Modifying blocks

[bruce13557]

Hello

I'm using Autocad 2020 

I have a drawing with lots of identical parts inserted as blocks. Is it possible to modify one of these without it affecting all of them. I see an easy way to do it if Autocad allows it is to rename one block then modify it. Is there a way to achieve this or is there some way to modify only one block without exploding it then re-saving it as a new block? 

[steven-g]

You cannot have differences in a block whilst they have the same name, that sort of defeats the object of what blocks are, and changing an existing block would require you to have the new version already created. It sounds as though you just want a 'quick fix' solution, unfortunately there isn't, you can't rename just one block (maybe with Lisp). You could move the block into a new drawing using 0,0 as the base coordinates, make the changes and rename it in a new drawing then copy or move it back into the old drawing using the same base coordinates.

Or change your block into a dynamic block with 2 visibility states (original and new) and swap the one block over to the new visibility, but this would still change all your blocks properties to be dynamic blocks.

It is all going to depend on the sort of change you are wanting to make, but I would imagine each method would be about as much work as exploding and recreating just that single block, even having a Lisp that does it in the blink of an eye would no doubt take several eye blinks to program in the first place.

It would be helpful if you posted a drawing showing the type of change you want to make.

[bruce13557]

Thanks

That is what I thought would be the case although a quick fix would have been nice. Maybe Autodesk can look at the possibility of re-naming a single block in some future update.

This was a general question as I have come across this several times modifying a leg or bracket to suit a particular situation.  

[BIGAL]

The quickest way would be have a dummy dwg just copy the block ctrl+c and paste to new dwg ctrl+v then rename then copy and paste back. You could script some of it you can in lisp copy or paste.

Edited October 29, 2019 by BIGAL

[bruce13557]

Thanks

That looks like a fairly simple option.

[SLW210]

It is simple enough for me to just explode the block and make the changes, then B (BLOCK) put in name, select objects, base point, etc. Literally a 5 second task beside making the changes.

[bruce13557]

That's what I have been doing some of the blocks are in rather confined and complex locations so selecting the components has been difficult. I was just hoping to be able to avoid it but it's not really a problem.

Thanks for the help.

[RobDraw]

Open the block with the block editor, edit, and save as a different name.