Is this the best way to automatically update linked blocks?

Scripting
1

Blockmanager isn’t very effective in updating blocks so I wrote a small script,
but does this seem like the most reliable and effective way to do so?

import rhinoscriptsyntax as rs

blockList=rs.BlockNames()

if blockList:
    n=0
    nn=0
    
    for block in blockList:
        status=rs.BlockStatus(block)
        if status==-3:
            n=n+1
        if status==1:
            nn=nn+1
            print ("Updating "+str(block) )
            rs.Command("-BlockManager _Update "+str(block)+" _Enter")
    
    print "File has "+str(len(blockList) - n )+" linked blocks, "+str(nn)+" updated"

print "File has "+str(len(blockList) - n )+" linked blocks, "+str(nn)+" updated"
1 Like
2

Why?

3

Well, basically to ensure the best speed and stability.
I could not find a dedicated command for it and I’m trying to avoid using Rhino.Command as much as possible, so I just wondered.

We need an effective and good way to update changed linked blocks.
Blockmanager is ineffective at doing so, and it messes with the layer structure so I don’t want to use “update all” (it doesn’t remember which layers are on and which are off) so that will be the next step for the script.

4

Hi Jorgen,

To avoid using a scripted command use the below code:

import rhinoscriptsyntax as rs
import scriptcontext

block_table=scriptcontext.doc.InstanceDefinitions

if block_table:
    updated=0
    not_linked = 0
    
    for block in block_table:
        
        status = int(block.ArchiveFileStatus)
        
        if status == -3:
            not_linked += 1
            continue
            
        if status == 1:
            updated += 1
            print ("Updating {}".format(block.Name) )
            block_table.UpdateLinkedInstanceDefinition(block.Index,block.SourceArchive,block.SkipNestedLinkedDefinitions,False)
    
    print "File has {} linked block(s), {} updated".format(block_table.Count - not_linked ,updated)

I did not add comments, but let me know if you need clarification.

-Willem

3 Likes
5

Nice, Willem, thanks as always!
I never figure out how to find what I need in scriptcontext, how do you do it?

Thanks a lot!

6

Hi @Willem,
working perfectly fine.
I have a question though - and I guess it has been discussed in some other topics here.

Is there away to avoid this popup asking what to do with nested blocks?
I personally would like to chose option “Replace with imported block” all the time.

grafik

Thanks in adavance…
T.

4 Likes
7

I’d love to see a solution for this in options, maybe in a separate “blocks” page in options.
I have a single embedded origin axis block inside all my assembly blocks so I can orient and align the inserted blocks easily when they are not parallel to world/cplane axis. When there are many parts in a huge assembly, it asks what to do for each sub-assembly even though I check the “do this for all conflicts” box.

1 Like