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Need for a block editor

  • 1.  Need for a block editor

    Posted 06-09-2020 05:26
      |   view attached

    I think there is a big need for a block editor in TBC. 

     

    I have run into a few cases where I would need to make a modification to a block and currently in TBC the only way to do so is to explode the block and make they edit and then replace existing blocks. 

     

    Where this has value:

    • Relayering entities
    • Cleaning up linework
    • Purging out bad data (shown in the video)
    • Adding linework

     

    I think blocks are great but them come with their quirks. A block editor wold allow users to address those quirks and make them more usable. In this case it looks like Civil3D allows you to create blocks within blocks to quickly toggle through different styles instead of swapping out blocks. I get the concept and actually think this is pretty useful, however in TBC it creates headaches. 

     

     

    Could TBC support exploding these types of blocks  and delete all of the other styles when exploding?

     

     

     

    The attached dwg contains the blocks that are giving me issues.

     

     

    Any tips or tricks on this issue would be great. I know I could just explode them all in Civil3D but I am trying to hopefully address the issue in TBC. 

    Attachment(s)

    dwg
    Blocks.dwg   120 KB 1 version


  • 2.  Re: Need for a block editor

    Posted 06-09-2020 07:42

    I had not seen this before, looks like our Explode needs to determine which of the Blocks in the Block Package is current and generate that one only on Export - Have asked Development to look into that.

     

    Challenge with a "Block Editor" is that it requires all of the CAD functions like Draw Lines, Trim Extend, Break, Clip, Join, Hatch etc to get what you need, so just using the CAD tools is the easiest way to do that.

     

     

    I see also that we dont allow you to save a Block to the name of an existing Block, so Updating All Blocks in a Drawing would be a challenge in TBC - I have posed the question to development to see what they say today

     

    Alan



  • 3.  Re: Need for a block editor

    Posted 06-10-2020 15:52

    We are looking into the Multiblock issue to see what is going on there

     

    For the Block Editing - as a near term address we can now explode the block, edit it and save it as a new block. We can then pick a selection of Blocks and change them to a different block in the Properties Pane to make it easier to edit and replace a block.

     

    We will see if we can address the Explode out to just the current block in the Multiblock instance, and try to eliminate the creation of multiblock explodes in those situations. I will let you know when I hear back from development.

     

    Alan



  • 4.  Re: Need for a block editor

    Posted 06-10-2020 17:00

    Awesome. Thank you!



  • 5.  Re: Need for a block editor

    Posted 08-01-2020 09:31

    A block editor has been added with TBC 5.31.



  • 6.  Re: Need for a block editor

    Posted 09-16-2020 06:07

    Speaking of editing blocks.  As I just roughly started creating my own. When I go use my created block.  That block ask for a layer and I choose the layer I want the block to be placed in. That is not the case, that block gets layered in the layer where I created the block in. How do I relayer as it will not allow me to relayer the block into the layer where I need it?  thanks 



  • 7.  Re: Need for a block editor

    Posted 09-16-2020 06:17

    Blocks should work like this

     

    1) If you draw a set of lines on a layer called Block Lines

    2) Then you create a Block from the linework in 1 - the linework for the

    Block is still on the Layer Block Lines inside the Block, but the Block can

    be placed on any layer that you want

    3) Draw an instance of the Block and place it on the layer Test Block

    4) Turn off the visibility of the layer Test Block - the block should

    disappear

    5) Turn on the visibility of the layer Test Block - The block should appear

    6) The layer Block Lines should have no influence on the visibility of the

    placed Blocks while the Block is intact

    7) You can Explode the Block - the Linework from the Block will be created

    on the Layer on which it was defined ie the Block Lines layer

    8) There will now be nothing on the layer Test Block

     

    So when you define the Block, you want to be very aware of the layers on

    which you create the lines and also the layer on which you place the blocks

     

    Alan

     

    On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 7:07 AM frank.guerrero@ebcc.com <trimble@jiveon.com>