Creating a Block Library

[riza3430]

Morning all

I've recently started at a water utilities company where the CAD system and management is a bit old fashioned but this is partly to do with having draftsmen that don't like anything new and are stuck in their ways. My problem is that our block library is made up of thousands of individual blocks that aren't kept up to date so we have a magnetude of folders and sub folders etc. What doesn't help is that each draftsmen has their own folder with their own blocks in rather than everyone working off of one folder/system.

Currently we have a network drive that everyone is mapped to which has dozens and dozens of folders and sub folders for people to insert their blocks from. We still use the insert tab on the ribbon to insert blocks rather than having a library of sorts on the autocad design centre or tool palettes.

What I'd ideally like is to have a more effiecent way of storing all of our blocks and dynamic blocks so that we can all work from the same blocks. I was looking at creating tool palettes for these but don't want to go down this route if other solutions are considered more effective. One reason I liked the idea of tool palettes is that we could create them in house and then send them out to our consultants so everyone is working from the same block library. Either way, I need to sort something out.

Any suggestions? I feel like starting from scratch is a potential option so anything is a go really!

Many thanks

[Coloradomrg]

My personal preference is for tool pallets. Organization is everything... thoroughly think out the structure before you start creating. It will save you some headaches!

As you implement, bring the old curmudgeons along and try to involve them. That will help make your work life a little better.

[riza3430]

Having already done some work on tool palettes this was my preference too. My main concern with the vast majority of the blocks we use is that they are are pipe connections. The issue I've found is that it can be quite a pain to bring in say an angle branch and then have to change the size of the angle branch diameter each time you bring one in. I have wondered if it is worth keeping all these as standard blocks and not dynamic.

I have come across another problem when using them which is when I try to drag a block into my drawing, it always brings it in on layer 0 rather than the layer I am currently working on. I haven't had this on every block/drawing but is there a way around this at all?

[Coloradomrg]

For dynamic blocks with visibility states, I create additional buttons on the palette so that the same block is used, but the button properties bring it in with the correct visibility. That way you maintain the flexibility of changing later, but the ease of inserting what you want directly from the palette.

All of my buttons set the layer that I want the block on... I've never had a block not take that setting unless you've got it set to explode on insertion. With palettes you don't have to drag, simply click the button then click the insert point.