Dynamic Legends?

[Rico]

My brainstorm: I want to concentrate more on the contents of a legend as opposed to having to worry about stretching borders or text entities and trying to make them all fit together. This is time consuming and incredibly tedious.

My idea: To create a company wide standard for Legends (construction legend, demolition notes, construction notes, general notes etc) that follow the same theories as DB's with the ability to move, stretch and shift text entities inside the blocks.

My problem: I've found that text (aka block attributes) do not follow the same fundamental theories as drawing objects (i.e.: lines, circles polylines and polygons) as they cannot be stretched or moved from their insertion point. Or, at least, if there IS a way, I have not yet found it.

My questions: Has anyone tried to create a Dynamic Legend using the theories of Dynamic Blocks? Have you been successful? What were your roadblocks? Wanna post an example? Or maybe give your ideas?

[Wanderer]

definitely sounds like a promising idea, but, would involve lots of work and unknowns so I probably wouldn't attempt it myself as seldom as I have to make schedules.
My brainstorm: I want to concentrate more on the contents of a legend as opposed to having to worry about stretching borders or text entities and trying to make them all fit together. This is time consuming and incredibly tedious.

My idea: To create a company wide standard for Legends (construction legend, demolition notes, construction notes, general notes etc) that follow the same theories as DB's with the ability to move, stretch and shift text entities inside the blocks.

My problem: I've found that text (aka block attributes) do not follow the same fundamental theories as drawing objects (i.e.: lines, circles polylines and polygons) as they cannot be stretched or moved from their insertion point. Or, at least, if there IS a way, I have not yet found it.

My questions: Has anyone tried to create a Dynamic Legend using the theories of Dynamic Blocks? Have you been successful? What were your roadblocks? Wanna post an example? Or maybe give your ideas?

[Chris.N]

Hi Rico, sorry to misunderstand, I thot this was a thread of nominees or something...:mrgreen: *nevermind*

[Rico]

Hi Rico, sorry to misunderstand, I thot this was a thread of nominees or something...:mrgreen: *nevermind*
haha. I can see how it could be interpreted otherwise.

Well, if it WAS, I'd rank you in the Top 3. ;) You certainly deserve it. :)

[Sara1920]

I'm trying to make a legend of mechanical symbols into a dynamic block. So far, I have only figured out how to make some symbols disappear. I'm not familiar with dynamic blocks... I'm more of a parametric part kind of girl.

Two main problems so far: 1) I have no idea how to make options for symbols to disappear without making a seemingly endless list of options. I wish the visibility option were like an on/off button rather than a set of visible/invisible. Is it too time consuming to have this as an option? 2) How would I fill in the blank spaces left by the symbols I did not use? I'd like there to be a way to move sections of the block (ie one symbol and its definition) independantly of the rest of the block?

So I'd like essentiall to be able to have something like this:
Title
Symbol 1 - Definition 1
Symbol 2 - Definition 2
Symbol 3 - Definition 3

And be able to choose to not include symbol 2 and its definition and have symbol 3 and its definition to automatically scoot up to fill in the space. I'd also not have the list of options be so long that the user would have to choose from 1+2+3, 1+2, 2+3, 1+3, 1, 2, 3. If you have 20 items in the legend, this list becomes rediculously long.

I hope that makes some sense. Thanks, everyone.

[Rico]

I'm trying to make a legend of mechanical symbols into a dynamic block. So far, I have only figured out how to make some symbols disappear. I'm not familiar with dynamic blocks... I'm more of a parametric part kind of girl.

Two main problems so far: 1) I have no idea how to make options for symbols to disappear without making a seemingly endless list of options. I wish the visibility option were like an on/off button rather than a set of visible/invisible. Is it too time consuming to have this as an option? 2) How would I fill in the blank spaces left by the symbols I did not use? I'd like there to be a way to move sections of the block (ie one symbol and its definition) independantly of the rest of the block?

So I'd like essentiall to be able to have something like this:
Title
Symbol 1 - Definition 1
Symbol 2 - Definition 2
Symbol 3 - Definition 3

And be able to choose to not include symbol 2 and its definition and have symbol 3 and its definition to automatically scoot up to fill in the space. I'd also not have the list of options be so long that the user would have to choose from 1+2+3, 1+2, 2+3, 1+3, 1, 2, 3. If you have 20 items in the legend, this list becomes rediculously long.

I hope that makes some sense. Thanks, everyone.

I have an idea of what you are asking for, but I am still unclear .... do you have a sample block or what you are currently working on so that we can have a visual of what you need?

..... man, talk about digging up an OLD thread! This was, like 2 years ago when me & Nibster first met and we were JUST getting into DBs! hehehehe ... my how times change ...

[Sara1920]

Here's what we use, just a standard legend. The 11x17 PDF attached doesn't contain all of them, however because there are so many. We're trying to find a way to easily insert a block into the drawing and essentially check off the ones we don't want to use so it doesn't take up so much of the sheet. I spoke with my boss again, saying I couldn't figure it out and he said it would probably be a LISP creation, which I have zero experience with. Is it even possible?

[Rico]

Here's what we use, just a standard legend. The 11x17 PDF attached doesn't contain all of them, however because there are so many. We're trying to find a way to easily insert a block into the drawing and essentially check off the ones we don't want to use so it doesn't take up so much of the sheet. I spoke with my boss again, saying I couldn't figure it out and he said it would probably be a LISP creation, which I have zero experience with. Is it even possible?

It's possible .... but it would take SO much work and it really is something that you would have to do for yourself as only you know exactly what you need. I can help guide you, if you wish, and we can try to come up with something together .....

But a LISP routine would be the easier way to go ... probably .... but that would require an understanding of LISP programming ... something that not every CAD Geek has up their sleeve ...

[Opie]

You might try following this thread.

[Sara1920]

Thanks, I'll check it out next chance I get. Work has picked up considerably since I last posted and I haven't had time time to have lunch, let alone do side stuff. Thanks so much, though.