Blocks are too much work

[mmiles]

Hi all,

Preface: AutoCAD user turned Revit User; forced back to AutoCAD

I think I know the reasons, but I am having trouble encouraging the use of blocks in the office where I now work. there is a combination of experienced (but never trained) users, who have loads of bad habits, and inexperienced users, who are the whipper-snapper types, in our office. Most people scoff at my comments that more blocks should be utilized in the CDs that we are creating, and the comments I receive are along the lines that blocks are too much work. Clearly, people prefer copy clipping, or just copying lines. I find it annoying that this is even an issue, but I am also in a position to "influence" standards as a more senior member of the firm.

Can y'all give me some solid arguments, or point me to a document that supports my case - or conversely, supports the abandonment of using blocks? thanks.

[rkmcswain]

I don't use them as often as I should...but any time I have something that will be repeated in a drawing, I try to make it a block - so when edits are needed, I can edit one copy and they all update. This includes notes on multiple layouts, legends on multiple layouts, and of course simple geometry that should all be the same.

The BEDIT command makes block editing easy and there is little excuse for exploding and editing - short of you needing one different version of something.

[nextvkin]

Ditto rkmcswain's arguments, I use blocks whenever there are repeats. Refedit is my preferred choice for editing a block as you can it in context. I can't believe that 'too much work' is a good argument against using blocks, in fact it saves you work. Maybe you should educate them & show them how easy it is to edit the blocks using refedit or bedit.

[Richard McDonald]

Blocks combined with tool palettes are a powerful tool that shouldn't be overlooked.

You have speed of draughting, conformity across projects, reduced file sizes, ability to change on mass.

Set a challange, if you can change your drawing full of blocks quicker than all the other CADDies they buy your food and beer for the month.

I've just started a new place and have created a few tool palettes full of standard details that were copy pasted in the past. I have offered them out to people and some are interested, hopefully overtime more will see the benifits especially with the dynamic blocks that save alot of faf.

[mmiles]

I haven't really used tool palettes. can you point me in a direction for learning? I will look at ACAD help to start. It sounds like it may help us clear a hurdle related to updating blocks across files - which is one of the rationales given to me for not using blocks. thanks for the input.

[duhvinci]

I am flabbergasted by the response you are getting from your users.

Blocks are one of the primary objects within AutoCAD that allow the efficient use of AutoCAD. Do your users also not use layers to their advantage, or associative dimensions? I'm pretty certain 3d is out of the question.

Perhaps the greatest argument for the use of blocks is if not used (properly) your organization will be less productive. Well they probably don't care if they are less productive except being less productive means the organization is less competitive than other companies bidding for the same work your organization is unless your organization pays their employees less than the competition does, or doesn't get the bid. Reason enough for them?

Here's the deal. Blocks can be a pain in the butt to use if they are not implemented in a systematic way and organized in an efficient way. You may need to take a hard look at the way work is currently performed. Create a plan on introducing the user to the benefits of some simple blocks. Beforehand you'll want to play around with the construction of them to get them to work well. Pay attention to the layers that block objects are created on. Pay attention to the UCS and insert base points of the block geometry. Maybe look into the addition of adding simple attributes. Start slowly as you develop your blocks and don't be afraid of making some changes as you go. Iron out the bugs before you start the users with them.

Maybe your users formed their opinions because of previous experience of using poorly planned blocks.

[clshade]

Might as well throw out your Templates and all your Layers each time you start a drawing.
It is always faster and more convenient to recreate all the information you need each time.

Get them to Dynamic Blocks too and laugh all the way to the bank.

[Ed Jobe]

so when edits are needed, ...

@mmiles - I think this is the most common issue that drives many to cut/copy/paste methods. (not you RK) They don't plan to ever edit the dwg later. They are only concerned about getting it done quick the first time. With that attitude, why invest any more time into a dwg or training or effort to learn? "I get it done just fine."

As to updating across a set of dwgs, xfef it instead of inserting it. Even if it is inserted, what's easier, importing a new block def and being done or selecting many ents, deleting them, and copying new ents, being careful to get them in the same spot and scale?

[Tom Beauford]

On R12 AutoCAD back in 1995 an engineer exploded all the blocks in a drawing because it was the only way he could figure to get rid of all the attribute text. Didn't know about the layer command I suppose. Thousands of trees, control points etc... went from references to collections of entities. The drawing increased in size a hundred times. The PC I had at the time could not even open the file. So it's good to know I'm not the only one who has to deal with folk like that.

[Jmurphy]

On R12 AutoCAD back in 1995 an engineer exploded all the blocks in a drawing because it was the only way he could figure to get rid of all the attribute text. Didn't know about the layer command I suppose. Thousands of trees, control points etc... went from references to collections of entities. The drawing increased in size a hundred times. The PC I had at the time could not even open the file. So it's good to know I'm not the only one who has to deal with folk like that.

I can beat that Tom, I had users exploding not only blocks but hatches just to trim out for adding text to the area that was hatched. Then 30+ exploded title blocks in Model space with the attributes tags changed to be the text they wanted. All I can suggest to the OP is do what I did and walk.