AutoCAD Tips & Tutorials AutoCAD Tutorial: Create a dynamic block of a door

Dynamic blocks are an amazing feature, but they can be complicated. This tutorial will teach you many techniques that you can use in your own blocks. following:

The door will do the

to 3 sizes Flip left/right

Flip in/out

Follow these steps: 1. In a new drawing using architectural units, create a DOOR layer and make it the current layer. 2. Draw a rectangle 1-1/2" x 30". This is the door. 3. Star the ARC command and use the Center option. Specify the lower-left corner of the door as the center. For the first point, move the cursor to the right at 0, and type 30 on the command line/dynamic input tooltip. Specify the upper-right corner of arc and complete the swing. the door to draw the

4. Select both objects, and start the BLOCK command. Call its base point at the lower-left Open in Block Editor check box. Click OK. corner of

the block Door. Set the door. Check the The door opens in

the Block Editor with its base point at the 0,0 point of the axes.

5. From the Parameters tab of

the Block Authoring palettes, choose Linear corner of the arc on the right.

Parameter. At the prompt, pick the lower-left the door and then the start point of Then pick a point below the door for the label.

Note: The exclamation point indicates that the process is incomplete or incorrect. You almost always see the exclamation point when you place a parameters need an action. parameter, because most

6. Select the parameter, right-click it, and choose Grip Display > 1. This removes the left grip, which is important because you'll be stretching from the right grip only. If you dont do this step, the exclamation point wont go away when you add the action. 7. With the parameter still selected, open the Properties palette. Change the Distance Label item's value to Door width.

8. From the Actions tab, choose linear parameter.

Stretch Action. At the prompt, select the

9. At the Specify parameter point to associate with action or enter [sTart point/Second point] <Start>: prompt, click the right grip (the turquoise triangle). 10. At the Specify first prompt, pick the Specify opposite of corner of stretch frame or [CPolygon]: the door. At a point to the left

a point above and to the right of corner: prompt, pick

the door and down, as you see here.

11. At the Select objects: prompt, pick the door (the rectangle), but nothing else. End selection. 12. At the Specify action location or [Multiplier/Offset]: prompt, right-click and choose the Offset option. This option lets you change the angle of the At the Enter angle offset <0.00>: prompt, enter 90. 13. The prompt repeats. Pick The stretch action.

a point to the right of the grip, as you see here.

stretch action is complete and the exclamation point disappears.

14. Before going any further, click the Save Block Definition button on the Block Editor's toolbar and click the Close Block Editor button. It's a good practice to test your dynamic block at each stage. 15. Save your drawing, too. Select grip on the right and drag to the right. the door, click the The door should the arc doesn't do Stretch

stretch in the 90 direction, as you see here. Of course, anything, but we'll fix that later.

16. In order to constrain the width of the door and open 17. Select the linear Value Set section.

the door to common widths, select the Block Editor again.

parameter. In the Properties palette, scroll down to the

18. Click the Dist Type item and choose List from the drop-down list. Click the Dist Value List item and click the Ellipsis button. Enter 32 in the Distance to Add box and press Enter. Then enter 36 and press Enter. Then click OK. You now see thin, vertical bars to the right of the door to indicate the allowable door widths.

19. Save the block again and close the Block Editor. You'll probably see this dialog box. Sometimes, saving changes to a block that's already in your drawing can cause problems, but usually it's all right. So click Yes.

20. Try stretching youll be able to

the door this time. Youll see those vertical bars again and stretch only to those bars. the door. You might think that you the arc, too, but stretched arcs become the arc. Because you want stretch by the same amount that you the door, you use the same parameter

21. Now its time to get that arc to follow could stretch

distorted. Instead, you want to scale the arc to stretch

and add another action to it, this time a Scale action. So, open block in the Block Editor again.

the Door

22. On the Actions tab, choose Scale Action. At the Select select the linear

parameter: prompt,

parameter. At the Select objects: prompt, select

the arc and end selection. At the Specify action location or [Base type]: prompt, place the action label near the arc.

23. Save and close. Check out

the door now. As you

stretch

the door, the arc scales accordingly. Make sure that there are no gaps at any width. If there are, you need to correct something. 24. It would be great to create a door that can flip in all directions because this could replace four separate blocks or remove the necessity to insert a door block at negative values. To do this, open Editor again. the door in the Block

25. From the Parameters tab, choose Flip Parameter. At the Specify base point of reflection line or [Name/Label/Description/Palette]: prompt, Shift+right-click and choose Mid Between Two Points. Then specify the endpoint at the basepoint of the block and the endpoint at the start point of the arc. At the Specify endpoint of reflection line: prompt, move up 90 and pick. (The length of the reflection line is not important.) At the Specify label location: prompt, pick a location inside the arc.

26. From the Actions tab, choose parameter: prompt, choose the Select objects: prompt, select the Flip the Block Editor. 27. Select door flips. its maximum width and
o

Flip Action. At the Select Flip parameter. At the

the door and its arc. Place the label next to parameter. Save the block and exit

the block. Click the

flip grip and

the the door to

Flip it back again. Now try stretching flip again. There are two problems: stretch grip stays on the right when you the door, so now you cant stretch

The the door.

flip

Did you notice that the in the middle of

flip grip stays where it was? Its no longer the door, which means that it wont the door, youll see this clearly.

flip properly. If you draw two walls with a 3 gap and flip

Note: You can see why you need to test dynamic blocks thoroughly!

28. To make the selection set of the

stretch grip

flip, you need to include it in the stretch action, and the arcs scale action so the door is flipped. So, open

flip action. In fact, you need to include the linear

parameter, the that everything works no matter which way the door in

the Block Editor again.

29. Select the flip action (not the flip parameter). Right-click it and choose Action Selection Set > Modify Selection Set. At the Select object to add to action set or [Remove]: prompt, select the linear parameter (labeled Door width), the and press Enter to end selection. 30. Save stretching the block and exit stretch action, and the scale action the Block Editor. Start by Flip stretch

the door back to its minimum of 30". the door a couple of times and youll see that the

grip flips back and forth at all widths. 31. To fix the problem with the to move it when you move it half stretch the distance that you

The arc works properly, too. flip grip not staying at the midpoint, you need the door. In fact, you need to stretch. This will keep the

flip grip centered. Open the door in the Block Editor again. 32. From the Actions tab, choose Move Action. At the Select parameter: prompt, select the linear parameter, because you want the flip parameter to move in concert (but half the distance of) that parameter. At the Specify parameter point to associate with action or enter [sTart point/Second point] <Start>: prompt, pick the right grip on the linear parameter. At the Select objects: prompt, select the flip parameter (not the action). End selection, and then right-click and choose the Multiplier option. At the Enter distance multiplier <1.0000>: prompt, enter .5. Finally, place the move label near the flip parameter. Save, and exit the Block Editor. 33. Test the door at thre 3 widths. Now, when you stretch the door, after you click, the flip grip jumps to the new midpoint of the door. 34. Actually, theres one more problem! You dont see it unless you do the following. Start with the door opening to the right (flipped from its original direction) and stretch it to its maximum width, 3. Flip it. Then stretch it to its narrowest width. Do you see how the blocks insertion point doesnt move with the block? This makes moving the block difficult. So open the door for editing again. 35. From the Parameters tab, choose Base Point Parameter. At the prompt, specify the bottom-left corner of the door, which is 0,0 in the Block Editor. 36. Now, select the flip action, right-click, and choose Action Selection Set > Modify Selection Set. At the Select object to add to action set or [Remove]: prompt, select the new base point parameter and press Enter to end selection. Save and close the Block Editor. 37. Test the block again as you did before (it may have moved -- if so, move it back). Youll see that the blocks base point always stays on the block. 38. Theres just one more procedureto add a flip action going the other way, so that the door can open inward or outward. So open the door for editing again. 39. Choose Flip Parameter and place the reflection at the lower-left corner of the door -- the basepoint. Place the label to the left of the door.

40. On the Actions tab, choose Flip Action. At the Select parameter: prompt, choose the flip parameter. At the Select objects: prompt, select everything. (Thats what you learned you needed to do in the previous steps.) You should see 13 found. End selection. At the Specify action location: prompt, place the label beneath the flip parameter label. 41. Save and exit and test the door. 42. You probably thought you were done, but theres one more step. As you did before, stretch the door to its maximum width. Flip the door to the left and then stretch it to its narrowest. Youll see that the new flip grip doesnt follow. Thats because it isnt included in the first flip action you created. (It couldnt be, because the new flip action didnt exist then.) In fact, you want the in/out flip parameter to flip with the left/right flip action. 43. Re-edit the block. Select the first flip action, right-click and choose Action SelectionSet > Modify Selection Set. At the Select object to add to action set or [Remove]: prompt, select the new flip parameter. Save, exit, and test again. As you can see, there is often an iterative process, requiring you to go back and include new objects in actions that you created earlier. Remember to thoroughly test your dynamic blocks! Read more: [Link]