Some blocks become invisible when copied or moved

[Kevin_S]

I have a master drawing from which I create smaller, detail-view type drawings. When I copy from the master to create the smaller drawing, several of the blocks (and it's always the same ones) turn invisible. This means, with every new drawing I create, I have to re-insert these blocks to make them reappear. What I mean is that I simply use the insert command, select the block I need to insert, click 'specify on-screen' and click 'ok.' Then without actually placing the block anywhere, I just hit escape and all the blocks of that type reappear.

 

Further, if I move the blocks once they've been re-inserted, they will sometimes go invisible again and I'll have to once again insert that block.

 

And let me explain that by 'invisible' I don't mean that the block has been deleted or the layer is off. The object is there there and can be manipulated. But it virtually disappears from view: it looks like a faint shadow.

 

I'm using autoCAD 2005, but others in my office with different versions encounter the same problem.

 

Any ideas on how to prevent this? It would save some time and annoyance in the long run.

 

Thanks

[ReMark]

Kevin_S: Welcome to the CADTutor forum.

 

That's an interesting problem you have there. Could you post a drawing with just one of these mystery blocks in it so someone here could take a look at it?

[Kevin_S]

I'd be happy to. Being completely new to the forum, how do I do that?

 

Thank you.

[SLW210]

Select Go Advanced and then Manage Attachments>Browse for the drawing and upload.

[BlackBox]

Not sure of the cause, but the copied block definition is bad, or lacking in some way... which is why when you re-insert from outside the drawing the line work is restored.

 

Sounds like it might be a problem in your template?

[Kevin_S]

Here are two .dwg files, one before the block is re-inserted and one after.

 

Thank you.

InvisibleBlockExampe.dwg

InvisibleBlockExampe2.dwg

[BlackBox]

That was easy!

 

You have a wipeout covering your circle in the block definition. :wink:

 

Instead try hatching the circle with 255,255,255 which should accomplish the same, without the issue of draw order.

 

[edit]

To see this for yourself, enter the refedit command, and turn on wipeouts... wipeout > frames > on

[/edit]

[ReMark]

Here he comes to save the day...

That means that RenderMan is on the way!

 

Is this guy ^ ^ ^ good or what?

[BlackBox]

Here he comes to save the day...

That means that RenderMan is on the way!

 

Is this guy ^ ^ ^ good or what?

 

 

Pointless text so I can post this comment.

[Kevin_S]

Thanks, all. I appreciate the help.

 

Unfortunately, I'm pretty much brand new to autoCAD and after having tried to play around with the suggestions made, I think I'm simply not understanding what you're recommending.

 

For example -- and this may be an issue of it being '05 -- when I hatch, it only wants a single value for the color. The result of using 255 is a white circle; I don't see the number inside.

 

And the real trouble is that there are a few thousand such objects in the master drawing. Seems like refedit (a new command for me) will let me modify them all at once. But I'm still hazy on the changes I need to make.

 

Apologies if this is a magnificently elementary question, and thanks again for taking the time to help.

[BlackBox]

...

when I hatch, it only wants a single value for the color. The result of using 255 is a white circle; I don't see the number inside.

...

 

No worries, we all start somewhere.

 

When selecting a color for your hatch, you get the select color dialog... go to the 'True Color' tab, then enter 255,255,255, like this (see attached):

 

[Kevin_S]

Ok so these are the things I've tried:

 

1) Deleting the wipeout, then hatching. Doesn't work cause without the wipeout, there's no boundary to hatch.

 

2) Hatching 1st, then deleting the wipeout. Doesn't work cause I just get something better, but not the result I want. I've attached the result. Compare to the attachment above, Example2.

 

Thanks for all your patience.

test2.dwg

[wai]

G'day,

 

I was beaten to the bit about the wipeout, but you need to watch out for a few things when it comes to using wipeouts in blocks.

 

If you want to show items above the wipeout, then the wipeout must be created before the other objects. Using Draw order kind of fools you into thinking it is right. If you do anything that causes the block to be altered the block is created from the raw entities and so reverts to the original order. I have routines that turn my blocks into MINSERTed anonymous blocks and the first placement of the block is OK. If I run my routine, the block is re-created from the raw objects and so ends up with the objects in the original order.

 

The way around this is to do a copybase using 0,0,0, copy the objects you want to show above the wipeout, then erase them and do a pasteclip with the origin of 0,0,0. As new objects have been created, all is well if you subsequently do something that causes the block to be re-created.

 

The bit about the colour 255 is that some printer drivers do not handle wipeouts well and so when you print the wipeout, it is printed with whatever the creation colour might be. This will then end up as a colour or black. By making it 255, this is essentially white.

 

When creating your blocks you need to be able to see the wipeout frame, so run the WIPEOUT command, enter F for frames, and then turn them ON.

 

In the drawing that uses the block, you need to turn the wipeout frame off by doing the above and turning the OFF