Detail Components In ADT 2006

[amadison]

I am trying to modify the details in the Detail Components Manger as for as changing the hatching and line colors. When I go to the component for example a 2 core CMU and go to parameters the options are grayed out, and the message says, This component uses a custom recipe and cannot be edited using the Details Component Wizard. Please refer to the ADT Users Guide. So basically I need to know how to modify the detail components that are standard with ADT.

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

Please note I have *moved* this thread from the AutoCAD Customization forum to this one as I believe it would be better served here.

Thanks, Mike

Forum Moderator

[rick.rivera]

Happy holidays to all!
Detail component's help in ADT 2006 is not real user friendly so I come to the experts. I have a dwg I want to add to AECDTLCOMPONENTS(US).mdb.

In the parameters, I add the block drawing.
Block type - Fixed;
Block - empty;
Scaling Type - Fixed;
Scale - 1; Command
Line Prompt - Yes to all.

When I insert, I get this:
ERROR in <Data> section of "S:ArchDocumentsKey NotesDetails (US)2 -
SiteworkNewComponent.xml".
ERROR: No value found (tag=BlockName)
ERROR in <Data> section of "S:ArchDocumentsKey NotesDetails (US)2 -
SiteworkNewComponent.xml".
ERROR: Expected value not found (tag="BlockName", type="str").

I have no idea what I'm doing and I can't find any "how to" Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

[james.emoore]

There are two separate issues here:

1) Changing graphics of Detail Components. The base detail blocks are defined within AutoCAD drawings buried deep in the Detail folder paths near your detail component database files. The easiest way to change how they appear is to change the settings for the layers they are using by default. In your Style Manager under Multi-Purpose Objects you will find styles for your Layer Key Standards. In this object style on the "Keys" tab (click on the layer box at the top to sort keys by layer name) you will find a group of keys for the various Detail layers (A-Detl-*). If you change these settings, it will change how the layers are setup when you first insert components in a drawing. If you already have components, it is easiest to change the properties of this same group of layers. I've attached a screen shot of my style manager open to the Layer Key style.


2) The errors with the insertion appear to be related to missing parameter information. You say that you've given the block file name in the parameters, but you've left the "block" field empty. You need to put the name of the block within the drawing file in this field. I have not been able to use wblock files as components; I have to have blocks defined within the file I'm referencing. Try making sure that the block you want to insert is defined within the file and put the name of the block in the field you left empty in the detail component manager.

Good luck to both of you.

[rick.rivera]

James, thanks for the reply..I will try and report. After many hours of searching through the net, I did not find any infomation on using Detail Components. This feature seems to be a tremodous tool if customized properly and yet, there seems to be no "How to modified" articles to be found. Am I alone on this or is everyone else using a different tool?

[david_peterson]

The detail component manger is a very powerful tool. It was first introduced in version 3.0 if I remember correct, but it was kind of a hidden feature. It's been much improved over the last 2 versions. One of the reasons that I can think off that some people aren't using it to it's potential is that most of us already have some type of a detail manager. That and as you are finding out, it's a lot of work to get the block and all of the info that goes along with them modified. So I think most are either using it OOTB or just leaving it alone all together.

[dkoch]

You may find the class materials from the following classes offered at AU2004 of interest:

http://www.augi.com/education/auhand...004/BD34-5.pdf
http://www.augi.com/education/auhand...004/BD24-5.pdf
http://www.augi.com/education/auhand...04/BD35-5L.pdf

[rick.rivera]

UPDATE: 12/27/06
James, you hit it right on the head - we need the drawing and the block name. But here are some other things I've found: in the JIG TYPE: Stamp will insert one block, where Linear Array, you can insert as many as you like. Since my block is 10' long (x axis), I made the WIDTH TYPE: fixed value & enter 10' under WIDTH. Under GAP: I added 3/4" to separate each block 3/4" Since I want to work with my 10' block in the X axis, I had to make the JIG AND BLOCK ORIENTATION: X.

I'm still not sure how this Table Name & Recipe things comes into play, but I'll cont'd my research and post. Hopefully this info would help others who are confused.