For instance, I’m calling RhinoApp.RunScript(“!_-Import \”" + FilePath + “\” _Enter", false);
and don’t get the prompt (which is the desired result. I don’t want to show a prompt), but then I have no way of scripting this choice. It just defaults to “Keep both blocks” and then bloats the current 3dm with unnecessary duplicate blocks.
I guess what I am after is a command argument like “DefaultConflictOption=KeepCurrent” that I can always pass when calling this import script to force the option.
There isn’t a way to script this today — in a scripted/batch -Import the dialog is intentionally suppressed and Rhino falls back to its built-in default for blocks, which is “keep both” with an automatic rename.
@BenHaycraft
not tested but a simple workaround for a script would be:
Before Import:
(1) Add some custom UserData/String to the InstanceDefinitions that are in the file to mark them as “residence” / the old ones.
If you want maximum robustness use a simple key “blockStatus” and some unique value - a new Guid for example.
(2) now do the import of all files
(3) identify the new InstanceDefinitions - the key “blockStatus” does not exist or the Guid does not match.
(4) create a mapping table / dictionary for all new InstanceDefinitions that already have the corresponding “residence” InstanceDefinition - look at all Blocks Instances and check if they use a new InstanceDefinition, that needs to be replaced.
(5) delete the new, non-unique Block Instances
(6) optional: clean up the usertext with “blockStatus”
maybe above is already enough prompt to get the script from claude or chatGpt.
if you find a solution - please post it - this issue was already discussed somewhere else:
I ended up writing my own method until an official version is usable. It gets called in the RhinoDoc_EndOpenDocument() event method.
Because it’s internal code, I can’t share it, but here it is in pseudocode with the main steps/logic
FUNCTION MergeDuplicateDefinitions(doc, deleteOrphaned):
VALIDATE document and definitions collection – exit if invalid or empty
SET empty list of (duplicate → original) pairs
FOR EACH definition IN document:
IF definition looks like a duplicate (based on naming or rules):
FIND its supposed original definition (basically the name without the extra numbers)
IF original exists and is valid:
ADD (duplicate, original) to the list
FOR EACH pair IN list:
GET all objects that reference the duplicate
FOR EACH such object:
CHANGE its reference to point to the original instead
IF deleteOrphaned is TRUE:
FOR EACH definition IN document:
IF definition has no remaining references AND it still looks like a duplicate:
DELETE it
RETURN success (True)
