AutoCad :: Changing Names Of Multiple Blocks In DWG?
Aug 4, 2011
I've been given about 14 DWGs from another company all on different discs. Each DWG is a page to a set of Shop Drawings. All objects are in model space. I want to combine all of them into one drawing but every drawing has similar block names with different objects associated with the block and when I copy the objects from one drawing to antoher, the blocks morph into the exisiting block, if that makes sense. Just a poor initial set up.
Anyway, the solution to this, I have found, is to rename the blocks in each drawing to have room numbers on the ends, giving them unique names and avoiding the "morph" upon inserting. I have about 15 blocks per drawings to add -XX with XX being 01-14. Is there an easy way to modify them or do I need to do the RENAME command as many times as needed in each drawing?
Is it possible to edit a block name? The alternate solution is to create a new block (door) to accurate describe sizing/ type and copy to and delete old blocks w/ innacurate names. Because of the high number of doors, the alternate solution would take much longer.
In autocad 2011 ... I am looking for some sample code to delete all blocks with specific names in a multi layout drawing. There may be multiple blocks with the same name.
This is what I have so far ... this code collects the objects and loops through the layouts and the blocks ... if it finds the text "REVBLK" in the block name ... I want it to delete the block ... it does delete some of them but not all of the blocks ...
Dim E1 As Object Dim ATS As Variant Dim EA As AcadAttributeReference Dim objLayouts As AcadLayouts Dim LayerNextNo As Integer Set objLayouts = ThisDrawing.Layouts LayerNextNo = ThisDrawing.ActiveLayout.TabOrder
I recently updated our CAD Library to dynamic blocks. In the process of updating our drawings, we realized that we could not use BLOCKREPLACE to replace dynamic blocks with another dynamic block (with new name) once the dynamic element has been changed. I realize that this changes the state of the block and anonymous block names are created.
I need a simple solution so that members of my group can easily replace dynamic blocks with new dynamic blocks.
I have several architects who use VectorWorks that then export their electrical to me in a dwg format. I then use a program that makes intelligent devices from their blocks. The problem is that if there are 300 receptacles that are exactly the same, there is be 300 different block names for then such as group_205-1. In the past I just individually insert my intelligent block over each one of their blocks. But Now I am wondering if there is a way to select all the blocks and give them the same name and not have them all disappear because autocad sees them as duplicates.
I tried block replace, but it is one at a time and it gets rid of the old block. I then downloaded a trial of mblockreplace.vlx. However, it seems to also make all the blocks disappear. How to give the blocks the same name in a multi-select fashion without them all disappearing afterwards?
I'm looking to change the way Gimp names the layers I create. I primarily use the application for 2D animation and would like to have the layer names be structured so that I don't have to change every one for each animation.
I have a single street alignment that looks like an “n”. My issue is the west side of the “n” is named “Main Street” & the east side is named “First Ave” in the real world. Is there a way to have an alignment name from station 1+00 - 10+00 be different than 10+00 - 20+00 for automatic label purposes? I would rather not break the alignment since it one long continuous street & in some instances there is a vertical curve within the breakpoint. JUst need to figure out how to use automatic lables for naming street intersections.
So I managed to have a fatal two disk crash and almost lost half of my catalogue. Luckily, I recovered one of the drives, but it renamed all of my files. I was using original file names (dumb mistake), and it seems there is no way to recover them. In the future I will be using YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS to keep things recoverable.
So at the moment I have recovered and renamed the files along those lines (YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS). What I want to do is rename the links in the catalogue to match as the files have that exif data, and then I think I can recover the files. Of course, Lightroom is throwing up roadblocks. I'd like to recover the photos with their edits, so is there a way to rename the files in the catalogue to match my new files?
I have a data shortcut file where i keep my EG surface that now has File Name.dwg [DS] [DS] [DS] [DS]. What's the deal? Has this managed to morph itself into something it's not. It used to have only one, had two for awhile, and now 4 references to the DS (Datashort cut project folder).
Have I done something wrong here to get these wonky file names, would be nice to see just 1 reference being made to my DS Project folder.
I have problem with layer comps' names. Always, when I close my ps file, names of layer comps in this files are changing. I see that after opening this file. I use photoshop CS5 Extended.
For example, let's say I have a file on a hard drive labeled 2012. Inside that file there are three folders with photos and they are labeled Phoenix, Seattle, Portland. Is there a way to Import these folders at one time and keep the names, or will they all come into Lightroom only as 2012?
I'm in the process of creating 3D points (as an overlay) on some laser scanned data (using RiScan, it's just 3d dimensional data, with a northing, easting and RL) and unfortunately the only export option is to export to .dxf... Which is fine but when I export, the information has the point ID as the layer name.
I am aiming at getting this data into another program to analyse and it needs the point ID or name to be my annotation, as opposed to the layer.
So what I need is a way of converting the names of each individual points layer, to the point ID.
I am exporting multiple views as DWGs to create backgrounds.
When I set Naming: to Automatic - Short, it produces files named like:
FloorPlan-2D_L1_Interiors.dwg, FloorPlan-2D_L1_Structural.dwg, FloorPlan-2D_L2_Interiors.dwg, etc.
The 2D_L2_Interiors is the name of the view, and it is a FloorPlan so it adds that as a prefix. I am looking for a way to force Revit to ignore the prefix.
Is there a way to export these so they are automatically generated like:
2D_L1_Interiors.dwg, 2D_L1_Structural.dwg, 2D_L2_Interiors.dwg, etc.
Does the Naming: Manual (Specify file name) option have the ability to use fields for parts of the name, perhaps taken from Project Parameters or something? So in the filename box I'd be able to say {View Style}-{View Group}-{View Name}.dwg and end up 3D-Interiors-SomeViewName.dwg?
Or should I download Ant Renamer and call it a day?
We've just upgraded to AutoCAD Architecture 2012 and I discovered that my match properties command (MA) is now on steroids. In the process of making an existing plan into a demo plan, I put a toilet on a demo layer. I intended to use match properties to put other select items on the same demo layer, but when I touched the lavatory, it turned into a toilet. I've never had this happen before. In trying to solve the issue, I've discovered the same thing happens with other AEC objects (couches, urnials, chairs -- all became toilets) and it happens in multiple files. Only walls and doors remain intact with only the layer, color and linetype changing (which is what I was expecting).
I looked at the settings inside the match properties command and none of them seemed to apply. I deselected the special properties options anyway, but the problem remains.
I am going through an architectural background, converted over from Revit. I have to go through and routinely burst the object, then qselect, choose what is not equal to bylayer, and change to bylayer.
I don't want to burst everything, making a monster out of the file, but going into every individual block to change the colors within the block to bylayer is also extremely time consuming.
Is there an easier way? maybe a wishlist item for ACAD 2014 to include objects within blocks, when using QSE?
we have recently changed our standard text style from ISOCP to ARIAL NARROW. I have a drawing with text in the blocks that is still ISOCP, i would like to know how to change all the block attributes text style in one go.
I have a interesting problem with Dynamic blocks that have been created in AutoCAD 2007. The issue that I have is with the anchor point that is set by AutoCAD when creating the block, and whether or not I can assign a different anchor point.
The block that has been created is a dynamic block to designate parcels, and contains the APN (Assessor's Parcel Number, which is hidden), Acreage, a circle, and a digit that displays within the circle. When the block is imported to a drawing, the anchor point itself is NW of the block itself (the distance varies by the scale being used), and I would like to have the anchor point at the south quadrant grip of the circle.
The anchor point poses no problems when being used in AutoCAD, but when the blocks are imported to GIS, the anchor point causes the blocks to snap to the anchor point, rather than where they are placed physically within the AutoCAD drawing. This is a fairly simple fix in GIS, which simply entails moving the highlighted points in to the proper position, but it is a step that I would like to eliminate.
Our office created a library of blocks for use in our dwgs in the early days of Autocad. Since installing MEP2013 when inserting the blocks many of them have mysteriously changed from inches to millimeter units. We have to go back to each block(dwg) and change the units and rescale the blocks. We upgraded from MEP2012 and they were working fine.
I have a dynamic block symbol. It is a circle with two separate attribute elements at its side, with a line horizontally between them. No, this line is not a text underline; it is a separate line element that in one visibility state of the block must disappear.
My best results for blocks come when the element color of a block's geometry is set to "ByBlock" (attributes I leave as "ByLayer" color), and all of my elements, no matter what, I place on Layer 0. But in the case of this line, it always ends up matching the symbology of the block geometry. This I do not like.
When I insert a block, I use Attribute Editor to change the attributes' layer to the project's appropriate text layer. That way, in case I have to freeze a text layer, the attributes disappear also. What I want is for that line to be able to do the same.
Can an element's layer somehow be dynamically changed to automatically match the layer of another element, without having to Block Editor the block every time this is used from project to project?
I’m currently working on getting a system for easier plant layout management. Part of which is condensing what started as 195 mostly random layers into about 15 usable layers.
Problem:
I have about 28 more layers that need to get rid of and I can’t delete them because there are lines assigned to them. However, when I hide all the layers I need so that only the unnecessary layers are showing, there’s nothing there.
Side Note:
I know this problem is most likely because there were layers applied to features deep within blocks. I just don’t want to go through the 700+ block to check each layer assigned to each line.
(This file I was given to start with is a mess. Examples: Some of the blocks have the same exact feature that’s buried 7 blocks deep with no features added to justify an extra bock being there. Some of the blocks aren’t even being used in the layout. Name of the block has no coloration with the actual thing it represents. Stuff like that…)
Question:
Is there a way of hunting down these layers in the blocks to delete / change them without checking each individual block? Or is it possibly because the layer i need to get rid of is applied to a block that’s not being used in the layout?
I'm trying to get a routine that creates and inserts a copy of all the block entities in a DWG. For some reason the code causes CAD to hang? See attachment for code.
Let's say I have a whole bunch of blocks, and they are all different colors. I want to make them all one color without having to go into the block editor screen for each one. there has to be a way.
I have about 100 blocks. They are different in many ways, but all have multiple linear distance parameters, and these have the distance max set to lengths (all of them have different lengths).
I'd like to be able to change the distance max without having to open each block and do this manually.
Is it possible to export block info into Excel and then change it in Excel, and reimport into AutoCAD, saving the new information?
Or is there another way, through Lisp or some other part of AutoCAD that I don't know about?
working with blocks, I want to be able to simple turn on and off certain layers of the blocks appropriate for the work I am doing at the time. However, no matter how I construct my blocks, on what layer i made them or insert them, I can only get one layer to turn on and off freely. Is there something I am missing with blocks to get it to work more smoothly?
Example... a door block with swing and frames. When you want to hatch a floor pattern, you have to click inside and outside the swing arc to hatch, and even then... there should be a line across the frame to close the opening... I just want to turn off the door and swing line, keeping the door frame and threshold line to make hatching easier.
I've been working on some tooling and what I've run into is common block names being used in more than one tool.
I try to insert them into my layout and it shows multiple definitions that are duplicates but it ignores them as it continues to insert the new tool.
So then the tool is all messed up since it's trying to use the properties of the blocks from another tool.
Is there a batch routine or another simplier way to rename 40 or 50 blocks at one time?
This is happening in multiple tools and they are being generated by another customer so I can't just go talk to the guy and ask him to make a simple change.
Any way other than going into multiple tool files and changing each block name one at a time?
My coworkers are positive that they have been able to INSERT multiple blocks at one time but now when using the INSERT command, they can only select a single block for insertion. I tried recreating the issue and it does the same thing for me both using DESIGN CENTER and the INSERT command. Is there a setting somewhere that controls the number of blocks you can INSERT at one time or are they just delirious?
If it isn't possible to do in AutoCAD, then is there possibly a LISP routine out there that will achieve this?
