This routine automates the process of redefining user-selected Blocks placed in the current drawing, with ones that have been published on the Specs & Standards website.
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Detailed Functionality
The routine goes through the following process:
- The user is asked to select Blocks to redefine; the routine ignores entities that are not Blocks
- Each Block name is then checked in turn to see if there is a corresponding Block published on the Specs & Standards site
- If a corresponding Block is found, it is downloaded and used to redefine the Block placed in the drawing.
Once complete, it is necessary to re-run the Add / Update Links routine.
Note: if updated Blocks have had insertion points or rotation angles changed compared to the Superseded ones, this process will cause the drawing to change accordingly. As such, Blocks may end up being relocated in seemingly random places and at *whatever* rotation angles: #GoFigure. In such occurrences, please use AutoCAD's UNDO command and contact Elecosoft for further advice and assistance.
Version History
1.14 - 17/08/17: Added IconSystem to list of blocks to be ignored
1.13 - 13/04/17: Re-worked handling of not found blocks
1.12 - 11/04/17: Various amendments
1.11 - 29/03/17: Block download authentication added; minor fix to reporting
1.10 - 21/06/16: Revised to separate specification versions from Block versions. Layer states are now saved when the routine starts, then restored when it completes.
1.09 - 17/06/16: Updated storing and restoring of AutoCAD variables
1.08 - 16/06/16: Added check to see if any Blocks have been coloured by the Block colouring routines, if so the user is prompted: 'Please run 'Reset Colour' before running this routine again...'
1.07 - 06/06/16: Reworked process for ignoring Blocks. The routine now ignores hatch, xrefs, Block created from bound xrefs, any Block name beginning with an underscore, any Block name beginning with TerminatorO and / or DimBlks
1.06 - 19/05/16: Set to ignore Blocks named: _ARCHTICK, _CLOSED, _CLOSEDBLANK, _NONE, _OBLIQUE, _OPEN, _OPEN90, _ORIGIN, DIMBLK, TERMINATOROPEN or TERMINATOROPEN_0.5
1.05 - 17/05/16: Revised so that information relating to all selected Blocks is requested and returned from the Specs & Standards website in one process, the results of which are then used to determine which Block(s) to redefine. Counters enhanced
1.04 - 28/04/16: Timer and counter added
1.03 - 20/04/16: Added prompt to check Internet connection in situations where responses from the Specs & Standards website are taking a long time
1.02 - 13/04/16: Updated the check to see that the Add-In is logged in to a Specs & Standards site before proceeding
1.01 - 11/04/16: Revised so that if the user selects multiple Blocks of the same name, they are only downloaded and redefined once
1.00 - 08/04/16: Initial version.
