Dynamic Blocks, any down sides to using them?

[tim.101799]

I have seen quite a few examples of dymanic blocks with multiple visibity states. As an example, a toilet block that can apear several different ways (tank style, flush valve, and wall mount). Are there any down side to creating blocks this way. I guess I am worried that I have some glitch or fatal error in a file, then the next time I open it all my blocks have switched to different visibity states

[Rico]

I have seen quite a few examples of dymanic blocks with multiple visibity states. As an example, a toilet block that can apear several different ways (tank style, flush valve, and wall mount). Are there any down side to creating blocks this way. I guess I am worried that I have some glitch or fatal error in a file, then the next time I open it all my blocks have switched to different visibity states
No glitches per se. There's a couple of things that might happen though:

1) Your dynamic Blocks will lose dynamicness. This is nothing major per se. They retain their dynamic properties, but your abilities to edit them on screen is reduced to editing them through the Properties window only. Nothing major and this is not unique to crashes. It can happen during a pan out. It's more of an inconvenience.

2) Your dynamic blocks lose dynamicness completely and become regular blocks. This generally happens when switching from a new verison of CAD that supports DBs to an older version which does not.

I can tell you for a personal fact that I have been using DBs and that I have had nothing major happen that would make me question my decision to use them. You need an understanding of basic DB principles in order to effectively use DBs but you can gain that from the tutorials found in the help and New features menus.

Go ahead and use DBs. I promise you won't go back. Best new feature in CAD IMHO.

[Rico]

I almost forgot ....


If you run into any problems or encounter road blocks in understanding DBs you can always come here. We already have a huge database of problems and solutions ..... and as you can tell, some of us are obsessed with DBs and love the problem solving aspect.