Rotation and a wonky stretch?

[Rico]

Okay, I created this Dynamic block of an elevation datum. I wanted it to stretch at the line and to rotate as a whole.

I was going to add a flip action to this but found myself stuck in a rut and I refuse to move ahead without first solving the original problem.

I attached the Dynamic Block for all to see. The problem is this:

The rotate function works fine .... But can you add a limit as far as how far it can rotate? (i.e.: Setting a limit of maybe 60%%d in either positive or negative direction?) The stretch function also works ... but only when horizontal. Once I rotate the block and stretch the line, the line does not stay parallel to the rest of the block. Can this be fixed?

Try it yourself. Rotate the block and then try to stretch the line a fair distance.

Can anyone tell me what is going on? Can it be fixed? Or do I have to abandon this idea? Any advice would be welcome.

[cross]

I don't really understand why, but here is what you need to do. Open up the block editor, double click your rotate action, use the down arrow to open up the dialogue select Remove, and de-select the Stretch Action. It seems to me that you don't want to include actions within the selection set of other actions, (unless you desire "wonky" behavior from your blocks.)

Perhaps someone else can offer a definitive reason for why the blocks work this way for both of us.

Chuck

[Rico]

I don't really understand why, but here is what you need to do. Open up the block editor, double click your rotate action, use the down arrow to open up the dialogue select Remove, and de-select the Stretch Action. It seems to me that you don't want to include actions within the selection set of other actions, (unless you desire "wonky" behavior from your blocks.)

Perhaps someone else can offer a definitive reason for why the blocks work this way for both of us.

Chuck
Sounds like a good plan. I'll give it a shot and let you know what I find. Thanks for the tip.

[Rico]

I don't really understand why, but here is what you need to do. Open up the block editor, double click your rotate action, use the down arrow to open up the dialogue select Remove, and de-select the Stretch Action. It seems to me that you don't want to include actions within the selection set of other actions, (unless you desire "wonky" behavior from your blocks.)

Perhaps someone else can offer a definitive reason for why the blocks work this way for both of us.

Chuck
Tried it.

Didn't work.

I still get the wonky stretch. I even tried deleting and re-installing all the actions and parameters to no avail.

What I am finding is happening is this:

I set up the Dynamic Block. It all sets up fine.
I can strecth the line properly when it is horizontal. This is no problem.
But as soon as I rotate the datum and I try to stretch the line, it does not stretch properly. In other words, I can't get it to stretch properly on an angle the way that it does in a horizontal plane.

I've attached a new datum drawing with the suggestion that cross made. As you can see: Still no difference. Thanks for trying cross. Do you (or does anyone else) have any other ideas?

[Opie]

Rico,

Have you looked at the sample blocks ("Tag - Imperial" or "Tag - Metric") located on the Annotation tab of the original tool palette provided with 2006? I think this is what you are looking for.

[Rico]

Rico,

Have you looked at the sample blocks ("Tag - Imperial" or "Tag - Metric") located on the Annotation tab of the original tool palette provided with 2006? I think this is what you are looking for. Have I told you lately that I love you? ;)

Thanks Richard. That was exactly what I was looking for. I had tried polar stretch before but could not get it to work until I realized 3 things (all by looking at the samples you suggested):

1. The first action set it asks for "Specify first corner of stretch frame" refers to the part you want to stretch.

2. The second section is the rotation itself.

3. You just have to pay more attention when using more than one action / parameter.

Sometimes it's just nice to have a second set of eyes to look at it. I've been wrestling with it so long it was all starting to meld together.

So thanks for the help.

[Opie]

When you get good at the dynamic blocks, I'll start asking you the questions on how to do those. My office has not started using those, yet. ;)

[Rico]

When you get good at the dynamic blocks, I'll start asking you the questions on how to do those. My office has not started using those, yet. ;)
Neither has mine ... but I've been doing research at home on them and plan to present them to my company brass to see if I can get them implemented. It's been fun, actually. I have kind of enjoyed discovering Dynamic Blocks and becoming the company pro at it. It's really fulfilling to do something yourself and see it in action. I'll gladly help ya out. You've been a huge help on them so far.

[Wanderer]

Neither has mine ... but I've been doing research at home on them and plan to present them to my company brass to see if I can get them implemented. It's been fun, actually. I have kind of enjoyed discovering Dynamic Blocks and becoming the company pro at it. It's really fulfilling to do something yourself and see it in action. I'll gladly help ya out. You've been a huge help on them so far.I haven't really 'implemented' them yet, but, I was working on cleaning up a drawing and went from something like 150 blocks to 75, so I'm pretty happy.

[Rico]

I haven't really 'implemented' them yet, but, I was working on cleaning up a drawing and went from something like 59 blocks to 75, so I'm pretty happy.
So .... you HAD 75 blocks and went down to 59 using Dynamic Blocks?

That's pretty sweet.

Do you know how they affect a drawing's overall size? (i.e.: are they larger file sizes when using Dynamic Blocks, or are they substantially smaller?)

[Wanderer]

So .... you HAD 75 blocks and went down to 59 using Dynamic Blocks?

That's pretty sweet.

Do you know how they affect a drawing's overall size? (i.e.: are they larger file sizes when using Dynamic Blocks, or are they substantially smaller?)~grins~ I have no idea what you're talking about. :neutral:

file size decreased significantly. I don't know what type of difference they'd make in a relatively normal drawing. as this particular file is 10 years old and has been contributed to by dozens of companies, so there were multiple blocks representing the same thing.

an experiment would be to create a file with drawn entities (say door for instance). save a copy. create a typical block as you would have before. then, with the copied file, create a block with the different options that a dyn block could have. and then compare the file sizes. ~shrug~

[Rico]

~grins~ I have no idea what you're talking about. :neutral:

file size decreased significantly. I don't know what type of difference they'd make in a relatively normal drawing. as this particular file is 10 years old and has been contributed to by dozens of companies, so there were multiple blocks representing the same thing.

an experiment would be to create a file with drawn entities (say door for instance). save a copy. create a typical block as you would have before. then, with the copied file, create a block with the different options that a dyn block could have. and then compare the file sizes. ~shrug~
Very well .... (*puts on white lab coat*) .... I shall be the father of "Dynamic Block vs Regular Block drawing file sizes" ....... and we'll call the procedure ....... Maxology. ;)

Now where's my thermometer and stethoscope? :mrgreen:

[Opie]

Very well .... (*puts on white lab coat*) .... I shall be the father of "Dynamic Block vs Regular Block drawing file sizes" ....... and we'll call the procedure ....... Maxology. ;)

Now where's my thermometer and stethoscope? :mrgreen:
Images of Dr. Doolittle come to mind :)

[cwade]

My office has started using Dynamic blocks, but then again I am also the CAD Manager here, so I control that :-)

[mark.62793]

So .... you HAD 75 blocks and went down to 59 using Dynamic Blocks?

That's pretty sweet.

Do you know how they affect a drawing's overall size? (i.e.: are they larger file sizes when using Dynamic Blocks, or are they substantially smaller?)

Ive noticed they are pretty much like normal blocks so size is pretty much the same. BUT, if you get too block happy and start embedding a ton of visibility states with your old legacy blocks. Ya your drawing will start to get a lot bigger.

As far as implementing blocks. I started this process a while ago, and was pretty tough. Some users like it, some didn't understand, and others didn't really care. Trust me, it only takes ONE block to get them all on the band wagon. What is that block? Take your most commonly used symbol. Or better yet what I did, find aspects of your drawings that WEREN'T blocks, or aspects that were only generated from codes. These areas is how I got our office Dynamic block crazy.