Block Problem - HELL-P

Hi,

I created a text block for a client (name, address, etc) saved it as a block
and used it in the clients drawing templates...

The client noticed that the "tel" in the telephone number accidentally went
to the next line... so I said sure I will fix that, its easy... well not
really (or something is really corrupted...)

I open the drawing template, edit sheet format, and click on the "offending"
block and proceed to fix it...

No matter how I save, in whatever order block first, page first... as soon
as I update the block regenerates/appears back to the incorrect version.
Opening other templates of course have the same "wrong" block, each one
references the block...

I wanted to try something so I then saved it to another name, guess what it
still will not work correctly. When I pull in the new block with a different
name it is still wrong - it is like the text has some type of formatting
character the user (me) can not get at or see, so it gets copied, and is not
properly allowing the text to be formatted correctly.

Is something wrong with using a block to add text notes on a drawing
template - it sure is handy - but not if you cannot edit it. At this point
it seems like I should recreate all of the clients templates, and recreate a
block or maybe do not use a block.

Thanks,

Aron

 

Where do you keep the original block?

 

Hi,

I keep the block in the same directory as my clients drawing templates. One
block, A,B,C,D size templates (4)...

By the way I forgot to mention SW 2007, SP2.2

Aron

 

You can send me a copy of it - I would like to see what it's doing.

WT

 

This is my logic.. which seems OK to me... but to others... maybe not...
anyway!

I have a Drawing template for say all of the various sizes, A thru E, & an A
"Portrait" (AP) as well as an A "Landscape" (AL).

While I did just copy the text from one template to another for my
"Corporate" Drawing Template(s), I decided it would be nice to have a full
set of A thru E (AP & AL) without the name and address area of the templates
filled in. I created a "Block" with one of my clients info, and an
insertion point (the way a block works) and then "inserted the block" on
each of the templates, therefore customizing it to the individual client.

As a side note and yet another good reason to use blocks (or some type of
text I can re-use) I want to create a block for the tolerance area as well
because sometimes I do small very high accuracy (0.0001") work and at other
times work with clients making say Billboards with 1/4" - 1/2" tolerances.
And in the case of the Billboard client I can have drawings that range in
tol. from 0.005" to 1/2" in some places, and it would be nice to have that
where it belongs, i.e. on the drawing title block area - so I do not have to
keep adding notes one way or another - just create templates for high and
low accuracy work lets say... and how about when a clients address changes
as often happens in small companies? this is yet another reason for the
flexibility of using blocks... OK, back to the problem at hand:

I have not done this again due to these recent problems.

The initial templates where done in SW2005 and have worked fine thru 2006
with the exception of an telephone number error in the clients "block" which
was made in SW2006 (when it came out)

Now when I try to edit the block in SW2007 (SP2.2) it will not let me change
how the text wraps around the "text" window - like "MTEXT" in good-old ACAD.
I can select it stretch it, get it to work, save the block (SW gives me a
message "are you sure you want to save over the old file")... but as soon as
I save the updated template the block changes back to its original "wrong
wrapped text" mode - it is like it uses it from some other location, but the
block file only exists in on area - and I really do not use blocks that
often - I thought this was a good use - I was mistaken.

So in short, my "customized" clients drawing template(s) are fine, but they
have a simple error in the telephone number area which happens to be a block
that I am un-able to edit or change.

This is very difficult to explain, but I believe this should do it...

Thanks for you help guys (and gals),

Aron

PS - Wayne I will send you the block and two of my templates - see if you
can edit the block and have it stick! That way I will know if it is time
for me to go out to pasture!!!

 

Aron,

There may be a word wrap hidden in the text of your block. Perhaps
try deleting the block (renaming it or something) and create it from
scratch. Also, do control word wrap, I have an old macro that I use
here. I'm not sure it will work on 2007, but worth a try:
http://sw.fcsuper.com/index.php?name=UpDownload&req=viewdownloaddetails&lid=10

Good luck!

Matt
http://sw.fcsuper.com

 

Boy, if that isn't the strangest block I've seen. I tried a variety of
things and I can make it stop - just add a hard CR after the (7823).

But, why it misbehaves, I don't know. I tried removing the other notes,
making it left justified rather than centered, bigger, smaller, make all the
letters the same font, etc, all with the same effect. When you rebuild
several times, it eventually crunches it down to the shortest distance
across as determined by the longest word. However, if I copy that note out
as just a note, it works just fine.

Make sure you send this thing in, but for now, add the CR to stop it.

WT

 

Well I really try to have "good problems" ;-)

Sorry for the work, but it really got me, and sure is strange behavior...

Thanks for the suggestion, I will give it a try.

If not I will just go to doing it on each of the templates by hand, i.e.
eliminate the block and just cut and paste the info - I have so much time in
it now, I hate to quit - or maybe I should while I am ahead?!

I will probably just start from scratch and make sure nothing is corrupting
a file or link, value or whatever... that would seem the safest way.

Thanks to everyone (& Wayne - you're great!)

Aron

 

I'm sure there are numerous valid methodologies, but mine is as follows, and
has at least one advantage, I believe:-

1) I have only one drawing template, which defines the usual settings such
as fonts, text heights, dimension styles etc. It is not necessary to
duplicate this for different sheet sizes because...........

2) I have 4 different sheet formats for A1 to A4 sheet sizes.
The sheet formats contain the drawing border , so there is no need to have a
separate "block" file to add this in. I therefore achieve in 5 files what
you apparently do in 8.
Where I work there are effectively 2 different companies in the same office,
so we actually have another set of sheet formats for the other company.

3) The fields in the drawing border (which are saved in each sheet format)
that change are "automatically" filled in by linking them to either the
custom properties of the drawing or the part/assembly that is referenced by
it.
This could include the tolerance information, and so there is a case for
having a "big tolerance" drawing template and a "small tolerance" template.
Alternatively, you could have separate sheet formats that displayed the
different tolerances as dumb text.

There are usually pros and cons, but I can't help feeling that yours is not
the optimum solution, particularly given that you seem to have encountered a
bug with this method.

Regards,
John H