The first check box will warn you if this condition occurs by turning the duplicate tags red. A block should never have duplicate attribute tags. Two options at the bottom of this dialog are of particular interest. This is a list of the possible reporting columns. You can change the columns to the ones you desire by selecting the "Settings" button at the bottom of the dialog box. This particular one is showing "Invisible" and "Locked". Note that one of the configured columns will display all the modes of an attribute. This is quick work for the Block Attribute Manager.Īfter selecting "OK" to return to the main panel, make sure you select "Apply" at the bottom of the dialog box to set you changes.
In my example, the Copier Access Code attribute value should have been set to "Invisible" but it was missed. One of the beauties of the Block Attribute Manager is that it can even be used to edit attribute properties in nested blocks. This will save a lot of time compared to the only other option (explode the block) to accomplish the order change. I can then use the "Move Up" or "Move Down" commands to make sure they appear in the right order when the block is inserted. Once the Office Copier block is selected, the dialog box will list all the attributes found in that block. Starting the Block Attribute Manager, I can either select the block or pick it from the list of drawing blocks. When I created the Office Copier block, I failed to select the attributes in the order I wanted them to appear in the block attribute editor. All entities are drawn on layer "0" so the block will take on the layer properties it is inserted on.Īfter the block is created, one of the best features of the Block Attribute Manager is needed. There will be one attribute in the Copier Control Panel block containing the "Access Code" and three attributes in the main block for "Make and Model", "Location" and "Price". It will be a nested block with the Copier Control Panel being nested inside the Office Copier main block. I will be creating a block from a drawing of the plan view of a office copier. Once block attributes are created, the command is an invaluable tool. It can even remove attributes from a block without exploding it. AutoCAD Block Attribute Manager, also know by its command name of "Battman", can manipulate most any attribute configuration or setting except one, it cannot create attributes. Attributes have many different configurations and settings which are often either missed during their creation or their properties need to be changed to match their end use. The command BURST from Express Tools keeps visual fidelity and also the entered values of variable attributes from the respective block reference.AutoCAD attributes are an easy way to add metadata to drawing blocks which can be used for a variety of reports as well as populating searchable Vault properties.The command XPLODE with its option "Inherit" will keep properties of the block reference - it will change it visually (except attribute values).The command ExplodeIP ("inherit properties", from the ExplodeIP utility - see Download) sets the properties of exploded objects to the layer properties of the layer which hosted the given block reference.The command EXPLODE explodes the block reference to its original definition (definition entities).The following picture illustrates different methods of exploding a block with attributes, created in multiple layers and inserted into a layer with preset color (blue): Als the block appearance may change (color, linetype, transparency) depending on the method used to set properties (bylayer, byblock). If your block has variable attributes, this standard explode will loose their values - they are replaced with attribute definitions - AttDef. When exploding blocks (block references) inserted in an AutoCAD DWG drawing you will get by default the original block definition. Four methods for exploding blocks in AutoCAD.