AutoCAD Tips & Tutorials

Dynamic blocks: the white papers

I've written three white papers for Autodesk on Dynamic Blocks. (They've even created a special URL for these papers: www.autodesk.com/autocad-blocks.) Together, these three white papers provide a thorough overview of the 2006 dynamic block feature.

Part 1: Dynamic Block Overview and Quick-Start Tutorial. In this white paper I explain the concepts behind dynamic blocks and suggest some scenarios for their use. I display some sample dynamic blocks and explain the steps for creating one. I define the components of dynamic blocks, parameters and actions. I end the paper with a short tutorial to run you through the process of creating, inserting, and editing your first dynamic block.

Part 2: Inventory of Block Editor, Commands, Parameters, Actions, and Parameter Sets. In this white paper I document dynamic block properties and characteristics. I list dynamic block capabilities and provide a thorough review of the Block Editor, which is the interface for creating dynamic blocks. Then I list and describe all the parameters, which are the building blocks of dynamic blocks. I explain how to attach actions to parameters. Actions are like editing commands, which control how you can edit a dynamic block. I end the paper with a table of parameter sets, which are parameter-action combos that you can quickly apply to a block.

Part 3: Advanced Features of Dynamic Blocks. In the final white paper, I explain some of the advanced features, best practices, and capabilities of dynamic blocks. Here are the topics:

• Naming parameters and actions
• Selecting objects for actions
• Specifying stretch frames
• Cycling through insertions points
• Changing the direction of an action
• Keeping objects centered
• Stretching a block equally in opposite directions
• Chaining parameters
• Using visibility states
• Using lookup parameters and tables

Here's a link to a video showing the use of dynamic blocks.

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