logand (getvar 'CmdActive) 1) 1) (command pause))))))
 (princ))

[stevenw00]

Thank you Robert! I will give that a shot and see if I can get it to work. I appreciate the help.

[stevenw00]

In the process to test out your lisp and modify it to work for me, I tried to set my titleblock back up w/ attributes and start testing it. For whatever reason, it is no longer prompting me to input the fields when I insert the block now. This is bad because I can't try your script, but this is good, because I should be able to use attedit to change the value of the attributes now.

Problem: I can't get attedit to input the value. In my lisp I:

 (Setq
      n6text (getstring T "\nEnter Description Line 1: ")
    )

to set the variable

    (princ "\nDescription 1 is ")
    (princ n6text)

to show that it was set (will be removed once finished)

(Setq
        n0	(list 0.0 0.0)
        n6 (list 14.25267415 0.58959989)
	A2 (* (- (Car n6) (Car n0)) dwgscl)
	A3 (* (- (Cadr n6) (Cadr n0)) dwgscl)
	n6 (list (+ (Car n0) A2) (+ (Cadr n0) A3))
)

to set the location
and

    (Command "attedit" "y" "" "" "" n6 "" "v" "r" n6text "" )

to edit the attribute.
The problem is that it doesn't assign anything to the value when I do that. Will it not read the variable for some reason? Any other ideas? Am I just an idiot?

[RobertB]

What flags did you set for the attribute definitions? It almost sounds like you've used the Constant flag, which is a bad idea.

[stevenw00]

What flags did you set for the attribute definitions? It almost sounds like you've used the Constant flag, which is a bad idea.

I honestly don't know what you're referring to. I've never heard of a "flag".

[RobertB]

Select the attribute definition(s) and check their properties.