Improve image quality of block library slides

[Wish List System]

Summary: Improve readability of slides in a library.

Description: The slide library images in block libraries throughout Autodesk's history have always been blurry and unreadable. The fix (read: work around) is to remove lines and text within the file you're going to use so they are clearer. You would think with today's technology we could get slides that aren't blurry and unreadable.
This has been an issue since slide libraries were introduced (yes, I'm that old).

My wish is to see image quality of slides for block libraries improved.

Product and Feature: AutoCAD - Blocks

Submitted By: jlogan02 on 04/07/2022

[Tom Beauford]

There are a number of much easier ways to manage and add blocks now than block libraries.

I keep all our Typical blocks in a drawing called Typicals. With this BLOCKSPALETTE (Command) macro anyone I work with can pick and insert whatever typicals they need.

^C^C-blocknavigate;"G:/ENGDESGN/BeaufordT/Blocks/Typicals/Typicals.dwg";_blockspalette

Building, adding or modifying the blocks in a drawing is a piece of cake, doesn't require rebuilding a library and displays the blocks exactly how they will appear when inserted, much better than you ever could with a block library.

Another method that's been around a while is using the ADCNAVIGATE (Command) in a macro.
I have a drawing with blocks of all the MUTCD road sign blocks. This macro displays all those sign blocks in Design Center with their names.

^C^C^P(command "adcnavigate" "G:/ENGDESGN/BeaufordT/Blocks/MUTCD.dwg")

Tool Palettes are another way to handle this we didn't have for much of AutoCAD's history.

I taught an ATP class here on AUGI on Customization that covered creating block libraries back in 2003. Before AutoCAD was upgraded to 32 bit there was a download that made creating and editing block libraries easy. Haven't used them in years though.

AutoCAD really does improve with every version. Embrace all the upgrades they've made to the interface, don't become a dinosaur.

[dotson]

The AutoCAD .SLD File Format is a documented decimal vector based format. The quality problems you are perceiving may be caused by the lack of a regen or a small viewport before creation using the MSLIDE command. Also, many times .SLD files are displayed in small tiles in DCL dialog boxes making it appear to have low quality. The main thing is that the .SLD format is not to blame.

More importantly users have all but abandoned SLD in favor of bitmap images for previews, etc. Even though the images are truly choppy when displayed in small tiles, they are the new normal. We're actually fortunate that Autodesk hasn't abandoned .SLD and they certainly are not likely to improve on it.