IMAGINiT Manufacturing Solutions Blog

AutoCAD Block Attribute Manager Tool - Part 2

Continuing with my discussion of the AutoCAD Block Attribute Manager, I would like to discuss some of the tools you can use to change, and sometimes add, properties of block attributes.  Multi-line attributes are great in certain situations such as drawing titles.  You have the ability to add the multi-line feature to existing attributes but you cannot remove the feature if it already exists.

If you miscalculated the boundary area for the multi-line attribute, you can easily change it with the "Boundary Width" option.

Another nice feature is the ability to create the block on layer "0", so it will automatically pick up the properties of the layer it is placed on, but then you have the option to change individual attribute colors for added emphasis.

The Text Options are very extensive, from changing the font and text height, to making the attribute text "Annotative".  If you have ever had issues with attribute text either being too small or too large, the annotative option is a wonderful option. 

Another use of the tool is to count the occurrences of blocks in the drawing.  As you can see it will give you a separate count of blocks in model space and paper space (the complete drawing - model space).

I hope you are convinced, the Block Attribute Manager is a valuable tool to the AutoCAD user.  The fact that all these changes can be made to block attributes without "Exploding" the block is the best reason for you to give it a try.

 

AutoCAD Block Attribute Manager Tool - Part 1

AutoCAD attributes are an easy way to add metadata to drawing blocks which can be used for a variety of reports as well as populating searchable Vault properties.  Attributes have many different configurations and settings which are often either missed during their creation or their properties need to be changed to match their end use.  AutoCAD Block Attribute Manager, also know by its command name of "Battman", can manipulate most any attribute configuration or setting except one, it cannot create attributes.  It can even remove attributes from a block without exploding it.   Once block attributes are created, the command is an invaluable tool.

I will be creating a block from a drawing of the plan view of a office copier.  It will be a nested block with the Copier Control Panel being nested inside the Office Copier main block.  There will be one attribute in the Copier Control Panel block containing the "Access Code" and three attributes in the main block for "Make and Model", "Location" and "Price".  All entities are drawn on layer "0" so the block will take on the layer properties it is inserted on.

After the block is created, one of the best features of the Block Attribute Manager is needed.  When I created the Office Copier block, I failed to select the attributes in the order I wanted them to appear in the block attribute editor.  Starting the Block Attribute Manager, I can either select the block or pick it from the list of drawing blocks.

Once the Office Copier block is selected, the dialog box will list all the attributes found in that block.  I can then use the "Move Up" or "Move Down" commands to make sure they appear in the right order when the block is inserted.  This will save a lot of time compared to the only other option (explode the block) to accomplish the order change.

One of the beauties of the Block Attribute Manager is that it can even be used to edit attribute properties in nested blocks.  In my example, the Copier Access Code attribute value should have been set to "Invisible" but it was missed.  This is quick work for the Block Attribute Manager.

After selecting "OK" to return to the main panel, make sure you select "Apply" at the bottom of the dialog box to set you changes.  Note that one of the configured columns will display all the modes of an attribute.  This particular one is showing "Invisible" and "Locked".  You can change the columns to the ones you desire by selecting the "Settings" button at the bottom of the dialog box.

This is a list of the possible reporting columns.  Two options at the bottom of this dialog are of particular interest.  A block should never have duplicate attribute tags.  The first check box will warn you if this condition occurs by turning the duplicate tags red.  You then can change to Tag value right in the manager.  The second check box will apply all the changes you make with these tools to other blocks, of the same name, already in the drawing.

There will be times when the changes to existing blocks will be made but they will not appear immediately.  That is a good time to use the "Sync" button in the main dialog box.

There are a lot more features inside this marvelous tool but I think I will save them for part 2 of this article.  Check back real soon.

Top Down Design in Autodesk Inventor

Many firms use “bottom up design” to develop assemblies. This approach starts with part models which are combined into a unified assembly. One of the drawbacks of bottom up design is that the supporting data sets for each part model must be tweaked and updated as the design evolves.

A different approach is “top down design” which is supported in Autodesk Inventor. With top down design, the critical elements of the design are established before modeling begins. Components are bound to the master plan, so changes to the design propagate easily throughout the dataset. 

The first stage in top down design is laying out the master part file. Following a few best practices can make this stage of the process easier:

• Establish the critical design parameters. After this is done, the sub parameters often fall into place automatically.
• Designate descriptive variable names. These form the foundation of the master file and help keep track of the data set.
• Rough in details after the main profile sketch is finished. Any changes to the critical parameters will automatically show the effect on the other parameters. 

To learn more about how to utilize top down design in Autodesk Inventor, view Inventor Top Down Design Part 1 – Concepts and Master Part File. IMAGINiT expert Walter Jaquith will walk you through the key steps for creating and completing a master file.

Including Summations in Your Inventor Parts List

Inventor users that work with steel sections, either independently or during the use of the frame generator, often need a drawing materials list which reflects both the length of each steel member as well as the total length of each item.  They also would like to display a total length of all the matching steel sections using a summation of the individual item lengths.  Displaying these lengths and totals is the topic of this article.

My model consist of three standard steel sections.  The material list shows these stock sizes.

The first tip about displaying the unit length of steel is to understand that Inventor places a custom iProperty of "G_L" on every piece of steel you place in an assembly.  This custom property is then used to add the length to the parts list.

The next tip is to make sure you use the iProperty "Item Qty" for the item callout in the material parts list.  If you use any of the other parts list quantity iProperty, you will get the length of the member instead of the count.

The first length column in my material list is "UNIT LGTH".  This is configured to pick up the "G_L" value of each item in the list.  I created a custom property in the material list and renamed the column "UNIT LGTH".

While in the same dialog box, I choose the "Substitution" tab and declare the "UNIT LGTH" value will show the "First Value".  Be sure you add your unit formatting in this panel to have it show correctly in the material list.

  For the "TOTAL LGTH" column on the "Substitution" tab I use the "UNIT LGTH" value and use the "Sum of Values" to total the unit length if the row item is more than one piece.  Do not forget to configure your units formatting before you leave the dialog box.

The last step is to place a total length of all the items of each common steel section in the material list.  This steel skid has five separate items of the same steel section.  Inventor tracks the steel section using the "Stock Number" iProperty.  In the "Edit Parts List" command, I choose "Group Settings" and select to group by stock number.  I check the two options at the bottom of the dialog to see the item numbers and leave the group participants visibility on. 

The result is shown below.

If I remove the check mark beside "Display Group Participants" the material list would appear differently.  This would not serve as a very useful material list by itself but could be used as a purchase material list.

All of this configuration work should be done only once and saved as a parts list style in the drawing template so it can be used by all in the company.