Dynamic Block Stretch Action Repeatedly Broken

[Pline]

Hi everyone,

I've learnt how to create dynamic blocks, and they're great! - within a few times of opening the drawing that is. After a while (few times of opening the dwg), the stretch action stops stretching as it should, and just moves the entire line when pulled. I then edit the dynamic block, and fix the problem by deleting the whole parameter and starting again fresh. It'll work for a while, and then the action will break again. I don't know what I'm doing wrong!

I have attached a broken dynamic block for your reference...

Please help me!

~ feel like I'm going crazy repeating the same steps over and over again~

DB_Section Marker_Unitless.dwg

[Dana W]

How do you mean, it stops working? Do already inserted blocks cease to function or do newly inserted blocks not work right away upon insertion? I simply have no idea how a dynamic block can get broken, but you are correct, this one is. Are there perhaps two blocks in the drawing with very similar names, and one of them is broken, and is getting inserted? Is this block coming from a template, or the design center, tool palette block library, or just in the drawing(s)?

 

I can't even get it to work the first time, but you did say this one is broken. Since you have been fixing it, I guess you know what is wrong already, but not the how it gets that way. I will go through what is wrong with the block anyway for everyone else's edification.

 

I did fix the block, and cannot get it to NOT work.

 

Maybe it's a disgruntled co-worker. I can't make it break simply by using it. I simply have no idea beyond that.

 

Anyway here is what was wrong with the block and how to fix it.

A stretch area box needs to be located to include the parts or portions of the object(s) you are stretching because that is what tells Autocad where to stretch. The object selection window or pick tells AutoCad what to stretch. If the where does not fall on the what, the what only gets moved, because the only thing stretching is the space in the stretch area box.

 

See the attached image.

 

The yellow dashed boxes I drew in, are where your stretch area boxes should be. Only one of your stretch area boxes is located where it will work, and that is the overall one that is only stretching space, and not selected objects. The other two are incorrectly located. If I were doing it I would also move the overall stretch area box off of any objects to avoid confusion in the future. I'd place that stretch area box right in the dead center of the empty space between all the objects.

 

It took a little while with trial and error to figure out which action icon went with which stretch parameter but I managed to fix it for you.

 

See the attached dwg.

 

Right click the stretch icons in the block editor and rename them to something like Overall, Left Stretch. and Right Stretch. The drafter who someday gets to modify your block will be a lot happier.

 

You don't have to delete the stretch actions and redo them. You left click the stretch icons in the block editor to manipulate your stretch area boxes by the corner grips to cover the portion of the lines you want to stretch. Don't try the move command for this manipulation.

 

Edit the existing block definition in your templates, and/or working drawing. Simply drag & dropping or inserting the one I fixed into a drawing will not overwrite existing block definitions, particularly ones that are in use.

DB_Section Marker_Unitless.dwg

Edited March 19, 2015 by Dana W