Using Blocks to Create a Table

Hi Everybody
I promised more info on Tables, and here it is! I bet you're falling off your chair in amazement that I am posting again so soon. Well, I've been meaning to write in this blog more often, but it's more like a New Years Resolution than a promise. So I'm working on it.

Today I'm going to show you how to create a table by extracting data from your drawing. I've inserted some blocks with invisible attributes into this tiny office drawing, hopefully this will give you ideas for applying this to your own projects. I'm going to make a table that lists all the furniture I'm putting into this 'office remodel'. The Attributes I added to each block are the Manufacturer and the Price.

The first step is to start the TABLE command, whichever way you want to get to it. Then instead of choosing how many columns & rows you want, click on the button for "Object Data in the drawing (Data Extraction)" -shown in the next picture






Once you do that, it asks you to create a new .dxe file. AutoCAD refers to this for creating and updating your table, so make sure you put it in a safe place and give it a name that makes sense.

Next you'll be on Step 2, Define Data Source. Here is where you pick whether it's just objects from this drawing or if you want it to grab information from several drawings. You also have a Settings button on the second screen, where you can tell AutoCAD whether or not you want it to look in Model space, Xrefs, & blocks.

Step 3 lets you decide which kinds of objects you want in your table. You can have it just find lines and circles, or all blocks, or only blocks with attributes if you want.


Then in step 4 you refine it further; there are 5 category filters to apply, to decide which things you want in your table. For example, under the Geometry filter you could have the X,Y, and Z coordinates of your blocks show up. (There must be someone out there who needs to have this information in a table) Under the Drawing filter, you can have your filename, filesize, & 'saved by' all show up in your Table.




I went with just the Attributes for my table.

In step 5, you can rearrange the order of the columns by dragging them . If you click at the top of the column, that will sort your table according to that column, and you can toggle it between Ascending and Descenging. You also can right-click on any column and hide it. All these things can't be done once it's inserted into your drawing.

I dragged the Count column over to the right, and sorted by Block name.

In the picture towards the right here I've got steps 6, 7 & 8. In step 6 you decide whether you want your table in the drawing or as an external file. You choose the Table Style and give it a Title in Step 7.

Step 8 is just clicking on the Finish Button.

Then you pick a spot in your drawing, voila, a beautiful table. Next time I'll talk about some things you can do to your table once you've created it. See you soon!

Custom Table Style

I used to spend a lot of time creating symbols schedules, light fixture schedules, equipment schedules - anything they could think of that needed to be put in neat rows and columns. Invariably after I was finished and it looked just right, (those of you who did this know it could really be a lot of fiddly picky work!), something would either get eliminated or added, and inevitably that Thing would be in the middle of my nice neat schedule. So I'd have to move a bunch of stuff down, and copy the row, and of course the new Thing would have some long name that wouldn't fit in the same size box as all the other Things, and I'd have to adjust the whole blasted schedule.
I wish AutoCAD Tables had been around back then! It would have saved me so much pain!
But they're here now, they've been out since 2005 and every year they've improved them. With the new features added to Tables in 2008, there really are no more excuses, you ought to be using them. Of course, it's not so fun if you don't know how to use them, or how to make them look the way you want. So let's look at some basics of table styles today, and next time we'll look at more of their features. By the time we're finished, you're going to want to make tables for everything!
First of all, the AutoCAD templates come with a Standard Table Style, with Standard text, sized by default to be put in paper space. They figure you'll only want these on one sheet, so you'll create them on that sheet, at the size you want it to print. Makes sense, so let's stick with that for our first table style.
Let's say that a drawing has the blocks you use and you were told to make a simple schedule from the furniture blocks. All they want is a picture of it, with the name next to it. They want a border around the whole thing, and a title above it, but they don't want any lines between the blocks.
Get to the Table Style dialog box either from the Format Pulldown Menu, or from the Styles Toolbar - it's the Table with the paintbrush over it. Click the New button to create a new style, and give it a name. This puts you right into the new table style so you can edit it.
There is a pulldown at the top where you choose which Cell Style you're editing. For each Cell Style, you click on each of the 3 tabs - General, Text, & Border. Click through the pictures below to see how to create a new Table Style.

















When you're inserting a table, you can choose how many columns and rows it has, or if you choose window, the column and row amount will be decided by where you click. You can easily add or delete rows or columns later.


To add a block to a cell, choose it with one click, then right-click. If you double-click you'll be in the text editor.



Then it's just like inserting a block in your drawing, except you have an Auto-fit box to make the block fit in the cell, and an alignment pulldown so the block sits where you want it to in the cell.
I added blocks and text to my table - on the right is a picture of how it looks in Paper space, and in a print preview.

Next time - soon, I promise - I'll go into some of the new, cool features of Tables they added in AutoCAD 2008. Talk to you soon!

It's the little things

Hi again from Boulder! It's been so cold lately, it's hard to remember how sweltering it was last summer. The wind is really blasting down from the mountains. I read somewhere about a 'lazy wind', and that what's blowing here today. They called it a lazy wind because it's too lazy to go around you so it goes right through you.
In our training center here, I meet a lot of brand-new AutoCAD Users. I've noticed that there are tons of sites with advice for older users and LISP programmers, but not so much for the green beginner, so I'm going devote a few blog entries to them.
The first thing I want to talk about is the UCS icon. Sometimes it's just too big, or you want the darn thing OFF.
It's an easy thing to fix once you know where to look for it. On the View pulldown, at the bottom, find Display, then UCS.
This picture shows where to look. You can turn the UCS off from here, or go to Properties (the picture on the right) to change its size, style and color.

Another little thing that can drive you crazy when you're just learning is when the layout tabs are hidden. I have 3 pictures that pretty much tell the story.

The first one is a picture of normal layout tabs, and how to hide them

The next is a picture of what hidden layout tabs look like, and how to access them.

Then I have a picture of how you can actually use hidden layout tabs to get where you want to be.

Another little known fact is that you as a user can decide which buttons show in your status bar (the grey bar at the very bottom). There is a black triangle in the lower right corner of your AutoCAD screen, it's a flyout that will let you check which tools you want to have showing on the status bar.
The picture on the bottom right shows the flyout "flown out".

These aren't big-deal, super-user tools, but they can definitely make your life easier when you know how to work them. See you next time!

Hidden Files

Hello everyone, this short note was inspired by my annoyance at drilling through my computer's files looking for just that one folder.
As you know, AutoCAD for some time has put their template and other files in a deep dark convoluted path of file folders. They had to do this, I've been told, for AutoCAD to play well with Windows. For those of you who don't have an IT or CAD Manager rearranging things, I'm sharing my list of the Hidden Files that I frequently access. I just got sick of trying to remember which ones are in Local Settings, and which one is in All Users, so I copied them all onto a document, and I'm sharing it with everyone else who doesn't have the time to memorize long file paths.

Obviously, you would substitute your User name for mine, unless you too are named luann. Once you get to the Autodesk folder, whatever version of Autodesk products you have installed has its own folder, so you would substitute that name where I have "AutoCAD2008".

Templates
C:\Documents and Settings\luann\Local Settings\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2008\R17.1\enu\Template

Tool Palettes
C:\Documents and Settings\luann\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2008\R17.1\enu\Support\ToolPalette

CTB & STB Files
C:\Documents and Settings\luann\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2008\R17.1\enu\Plot Styles

Plotter PC3 files
C:\Documents and Settings\luann\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2008\R17.1\enu\Plotters

CUI Files
C:\Documents and Settings\luann\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2008\R17.1\enu\Support

Custom icons
C:\Documents and Settings\luann\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2008\R17.1\enu\Support\Icons

Textures & bitmap bump files
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2008\R17.1\enu\Textures

Just a final note: These file locations are straight out of the box. I know you can set AutoCAD to look elsewhere, but since I do a lot of training, I need to leave things that way so I can show new users where things will be on their computers.

I hope at least one person out there finds this useful. If so, my work here is done.

Editing Blocks in AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT

Hi everyone! Yes, I got my hair cut, this is the picture of it that I hate the least- I inserted it here only in case I meet anyone who reads this. Love the haircut, hate photos. But doesn't everybody hate pictures of themselves?

While demonstrating for a client the differences between AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, I came across one that has nothing to do with 3D. Changing blocks is something everyone has to do at some point, and since AutoCAD LT doesn't have the same cool "Edit-block-in-place" toolbar that full AutoCAD does, I wanted to show you a work-around for it.

First of all, with full AutoCAD: to change an existing block in your drawing open up the Refedit tool bar. I know that name isn't necessarily going to stick in your brain, so another way to get to it is to select any block, right-click and choose "edit block in place". This will open up the Refedit toolbar. If you don't dock it, it will close as soon as you finish this command, so dock it if you're going to edit more than one block.
In this screen capture on the right I've got both ways showing.

Here is Drawing A, a typical office, with blocks used for everything. Let's say in full AutoCAD you want to change the chair block. When you start the REFEDIT command, every instance of the block except the one you chose all disappear, and the rest of the objects in the drawing are grayed out. One nice thing about editing a block this way compared to exploding it and resaving it with the same name is that it doesn't matter if the block you edit is rotated, it won't mess up the other instances of that block.
Once you've changed the block the way you want, click the 'save changes' button, the one on the right side of the toolbar. If you've lost the toolbar don't panic! Just type in REFCLOSE and you'll have the option of saving your changes.
Every instance of that chair now changed.

But in AutoCAD LT, there is no REFEDIT command. So a way around this is to use the same editor that was designed to create Dynamic Blocks. Select your block and then click the Block Editor Button, it looks like a lightning bolt. It's on the standard toolbar and also on the Tools Menu Pulldown (I circled it in the picture below). In that editor you can simply change the block, you're not obligated to add dynamic features to it.

In Drawing B, in LT, I opened the computer block in the Dynamic Block Editor, erased the screen & drew a flat screen in its place, and changed the mouse to an oval.

When you're in the Block Editor, you don't get the fading effect as in full AutoCAD, but when you exit the block editor and save the changes, each block insertion will change. And that, after all, is the object of this exercise.

I wanted to mention that if you get blocks from sources that don't name things the way you would like them, there is an easy way to fix them. In the Format pulldown menu, the very last thing is Rename, or you can type in RENAME, or the shortcut REN. Once the command starts up you choose which type of object you want to change, (for example blocks, layers, text styles, etc.) and then choose the individual one to rename, and fill in the box.
I mention this here because I edited the chair block in Drawing A - opened with full AutoCAD - and the computer block in Drawing B - opened in LT - so I could show you the following tip. I renamed the computer block in Drawing B in order to insert it into Drawing A without redefining A's existing computer block.

Here's one more helpful tip about changing blocks in full AutoCAD. (Sorry but Express Tools are not available in LT) Say you get a drawing from someone that you need to use for the basis of your design, but the symbols they use are all different than your company standards. There is an Express Tool that will help you, in the Express pulldown menu > Blocks > Replace block with another block. You could insert your symbol blocks into the drawing, and then use this to instantly replace theirs with yours. In this case I copied & pasted my newly named computer block into the original drawing. Then I started the REPLACEBLOCK command.

You can choose the one you want to replace from the list of blocks in your drawing, or use the 'Pick' button to choose it right from your drawing. This is really helpful for those times you get a drawing from someone and they've named every block using their catalog number!
This picture is what you see as soon as you click on that 'Pick' button. I'm picking the block I want to change, the original computer block, and it will immediately bring me back to the dialog box to choose the replacement block, shown in the next illustration.

Again, I can choose from the list or use the pick button. I found mine in the list in the following illustration.

The final thing this command will ask you is if you want to purge the old block out of your drawing or not.

One thing you want to be sure of when you replace one block with another is that they're drawn at the same scale and rotation.

As the last picture shows, all the old computers with big fat monitors have been exchanged for the nice new ones with flat screens. If only it were that easy in real life!
And just to re-emphasize, due to a comment I had, this work-around using the Dynamic Block editor is not a good way to edit blocks in Full AutoCAD. For that, use REFEDIT. This is just a work-around for people who have AutoCAD LT and want to edit blocks without exploding them.
I'll be seeing some of you hopefully next week. Comm-Tech is doing a demonstration of the new features of AutoCAD 2008 and Civil 3D 2008 in Grand Junction and Vail on Friday, the 26th of October. Please tell me if you've enjoyed reading any of my blogs, it would be great to meet you!

New Training Center

Hi everyone! I'm departing from my normal subjects to show you a little of the project the owners of our company have been working on all summer. As any of you who've come to Comm-Tech for training know, for about two years now our main office has been in Frederick, Colorado. It's a nice town, but everything was at least 5 miles away. It took a long time to go out to lunch, and if you wanted to run some errands during the lunch hour - well, forget it, you couldn't. We were on the frontage road of I-25 between Highways 52 and 119. But now we've moved to Boulder!

On the above map from Google I marked the two locations.

Here's a few pictures of the progress of our new building. It is so nice!

This is one of the future classroom, taken as I was standing in the front where I would normally stand. We'll have our coffee and snacks on that countertop.

On the right is my future office - notice the window? I took those 2 photos on September 3rd. When you visit us you'll see the huge progress we've made!

These next 2 were taken while we were in the moving process. What a huge job that was! One is the open office area, the other is looking at the balconey through the boss's office door.

We moved into the building on September 8th. We worked our heads off, but there was still an awful lot of work to do.

The photo of them hanging the screen for the projector looks a little surreal, doesn't it?

Here's the new kitchen, we'll have plenty of space for you all to eat your lunches there during class. Within walking distance is a PDQ station with a Subway inside, and across the street is a hotel (for out-of-town students) with a wonderful restaurant inside, the Eggcredible Cafe.

These trees are what you see outside the kitchen window. Makes a nice change from gazing at the semi trucks on I-25.
Today I took this picture of the classroom they've named Cherryvale Trail - it's all finished. Most of the time the AutoCAD classes will be in this room, and the Civil 3D, Map and Land Desktop classes wil be in the other one, named Mapleton Hill. Everything is set up and ready to go!

Below is the view of our building looking west on South Boulder Road. I realize when you're driving here you won't quite see this view, since you'd have to be in the wrong lane. But I wanted you all to notice at the bottom of the photo is an entrance to some of Boulder's hiking trails. I got this map that shows this entrance and some of the nearby trails from the City of Boulder's website.




On the right is a picture of the new building taken from the corner of South Boulder Road and Manhattan Circle, looking east.

Today was a beautiful day, so I climbed up onto the roof parapet and took this photo of the Flatirons. We all love looking at the mountains. We're sure you'll love our new training center, with it's bigger classrooms, better kitchen, and its more convenient & attractive location. I sincerely hope you come to the Open House on Friday the 21st!

New Dimension Tricks

We are completely moved into our newly remodeled office building. (I'm posting a bunch of pictures in my next blog.) After so much chaos and disruption I am very happy to get back to a normal work day! If you click on the link you can see our new digs. I now have a window looking out over trees and things! Who wouldn't love that?

Today I'm going to show you a couple new features that have been added to Dimensioning.

Here's a picture of the two I'm writing about, shown on the pulldown menu, Dimension Space & Dimension Break. Of course these are on the Dashboard and the Dimension Toolbar, I just like the fact that you can see the icon and the command name at the same time on the pulldowns.

This first tip is a little different take on the Dimension Space (DIMSPACE) command.

When you have a line of dimensions that maybe should have been created with "DIMCONTINUE" - as you see on the right here - with Dimension Space you can easily fix 'em up. After starting the command, choose the dimension you want all the others to line up with. The one I chose is highlighted there (on the right)

Then use a crossing window to pick all the ones you want to line up with it, and use Zero as the spacing.

All the dimensions will line up with the one you chose as a reference. Sweeeet.

This command is most often used when you have a whole bunch of dimensions stacked too closely, or just so unevenly that they don't look professional.
The steps are the same - start the command, pick the reference dimension, and then use a crossing to pick the rest of the dimensions you need to line up properly.

Then enter the spacing distance in drawing units. In this case the spacing chosen was 15. Looks a lot better, doesn't it?

Remember, if the number you chose just doesn't look right, there's always Undo!

The last thing I want to show you today is the Dimension Break command.

When you have dimensions that overlap you don't have to use a Wipeout anymore. You can set any dimension to break where it overlaps another one by using the DIMBREAK command. It's really easy to use.

Start the command, either select the object you want to break, or M for Multiple and then select several dimensions using a crossing.

Then you have to hit Enter to accept the 'Break' option, and that's IT.

Nicest of all, when you grip edit the location of a dimension that has had DIMBREAK applied to it, the break moves with it.

Give this a try! I'll be writing again soon, so have fun drawing and I'll see you here next time.