Nicinus Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 I’m looking at optimizing the way I’ve been doing things with cad details and have encountered some oddities that I can’t figure out. - What is the difference between a block name and the name a cad block has in the library browser? I have a few details that have a generated block name if I open it, and another in the library browser. - This one I need to look closer at but I accidentally created a detail while in layout, so it belonged to the Layout file instead, which I then made into a symbol. This symbol behaves differently when inserting into a plan. It has several layers, present in the plan as well, but when I insert it all layers consolidate to one layer? I can obviously avoid this by creating detail symbols (its more of a template) in a plan, but since there is no way of telling symbols apart Im interested if someone else has encountered something like this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan_Son Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 To answer your first question, CAD blocks have 2 names. The name you give the library item (the name in the library browser) and the name you give the actual CAD block (the name in the CAD Block Specification dbx). The latter is the one which also displays in CAD Block Management. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Carrick Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Nick, Symbols have an automatically generated 2D Block associated with them and that's stored in the Library. Generally that Block is named to match the Symbol Name. You can place the symbol in a Plan and rename the Block or even assign a different Block (CAD Block Management). You can also open the Symbol in the Library and assign a different Block from the Plan. Blocks created in the Plan using the "Block" tool are also automatically named. These can also be renamed. This type of Block has a Ruby attribute "object_type" that is the same as its Block Name. That attribute can be used in a reference context macro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicinus Posted February 9, 2016 Author Share Posted February 9, 2016 Thanks guys! I guess my real question then is why? Does it make any sense to someone, or is this just a byproduct from how Chief works internally? It seems very confusing to me so if no one has a good reason I will suggest that these converge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Carrick Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Note also that the Symbol Label is always going to automatically match the Symbol Name as it was created - which may not be the same as what is showing in the Library. You can rename in the Library but it won't change the automatic Symbol Label. Clear as MUD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan_Son Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Thanks guys! I guess my real question then is why? Does it make any sense to someone, or is this just a byproduct from how Chief works internally? It seems very confusing to me so if no one has a good reason I will suggest that these converge.I think they should probably remain separate. There are a lot of situations where a CAD block represents more than one library item, and where a CAD block may be stored in more than one library location (under more than one name for ease of access). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Carrick Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Thanks guys! I guess my real question then is why? Does it make any sense to someone, or is this just a byproduct from how Chief works internally? It seems very confusing to me so if no one has a good reason I will suggest that these converge. I'm not sure I would approve of "converge". Please explain what you mean. For Symbols, the Label is the Symbol Label. The 2D Block associated with the Symbol can be different - which makes sense. Sometimes the 2D Block would be a Plan View of the Symbol but for Electrical Components the 2D Block is just representative. We need both types and the names sometimes need to be different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan_Son Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 I'm not sure I would approve of "converge". Please explain what you mean. For Symbols, the Label is the Symbol Label. The 2D Block associated with the Symbol can be different - which makes sense. Sometimes the 2D Block would be a Plan View of the Symbol but for Electrical Components the 2D Block is just representative. We need both types and the names sometimes need to be different. I'm pretty sure he's referring just to a simple CAD block added to the library. Even for those though I wouldn't recommend the 2 names being converged as a CAD block can be a combination of CAD blocks (each with a different name). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Carrick Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Here's a scenario: I have a CAD Block representing a 2x4 I add it to the Library twice. I then rename one of them 2x4 DF and the other 2x4 PTDF I can then use these in CAD Details and by using a Leader Line to each of them with my %BlockName% macro get them automatically annotated. It's the same graphics, but they are annotated differently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicinus Posted February 9, 2016 Author Share Posted February 9, 2016 It's mud alright. To me it would make more sense if a newly created symbol had the same block name as the symbol name, as it is now a new symbol/detail. The existing blocks in the current plan can of course stay the same, but if I add a new symbol called WindowElevation I think it should show up in the block management under that name and not block41 or something. This is messy and in my view complicates it if one wants to automate the detail titles sent to Layout. I seem to be one of the few that keep my details in the symbol library that I paste into a new plan cad view, decide annotation scale and off to Layout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan_Son Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Nicinus, There is only one single situation where the 2 names could be combined without causing MAJOR issues...when creating a brand new CAD block that contains no other blocks of its own. Otherwise, there are all the problems Joe and I listed above. You can easily just give your CAD block and library item the same name though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Carrick Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Nick, If you are putting your details in a CAD Detail Window - just rename that view in the Project Browser and use the %view.name% macro as the Title for that CAD Detail. When you send it to Layout the Title and Scale are already there. All you have to do is arrange the details and edit the Callout. Personally, I have a series of Plans with CAD Details already set up. I just send the details directly from those Plans. For me it's actually easier than using the Library. It appears you are mixing Symbol and CAD Block. A Symbol (3D) includes a CAD Block but a CAD Block isn't a Symbol and can exist by itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Carrick Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 AFAIK, a name like "Block31" will only occur when you use the "Block" tool or fail to name a Symbol when you create it. In that case, the Symbol will be "unnamed" and the 2D Block will be "Block31".... whatever is next available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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