Selection set based on attribute value.

How would I go about making a selection set of all blocks that have an
attribute with a particular string value?

TIA... Casey

 

What are you going to use it for?

Bill

 

You don't. You can limit the selection set to
inserts that have attributes then you will have
to step though the selection set testing each
item for the desired value(s).

To limit the selection set, include (66 . 1) in
the filter to ssget.

 

Casey,
Try this one:
;;
;; Local DXF Function
(defun dxf (code elist)
(cdr (assoc code elist))
); end function dxf

(defun add_to_ss ( entity )
(if (not ss)
; make blank selection set
(progn
(setq ss (ssadd (entlast)))
(setq ss (ssdel (entlast) ss))
); progn
); if
; else, add entity to ss
(setq ss (ssadd entity ss))
); end function

(defun sset ( strng / ss1 C ent entx en val elist )
; first, get all blocks
(setq ss1 (ssget "X" (list (cons 0 "INSERT"))))
; step thru ss1, get each entity, and get attribute values
(if ss1
(progn
(setq C 0)
(repeat (sslength ss1)
(setq ent (ssname ss1 C)); get each entity
(setq entx ent); case of a match
(setq elist (entget ent)); each entity 'list' item.
(if (/= (cdr (assoc 66 elist)) nil); Attrib's following
(progn
(setq en (entget (entnext (dxf -1 elist))))
(setq ent en)
(if (= "ATTRIB" (cdr (assoc 0 en))); case of attributes
(progn
(setq val (cdr (assoc 1 en)))
(if (= val strng)
(add_to_ss entx)
); if
); progn
); if
(while (/= "SEQEND" (cdr (assoc 0 en)))
(setq en (entget (entnext (dxf -1 ent))))
(if (= "ATTRIB" (cdr (assoc 0 en))); case of attributes
(progn
(setq val (cdr (assoc 1 en)))
(if (= val strng)
(add_to_ss entx)
); if
(setq ent en); swap next
); progn
); if
); end while
); end progn
); end if
(setq C (+ C 1)); increment counter C to get next entity.
); end repeat
); end progn
); end if
); end function
;;
;; Get search string - can contain spaces
;;
(setq str (getstring 1 "\nString Value to Search for : "))
(sset str)
(if (> (sslength ss) 0)
(progn
(setq num (itoa (sslength ss)))
(prompt (strcat "\nSelection Set SS contains " num " Blocks with attribute value of " str " "))
); progn
); if
(princ)


Bob

 

When I am changing/working with attribute values, I use something like this:

<snip>

Code:

;03/01/05
;To find Block reference & Attribute Values.
;Usage: (AttTagEdit "BlockReference name" "Attribute tag name")
;
(defun AttTxt (BlkNam TagStr / *mspace*)
(vl-load-com)
(setq *mspace* (vla-get-modelspace (vla-get-activedocument (vlax-get-acad-object)))
)
;;;
(vlax-for item *mspace*
(if (and (= (vla-get-objectname item)"AcDbBlockReference")   ;if a block ref.
(= (strcase (vla-get-name item)) BlkNam)            ;if you want specific block names.
)
(mapcar '(lambda (a)
(if (= (vla-get-TagString a) TagStr)      ;could be TextString instead.

;;;;do whatever here, i.e. (vla-put-TextString
)
)
(vlax-safearray->list
(variant-value
(vla-GetAttributes item)
)
)
)
)
)
;;;
(princ)
)

Don't have to mess with the SS that way.


Bill

 

I want a slection set of all blocks that have attributes with a value that
contains a certain word. I'm cleaning up arch drawings and just need to
delete a selection of blocks from the drawing. The only unique part of the
particular blocks I want to delete, is an attribute value.

There are some blocks within the drawing that I want to retain (and
therefore do not want in my selection set) that have the same
rotation,scale,name,layer etc etc etc except for the attribute value.

Casey

 

This should do it.

Remeber this looks for the actual attribute value NOT the tag value.
The values entered are case sensitive, i.e. "testblock" is not the same as "TestBlock" so be exact.

Code:

;03/03/05;To Delete Block Reference w\Attribute Values.
;Usage: (DelBlk-w-Att "Blockname" "AttributeValue")
;Case specific on blockname and att value.
;
;
(defun DelBlk-w-Att (BlkNam TextStr / *mspace* ItemLst)
(vl-load-com)
(setq *mspace* (vla-get-modelspace (vla-get-activedocument (vlax-get-acad-object)))
)
(vlax-for item *mspace*
(if (and (= (vla-get-objectname item)"AcDbBlockReference")   ;if a block ref.
(= (vla-get-name item) BlkNam)
)
(mapcar '(lambda (a)
(if (= (vla-get-TextString a) TextStr)
(setq ItemLst (cons item ItemLst))
)
)
(vlax-safearray->list
(variant-value
(vla-GetAttributes item)
)
)
)
)
)
(if ItemLst
(foreach n ItemLst
(vla-delete n)
)
)
(princ)
)

Bill

 

I should add:

This subr is set for model space only.

Let me know if you need something different.


Bill

 

Cool... That worked... But I've got one last question.... could it be
modified so the text string could accept wildcards?

Casey

 

change
(if (= (vla-get-TextString a) TextStr)
to
(if (wcmatch (vla-get-TextString a) TextStr)

 

Bill, just curious why you iterate the entire MS collection. Which, as you
point out, only works for MS. Whereas if you used a selection set that
selected All inserts that have attributes it would cut down on processing
time tremendously, and would have the benefit of getting even those in PS

(defun delBlk-w-attribute (bname txtstr / )
(if (setq ss (ssget "x" (list '(0 . "INSERT")(cons 2 bname) '(66 . 1))))
(progn
(setq idx -1)
(while (< (setq idx (1+ idx)) (sslength ss))
;;also shows a method of accessing the attributes
;; without variants and safearrays
(setq obj (vlax-ename->vla-object (ssname ss idx)))
(setq atts (vlax-invoke obj 'getattributes))
(foreach att atts
(if (wcmatch (vla-get-textstring att) txtstr);added wildcard
functionality
(progn
(vla-delete obj)
(setq atts nil)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)

 

sweeeeet.....

Thanks

 

welcome,
be sure to note Jeff's last post as well.
Mark

 

Hi Jeff,

Good point.

I snipped most of this from some other work I've been doing. Must've got carried away. ;-)

FWIW: I figured most blocks like this would reside in model space anyway.

Thanks for the tip.

Bill

 

For my purposes, the blocks do only reside in model space, so it works for
what I need now. But who knows what the future will bring.

Thanks again everyone for all your help.

Casey

 

Glad it worked for you.

(with a little assistance from my "helpers")

;^)

Bill