A shortcut for giving mulitple blocks the same attributes in AutoCAD 2009

July 31, 2008 9:42 AM

AutoCAD LT 2009. How do you make one set of attributes and apply it to multiple blocks?

Let’s say I have a list of 3 attributes, for example: Make, Model and Cost. I also have 3 blocks: a couch, a chair, and a lamp. I want to attach all the attributes to all the blocks, but after that, the blocks will never relate to each other- they all have different makes, models, and costs- I’ll edit them individually. There must be some feature that does this quickly but Help and Google have failed me.

posted by Thin Lizzy to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

I'm not working with you exact program or model year (I'm on full CAD 2006), but couldn't you create the blocks as a wblock and then just do a saveas a couple times? The only other thing I could think of is to create the first block, but have the block creator retain the objects (rather than deleting them or conveting them to a block), and then just create another block with a different name using the same objects (or slightly different ones as you desire).

AutoCAD has a block editor (BEDIT on the command line), but it seems pretty fancy, and I don't know if that feature's available in LT.
posted by LionIndex at 9:58 AM on July 31, 2008

Response by poster: I have the block editor on LT. Going around it and doing "save as" seems to work (I just needed to copy and paste the objects in the block, not the attributes) so I'll do that for now. However, the real-world application is much bigger than the example, so I'm open to other answers as well if there's anything more automated.
posted by Thin Lizzy at 10:21 AM on July 31, 2008

i am using the full version of AutoCAD (2008) But from what i know, AutoCAD LT is supposed to be the same, but without Lisp or 3d.

The method i think you want has been around for quite some time, so version should not matter. The attributes need to be part of the block, so use the in-place block editor, and then add the 3 attributes to each block (copy one set for each). Since each of the 3 blocks has a differing name, the attributes will always remain separate from one blockname to another.

afterwards, double clicking the block should allow you to edit the attributes of each block one at a time. If there any constant attribute values that are the same for any of the data, you can set that within the attribute editor also.

I think thats what you mean? Let me know if not.

Best of luck!
posted by Wezzlee at 10:33 AM on July 31, 2008

Response by poster: Wezzlee- I tried pasting the attributes to the block in the block editor and they didn't recognize the new block for some reason. It seems to work if I paste the block to the existing attributes though... if that makes any sense.
posted by Thin Lizzy at 11:11 AM on July 31, 2008

OK, this assumes you have 3 blocks already - chair, table and lamp, or whatever (and there is an instance of each inserted in a drawing). In the same drawing, create your "make/model/cost" attributes (or create them in a block and explode the block). Select the attributes and copy them to the clipboard. Then open each of the 3 blocks (edit-in-place) and you can paste in the attributes from the clipboard.

Or is that not automated enough?
posted by misterbrandt at 1:22 PM on August 1, 2008