Block Text - layer?

[SNestor]

I blocked some text that I had on a specific layer...but, when I blocked it, the text was put on a "Cad" layer.

 

I guess I'm asking this question just to be sure this is correct.  When you create a block of anything the block is placed on the "current cad layer".  Is this correct?  

 

So...if I want to create blocks of typical text that I use all the time...say for foundation plans or sections...and I want these the text to be on a specific foundation text layer...when I block the text it is automatically placed on the current cad layer...and not on the text layer I assigned to all the text?

 

This seems odd...what am I missing?

 

 

[RodCole]

What is more important to me is that when you want to use text objects that have been made into Blocks you also need to keep in mind the active CAD Layer at the time you insert the Block of text.

 

Setting up Annotation Sets will help greatly with this so the CAD Layer you want is active at the time of insertion.  I tried getting around that by setting the Layer I wanted the Block to be on and then copying the Blocks to a CAD Detail where I could then copy and paste from.

 

What I found out was that often times if you group select separate Blocked text objects and copy and paste them, some of the Blocks will be changed to match other Blocks in the selection set.  Not a good thing at all.  I have not found this situation to be occurring yet when using the Library though.  I will be sending in a bug report on this soon.

[SNestor]

What I've done is blocked the text...and then assigned the correct "text" layer to the block...then saved the block to my library.  In my current layer set I have defined a specific CAD layer that I want to use for CAD object...but I don't want my text blocks assigned to the CAD layer.  

 

I guess I could change the current CAD layer temporarily while I'm defining the text blocks.  Doing this I wouldn't have to open the DBX for the text block and change the layer.  

[RodCole]

When you place the text Block in your plan from the Library or the CAD Block Management dbx the Block is placed on the active CAD Layer at the time of insertion.

 

This actually works well so long as you understand what is happening at the time of insertion.  Try it out.

[SNestor]

When you place the text Block in your plan from the Library or the CAD Block Management dbx the Block is placed on the active CAD Layer at the time of insertion.

 

This actually works well so long as you understand what is happening at the time of insertion.  Try it out.

 

 

Oh...I see.  So...it doesn't matter what layer is assigned to the block when it's saved.  The block will be assigned to the current cad layer of the open plan...no matter what the layer is.  

[Joe_Carrick]

Forget about blocking and using the Library.

 

Put the text in a CAD Detail Window - you can simply copy/paste to and from the CAD Detail Window.  If this is done in your Default Plan those notes will always be available and they will be on the layer where they were created.  You can even have different CAD Detail Windows for different kinds of notes.

[Alaskan_Son]

You can do as Joe suggested but I personally think there's no problem using the library.  Just temporarily switch your Current CAD Layer or Annotation Set when you're placing the blocks.  It just takes a matter of seconds. 

 

There is also a 3rd option...You could use a separate warehouse plan specifically for all those details and just copy and paste to and from that. 

 

And you could also consider using simple text macros for many of those text blocks. 

[RodCole]

Where using Blocks becomes a viable option is when you will need to change the text within the Block itself.  That would ordinarily not be necessary, but in case this is req'd you would need to make sure the Block is in a separate plan so that the original text is not changed unless that is what you intended.

 

In my case I am modeling a hotel where the floors are being modeled as separate plan files and then the architectural elements will be combined into a single plan file.  This way I can Save each floor as a separate plan and then only have to redefine the req'd text Blocks.

 

I would point out that Joe is talking about copying and pasting text, not Blocks containing text as I understood him.  Remember, there can be problems when group selecting Blocks in this manner.