Drawing/Block Browser

Its_Alive

I wrote a quick Drawing/Block explorer as a test for one of my brx methods, while its only a test, it may be a useful tool for some. It requires V10.3.11 pro

 

instructions

download the installer from www.cadext.com/downloads/BlkManSetup.msi

double click BlkManSetup.msi

launch Bricscad V10.3.11 pro

the command is BLOCKMAN

double click on a dwg icon to insert as a block

drag-n-drop a dwg icon to the editor to open

double click on a folder icon to set that folder as default root.

 

enjoy

Daniel Eiszele

Cool, I was perusing your efforts over at the swamp and was hoping I'd get a chance to play!

Daniel Eiszele

Yep, unbelievably cool.  I don't know if you will spend any more time developing it or if it's just the by product of another project.... but maybe you could set the default directory from the right click menu as it's nice to double click the folders to delve through the directory structure without getting prompts every click?  Again, nice work!

Its_Alive

Great! Thanks!

 

My first thought was to use right click, but that's already in use for hiding the window. I will look into doing something like shift+right click or something similar. I also need to work on setting focus to Bricscad after insert. If people think it's useful, I will add it to my upcoming tools collection  : )

Roy Klein Gebbinck

@ Daniel Marcotte:

This looks very promising!

Two issues:

1.
If the origin of the drawing lies outside the drawing window the inserts will disappear after the insertion point has been picked. You have to issue a redraw to make them reappear.

2.
The background of the preview window is RGB 65,0,76 (a very dark purple) and index 7 is shown as black. So it is almost impossible to see this index. I have tried playing around with the background colour of the drawing window but this has no effect on your preview window.

Its_Alive

Thanks for the feedback Roy!

 

Item 1.. working on it.

 

Item 2.. On my machine if I set the, the RGB value to 0,0,0 it shows as purple, so I coded it as 0,0,1 .. Almost black, so RGB 65,0,76 on your machine is strange.. I will goof with the values : )

 

Dan

Its_Alive

Hi Roy,

 

When you have a chance can you check the latest version I just posted. I set the RGB to 255,255,255 .. curious as to what you get.

Thanks a ton!

Roy Klein Gebbinck

Dear Daniel Marcotte,

The changes you have made have solved the background problem. Great!

A more detailed report:

1.
Installing the new version with the repair option doesn't work: only RxInstall.dll is updated.

2.
Both the old and the new versions have a margin around the preview. Left and Right: 4px. Top and Bottom 15px.

3.
Because your preview is 1.3 times higher than the "standard preview" there are some anti-aliasing issues.

Old version:
4.
Using my standard windows theme (Win98 look on XP... I know: boring ...):
Background is dark purple (RGB: 65,0,76) and margin is black (RGB: 0,0,0).
If I switch to the standard XP-theme (what some people call the "Teletubbies Theme"):
Background is dark purple (RGB: 65,0,76) and margin is grey (RGB: 113,111,100).

New version:
5.
Win98 look on XP:
Background and margin are both black (RGB: 0,0,0). Which is strange considering RGB: 255,255,255 is white...
Standard XP theme:
Background is black (RGB: 0,0,0) and margin is grey (RGB: 113,111,100). grey

6.
Typo: "set ... as efault directory".

 

OK: back to the Win98 look and back to repairing my bike...

Nice work Daniel!

Regards, Roy.

Its_Alive

Awesome, thanks for the great feedback, I will fiddle with the preview and see if I can't make it prettier. I went through a few hundred blocks or so,  and made the preview window about the size of the largest one... I guess they are not all created equal.

Juraj Matel

Great tool!

Two things:

1/ While I dont click with left mouse button to drawing, middle wheel make scroll for folder list and not zoom in drawing. (Double click to select wanted block, move cursor with block over drawing space, left click to insert in drawing, block is inserted it. Now I must click once again in drawing - for "empty", if I want use middle wheel on mouse for zooming. If I don't click on drawing, it still scrolling list of blocks.).

2/ I found some block which is impossible insert to drawing. Most is DynamicBlocks. ("Error, Failed to insert block: 2IOB90").

 

Once again, great job!

Its_Alive

Hi All

 

I think I have the preview fixed .. again : ),  Focus should now be set to the editor after inserting.

@Juraj I tested a few dozen dynamic blocks and I didn't get any errors. Please PM me the block that gives errors to daniel@cadext.com. and I will look it over.

 

Thanks for all the great feedback!!

Its_Alive

More changes : )

 

double click on a folder icon to set that folder as default root.

should now read

select then right click on a folder icon to set that folder as default root.

Roy Klein Gebbinck

@ Daniel Marcotte:
Nice going. Except for the stetched out look of the preview, you have solved all the issues I mentioned.
By "stretched out look" I mean that the image is in proportion, but some 1px elements are 2px wide.

I will leave the wish-list to your own imagination ;-)

Its_Alive

Thanks Roy!

I'm actually not stretching the preview, it's the default output from the BRX function  acdbDisplayPreviewFromDwg(),  there is another method I can try, it may result in the same preview that you would see in the "open drawing" dialog.. I will look into it.,

The wish list is , add the ability to grab inserted blocks from the source dwg to insert into the target dwg. : )

@ Juraj
Got your drawings, I was not able to insert the blocks via the insert command either. I'll put in a support request for help.

Thanks. 

Roy Klein Gebbinck

@ Daniel Marcotte:
If you look at the previews you get for xrefs in the Drawing Explorer you will see the same stretched out look. Obviously BC uses the pixel previews from the drawings instead of the actual elements that make up the xref.

Its_Alive

It's pretty much a standard method of getting a previews across cad platforms, I guess the thought is, anything with a lot of pixels will be slow.   

Its_Alive

I uploaded the latest version if anyone want to test.. 
you can now view/insert inserted blocks 
double click on the preview to refresh the directory tree

Daniel

Its_Alive

oops and right click on a .dwg in the directory view to see the inserts

Daniel Eiszele

Hi Dan,

Program seems to have broken in the latest beta if you haven't already noticed.  When right clicking on a DWG the following error occurs.

Error: Line 34 [eCantOpenFile]

And the command line then looks like this...

In function BlockWorker::getBlockInfoFromdDb

 

Regards

Its_Alive

I fixed things up quite a bit.. try it now : )

Juraj Matel

1/ I try it, but (as I wrote in previous email) in Vista same problem "Rotation out of range. Please check value.". I think. Isn't problem in national settings? In slovak is used "," not ".".

 

2/ In XP SP3 it's better, but in dynamicblock (ie. 2IOB90.dwg) still get: [Failed to insert block], eNotInitializedYet BlockWorker::insertBlockDef, 299

Its_Alive

Ah ok! that explains it, I sent you a new installer, let me know if it works.

I will report the bug in CAcUiNumericEdit

 

About the dynamic blocks, if can insert them via the built-in insert command?

Its_Alive

... typo... can you insert them via the built-in insert command?

Juraj Matel

Now some yes, some no. I reply to you mail. 2IOB90 is still problem.

Now it work same in XP and Vista.

Its_Alive

Hi all,

I kind of redid my block manager program, please uninstall the old one and give this one a shot.

http://www.cadext.com/downloads/RxSetup.msi

the new command is exttools, there should also be a menu;

What's new, I added the ability to transfer 'custom summary info' from drawing to drawing, to update fields linked with this data, you can drag and drop these fields in the form of leaders or MText. Quick instructions for the fields

1, command exttools
2, choose the field tab
3, from the menu on the fields tab choose "add key" (key = color) (val=black)
4, from the menu on the fields tab choose "save to this drawing" click ok
5, from the menu on the fields tab drag the new field to the drawing editor, note the asMtext or asLeader radio buttons ..

now this field will be linked to the "color" key, so if you change the value it will update.
I use these for labeling everything from job numbers to part descriptions.

let me know how it works.

Damian Harkin

Hi Daniel, greetings from Oz,

I'm recommending ExtTools to a Bricscad prospect.  They currently use Tool Palettes in ACAD to do this stuff.  Do you have a help file or manual for us?

cheers, Damian

Its_Alive

Hi Damian!
I have my head stuck in this project right now trying to create a block-icon generator .
I will put something together for you ASAP.
cheers