Request: Block Manager Update

[cameronbehning]

There are a few things that would make my life working with blocks a heck of a lot easier. So much of my time is spent waiting on the block manager to open, or completely reloading the model once I’m done. There are some behaviors and some commands that would cut my amount of time to model in half or more.

1. BlockUpdate: Updates a selected referenced block(s) against the current linked file(s) (just like the update button in block manager)
2. BlockLinkChange: Change file that a selected block is linked to. There could also be an overload to change a block from local to referenced, and another that allows the change between linked and embedded linked.
3. Change the behavior of block manager to not update the model after closing and individuals block properties, but instead to update the model after block manager is closed. (This alone would save me so much time.)
4. Change the behavior of updating/loading in a new block such that layers that are turned off stay off instead of turning back on. This could even just be an overload behavior.
5. Add the ability to edit a linked block from the block manager.

[tay.othman (tay.0)]

@cameronbehning

BlockUpdate: Updates a selected referenced block(s) against the current linked file(s) (just like the update button in block manager)

or you can use the _update command?

@cameronbehning

BlockLinkChange: Change file that a selected block is linked to. There could also be an overload to change a block from local to referenced, and another that allows the change between linked and embedded linked.

This is a good feature to be included in the “ReplaceBlock” command so you can pick and external linked file instead of being limited to the definitions in the current blocks.

@cameronbehning

Change the behavior of block manager to not update the model after closing and individuals block properties, but instead to update the model after block manager is closed. (This alone would save me so much time.)

With Rhino 8, Block manager is a live panel and you can’t just close it, instead you can toggle the update below and manually use the _update command after.

@cameronbehning

Change the behavior of updating/loading in a new block such that layers that are turned off stay off instead of turning back on. This could even just be an overload behavior.

Good Idea I think a toggle is necessary.

@cameronbehning

Add the ability to edit a linked block from the block manager.

That’s definitely a needed behavious assuming more people are going to rely on the Block Definitions panel to manage the definitions within the model

[wim (Wim Dekeyser)]

Hi Cameron -

@cameronbehning

There are a few things that would make my life working with blocks a heck of a lot easier. So much of my time is spent waiting on the block manager to open, or completely reloading the model once I’m done.

Are you providing feedback on how things are in Rhino 7 or the current Rhino 8 WIP? A quick read makes it sound like it is the former. Please test the current WIP.

@tay.othman

@cameronbehning

5. Add the ability to edit a linked block from the block manager.

That’s definitely a needed behavious assuming more people are going to rely on the Block Definitions panel to manage the definitions within the model

I’m not immediately understanding the difference between (2) and (5) and that already appears to be possible in the current WIP, no?
-wim

[tay.othman (tay.0)]

@wim

I’m not immediately understanding the difference between (2) and (5) and that already appears to be possible in the current WIP, no?

Wondering how to edit this block without using the “_blockEdit” outside the blocks panel?

[cameronbehning]

@tay.othman

@cameronbehning

BlockUpdate: Updates a selected referenced block(s) against the current linked file(s) (just like the update button in block manager)

or you can use the _update command?

I did not know about the _update command. Good to know!

@tay.othman

@cameronbehning

Change the behavior of block manager to not update the model after closing and individuals block properties, but instead to update the model after block manager is closed. (This alone would save me so much time.)

With Rhino 8, Block manager is a live panel and you can’t just close it, instead you can toggle the update below and manually use the _update command after.

So what I do often is needing to update the link to multiple different blocks at a time. Currently, I will update one link then need to wait 1-2 minutes for the model to update before I can update the next block link. It becomes a really cumbersome process because it takes 15-20 seconds to update the block link, but then I have to wait 1-2 minutes for the model. An easy task just becomes monotonous. If instead I could one by one updated all the block links then update the model, that would be great. I wouldn’t even mind if updating the model takes longer.

@tay.othman

@cameronbehning

Add the ability to edit a linked block from the block manager.

That’s definitely a needed behavious assuming more people are going to rely on the Block Definitions panel to manage the definitions within the model

I don’t find this an necessary if the block manager panel is now live. My problem had always been having to close then re open the block manager since it takes so long to open.

[cameronbehning]

@wim

Hi Cameron -

@cameronbehning

There are a few things that would make my life working with blocks a heck of a lot easier. So much of my time is spent waiting on the block manager to open, or completely reloading the model once I’m done.

Are you providing feedback on how things are in Rhino 7 or the current Rhino 8 WIP? A quick read makes it sound like it is the former. Please test the current WIP.

This is correct. I haven’t tested WIP for my current projects much since we don’t want to be constantly saving files down a version. But I will take a look at it more and get back how the experience is with the new block manager.