"explode" (distance) parts - solids

[sloman]

Hi, with word EXPLODE i don't meen the explode command. To brake appart part (block or solid).

 

But i would like to "explode" all parts (blocks or solids) appart and move eatch of them some disstance appart from enother for presentation purposes and then join them together if i would like again with a command to return to original place.

 

Any way to do that automaticly with a command in Autocad 2008?

[fuccaro]

I use only AutoCAD 2006 and there is no tool for "explode" as you said. I don't think they implemented it in 2008... :-(

[Raggi_Thor]

Try Iinventor?

Or Alibre

[sloman]

Try Iinventor?

Or Alibre

 

Problem is, that i have current project made in Autocad 2008. And its going to pruduction soon.

 

But i will have to learn some real 3d modelers beacose autocad yust have many restrictions.

[Raggi_Thor]

Maybe you can search for some add ons.

I bet someone has written a lisp or vba routine that moves all blocks and solids away from a given point with a given factor.

[fuccaro]

I bet someone has written a lisp or vba routine that moves all blocks and solids away from a given point with a given factor.

It is a bit more difficult: if you wish the program to detect itself the directions to move the solids/blocks you must have something like constrains. But AutoCAd doesn't work with constrains -so the "manual way" is the only one I can see for the moment.

[riga]

I was thinking it should be possible to obtain a similar effect using dynamic blocks properties and the polar strech action, but I'm a real newbie in the use of dynamic blocks and so I'm not sure what I have in mind is feasible. Maybe members more into dynamic blocks can give their opinion on this

[SLW210]

I was thinking it should be possible to obtain a similar effect using dynamic blocks properties and the polar strech action, but I'm a real newbie in the use of dynamic blocks and so I'm not sure what I have in mind is feasible. Maybe members more into dynamic blocks can give their opinion on this

 

Good idea riga. This could probably be done with Visibility parameters and/or Lookups. There is a recent post in the General section with a location for some video tutorials on Dynamic Blocks.

 

Dynamic Block Help

[riga]

Good idea riga. This could probably be done with Visibility parameters and/or Lookups. There is a recent post in the General section with a location for some video tutorials on Dynamic Blocks.

 

Dynamic Block Help

 

I tought it was possible to do ot with polar strech action, but for a presentation the idea of visibility/lookups parameters could work better and it's easyer to do (depending on the numbers of objects that needs to be "exploded").

At this point I think it will be usefull to have a couple of images that represent which is the effect sloman needs to obtain, so that we can suggest at least a good enough work around

[rkent]

I do this here sometimes and since all we have is basic AutoCAD I do it with layers. I put almost everything on its own layer, or group them where is makes the best sense and then in a layout I end up with many viewports with all the layers frozen except just one. This has obvious limitations but it gets the job done.

[SLW210]

Drop this in an open drawing and see what you think. Just a quick little Dynamic Block I stuck together and I am a rookie when it comes to Dynamic Blocks.

[New2CADmike]

How about this..Take your unexploded drawing and copy it to one side in a open area...explode the copy and then you will have both the exploded and the unexploded..The exploded drawing will have to have its parts moved away doing it the hard way,piece by piece..

[Raggi_Thor]

This may work for you, but if youe have many parts you should make a copy on a frozen layer and then ExplodeView

 

 
Sub XplodeView()
Dim e As AcadEntity
Dim s As AcadSolid
Dim Bmin As Variant 'Min point of bounding box
Dim Bmax As Variant 'Max point..
Dim CP(0 To 2) As Double 'Kind of CenterPoint, mid between Bmin and Bmax
Dim Origo(0 To 2) As Double 'Origon: 0,0,0
Origo(0) = 0: Origo(1) = 0: Origo(2) = 0
For Each e In ActiveDocument.ModelSpace
e.GetBoundingBox Bmin, Bmax
CP(0) = (Bmin(0) + Bmax(0)) / 2
CP(1) = (Bmin(1) + Bmax(1)) / 2
CP(2) = (Bmin(2) + Bmax(2)) / 2
If Not ActiveDocument.Layers(e.Layer).Freeze = True Then e.Move Origo, CP
Next
End Sub

Sub ImplodeView()
Dim e As AcadEntity
Dim s As AcadSolid
Dim Bmin As Variant 'Min point of bounding box
Dim Bmax As Variant 'Max point..
Dim CP(0 To 2) As Double 'Kind of CenterPoint, mid between Bmin and Bmax
Dim Origo(0 To 2) As Double 'Origon: 0,0,0
Origo(0) = 0: Origo(1) = 0: Origo(2) = 0
For Each e In ActiveDocument.ModelSpace
e.GetBoundingBox Bmin, Bmax
CP(0) = (Bmin(0) + Bmax(0)) / 4 'Now this is midway between CP and Origion..
CP(1) = (Bmin(1) + Bmax(1)) / 4
CP(2) = (Bmin(2) + Bmax(2)) / 4
If Not ActiveDocument.Layers(e.Layer).Freeze = True Then e.Move CP, Origo
Next
End Sub

[sloman]

How do i use the code? Must i have solids or blocks? I never used LISP before.

 

Ever.

[Raggi_Thor]

I tested with both solids and surfaces.

There is no error control in my code it's just a fast example, it may not work in all drawings, but it worked in a few I tested.

 

Press ALT+F11 to open the VBA editor in AutoCAD (or use menu Tools / Macro / Visual Basic Editor)

Paste the code from above, see image belowe.

Then use the command VBARUN or make two command buttons, with macros like

^C^C-vbarun;XplodeView

and

^C^C-vbarun;ImplodeView

[sloman]

Actually i must say these works like a charm. Great job really posting these.

 

When i explode a small disortion is presented for some solids (minimum displacement for parts). I guess beacose of mid point and distance frome it.

 

But for presentation purposes these is yust the best.

 

How could i create buttons as you suggested? A command Vbarun works like a charm, but i like to try it with a button to.

 

Edit: I have created a button in customize and add ^C^C-vbarun;XplodeView ... and again it works like a charm.

 

Thanx x 2

[riga]

Use the CUI command to create 2 new commands and assign to them the 2 macros reported in the post of Raggi_Thor.

You can edit the buttons names obviously.

Then you can create a new toolbar and drag the 2 new commands into it or just drag them into an already existing toolbar.

 

This link can be usefull and more clear

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/AutoCAD_tips_custom_command.html

[Marty Evans]

I have been looking for some time to find a bit of code to do this!!! Is there a way to get it to explode in the X & Y direction? It only seems to be pulling the parts in one axis. Again, thank you this is great stuff!

[ReMark]

Haven't seen Raggi since October of 2012. You might have to wait a while for an answer.