How do you turn one instance of a block into a unique block in a single an easy step? There is an easy way.Català - Castellano - Deutsch
If you are a SketchUp and AutoCAD user like me, probably you miss the "make unique" option from SketchUp when you are using AutoCAD. For those who do not use SU, Make Unique will turn an instance of a Component (Blocks in SketchUp are called Components) into a Unique one, allowing us to modify it without affecting the other instances of that Component.
I always miss this is a feature in AutoCAD, but lately I came to realize that there is a way to do the same (only for 2D blocks though). The trick is to use the FLATTEN command. If we select "Sample Block 01" and run the FLATTEN command, the result will be a flattened version of the same block called "Sample Block 01-flat1". Because the new block has a different name we can modify it without affecting the other instances of that block. So the result achieved would be the same we get in SketchUp using "Make Unique".
This, of course, only works in 2D, since the command FLATTEN flattens linework, it would turn a 3D block into a 2D one.
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If you want to trim time off this command, you could write a simple lisp routine or script that opens the block editor and saves as new block. This allows finer control of the new block's name and gets you right into editing; no middleman required.
ReplyDeleteMatt,
ReplyDeletethe pòint of using FLATTEN for this was to have one instance of the block with a new name so you can right away start modifying it.
THe LISP routine you are talking about could be useful, as long as it includes not only saving the block with a new name, but also replacing that one instance of the old block by one of the new renamed block.
If you know hot to do that, please feel free to share.
Ah, good point. Is there a dialogue box-less version of flatten? That would be great. Perhaps a routine to explode & re-block the objects. After you enter a name it would kick right into the block editor. You would loose any dynamic objects. The flatten command probably has the same effect. I don't have my copy of cad handy right now, or else I would play around with it.
ReplyDeleteI have been looking for a way to change a single instance of a block to another block (like revit families - you can take a row of ten 2'x3' windows and make one or two of them 2' by 4' windows just by selecting them and choosing a different family) I don't want to change all the blocks, just the one or two or three or twenty out of the one hundred or more in the drawing file.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping that flattening would be a key but it does not seem to like hatching (fails) and I still end up with a block that is not the one I want in that instance.
Any ideas?
JUSBA,
ReplyDeleteonce the block is flattened you could use BLOCKREPLACE to change the new flattened Instances for the one you want.
The problem is that all the Flattened instances will not be the same block, each will be like Block01-flat1, block01-flat02, and so forth. So you would have to run BLOCKREPLACE once for every flattened instance.
NICE!
ReplyDeleteNiCE!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! YOU´VE MADE MY DAY!!!
ReplyDeleteNice command "hack"! :-)
ReplyDeleteUse the command FLATTEN as described in OP and it will name it with the default.
ReplyDeleteYou can then use RENAME command to change the new blocks name as desired.
Use the command FLATTEN as described in OP and it will name it with the default.
ReplyDeleteYou can then use RENAME command to change the new blocks name as desired.
Use the command FLATTEN as described in OP and it will name it with the default.
ReplyDeleteYou can then use RENAME command to change the new blocks name as desired.
didn't work. it renamed it *U797 (according to List) and when i double clicked it to edit it didn't show. also the dynamic grips were gone.
ReplyDelete