ATP244

What’s new in AutoCAD 2010

Segment 2

Date: April 13, 2009

Instructor: Kenneth Leary

Level: All Levels
Category: AutoCAD 2010

Web: www.AUGI.com

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In the first segment we covered Parametric modeling which entails Geometric and Dimensional
constraints. Before we move on to some more new commands we need to take a closer look at the
Parameters Manager.

More about Managing Constraints

Like we covered in the first segment, the final panel on the Parametric menu
tab is the Manage panel. This panel has only two commands, Delete
constraints and the Parameters manager.

The Parameters Manager is a palette that displays the constraints in a

drawing and all of the associative variables (dimensional constraint variables
and user-defined variables).

The Name column displays the name that

AutoCAD generated for the dimensional
constraint. This name can be changed to
something more user friendly or meaningful by
double clicking the name box or selecting the
box and pressing F2. For example, this is
where you can rename the value to reflect
Length, width, bolt hole, etc.

You can also select the constraint and rename

the constraint the same way you would edit the text in a dimension, this is referred to as “in place”
editing. The change will be reflected in the Parameters table and all instances of the variable in the
drawing.

The new name can now be inserted in

the expressions column for other
constraints or used as part of an
expression with another function. To
add a predefined function to an
expression, select the expression text
and right click to open the short cut
menu, select the Expressions pull
down menu and it will reveal a list
functions that can be added to the
expression.

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Another option is to create a user parameter
and name the parameter as a new variable.

Clicking on the Create user parameter button

and it creates a new a new user parameter
listed under User Variables. This new
parameter can be named just like the
constraints and given an expression like the
constraints. These are handy when used as
a convenient way to display measurements
that you would otherwise have to calculate.

A value from the User defined

variables can also be used as a part of
an expression for the other
dimensional constraints.

Dynamic Block Enhancements

Dynamic blocks haven’t received a lot of attention since they were first introduced in AutoCAD 2006 (an
even numbered release I might add). AutoCAD 2010 finally gives the command some long overdue
enhancements. The biggest addition is that dynamic blocks have been enhanced to support the new
parametric tools. There are also some new features to dynamic block editing and the ability to create a
table of the variations to the dynamic block.

One of the first things you’ll notice when you edit a block, by either double clicking on a block or typing
BEDIT at the command prompt, is the Block editor tab. The Tab is one of the new context sensitive
tabs; you can recognize this by the green tint color of the menu. We’ll cover more about context
sensitive menus later.

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 Open/Save Panel – The Open/Save panel has the obvious commands to
open a Block for editing and save a block that is currently being edited.
There is a new command available for testing a block without exiting the
Block editor. Open the Test Block command by typing BTESTBLOCK at the
command prompt or by selecting eth Test Block icon. AutoCAD will open a
temporary window, similar to a drawing window, with the block reference
already inserted.

When the Test Block Window is active it is easy to identify because the title bar background color
changes and the context sensitive ribbon tab changes. The new panel tab includes a button to Close
Test Block window. When you test the block and close the test block, you’re automatically returned to
the Block Editor, not the drawing environment.

Geometric constraints - Constraints can be added to

blocks and Dynamic blocks in the Block editor just like
they’re used in the standard drawing environment.

Constrained geometry that is taken from the Drawing

environment and copied into the Block Editor, or selected
when creating a block with the Block command, will remain
constrained in the Block Editor.

Dimensional constraints – Dimensional constraints are also

available for dynamic blocks only they’re called Constraint
Parameters when used in the Block Editor.

Constraint
parameters behave
just like dimensional constraints but they have the
additional feature that they expose their name as a
property for the block reference similar to dynamic
block parameters.

Also in the Dimensional panel is the block table

command, which can also be run by typing BTABLE at
the command prompt. This is where the functionality of
the Constraints varies the most from Actions when
creating dynamic blocks. The Block Properties Table
is where you can define different variations of a
property set for the block reference. You can enter the
properties manually or copy and paste from an Excel
spreadsheet.
This will now offer a new grip when the block is
inserted into a drawing, which allows you to change the
block from one set of dimensions or values to another.

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Managing constraints – The Manage panel contains
several tools that are not contained in the similar panel in
the Drawing environment version of the Parametric tab.

This panel also contains the Construction command icon,

which converts lines into construction lines. Construction
lines are visible in the block editor as a dashed line but
do not plot and are not displayed when the block is inserted in a drawing. Typing BCONSTRUCTION
at the command prompt can also activate the command.

The panel also contains the Constraint Status command. Selecting this icon or typing BCONSTATUS
at the command prompt will turn the constraint display status on or off and also changes the shading of
the constrained objects.

The Block Authoring Pallet also has an additional Tab for applying
Constraints to the block definition. Constraints can perform similar
tasks as the ones available on the Actions tab with some additional
functionality not available with Actions. Because of these similarities, it
is advised that they should not be mixed in the same block definition to
avoid confusion.

These are the sane commands that are available in the Geometric
panel on the Menu Ribbon.

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The Parameters Manager functions like the Drawing environment version with the exception that some
additional Columns are
available for Block
definitions. It lists legacy
action parameters, block
constraint parameters,
and attributes. Using the
Parameters Manager,
you can open columns to
control whether or not a
parameter is displayed in
the Properties palette and
you can also specify the
order in which the
parameters appear.

Action Parameters – Actions have also been given some

attention.
Action objects in the Block Editor now behave more consistently
with Constraint bars. Action objects are automatically grouped into
Action bars based on the parameters with which they are
associated
they are no longer placed individually in the
Block Editor. If you place your cursor over an
action in an Action bar, both the associated
parameter and affected geometry are
highlighted.

If you don’t like the new functionality, you can

change back to the old display styles by setting
the BACTIONBARMODE system variable to 0.
But this has to be done before entering the
Block Editor.

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Conclusion of Segment 2

Hopefully this segment helped shed some light on the new Dynamic Block enhancements. In the next
segment we’ll look at all of the improved commands and some of the ones that have been completely
overhauled. These are referred to as the “fit and finish” improvements that improve productivity and
make editing your drawings easier.

Remember that this material is only a portion of the class, support is always available online in the
private course forum. I encourage you to visit the course forum and ask any questions that you may
have about this segment or simply join in the discussion. The ATP Mantra is: the only stupid question is
the one you don’t ask. Thanks again for attending this course!