Hi,
some years before I used Pro/Desktop and there it was possible to load a file as instance, but choose between predefined configurations. For example I like to render train and all wagons are quite the same, only some devices at special layers needs to be turned on/off, different for each wagon. Since Rhino show blocks with an own layer tree, could it not be possible to load the same block file several times and to setup an own layer configuration per block?
Regards,
Micha
Micha, does saving layer states help here at all? (Panels menu> Layer state manager)
-Pascal
No, I mean I want to insert a block file twice at the scene and want to get two separate layer trees, so that I can setup different layer states.
At the moment, if I insert a file as block, I will be ask about a block name. If I import a block file a second time and set an other block name than finally it’s stay one linked block at the block manager.
I see- the best I can do for now is add a wish…
-Pascal
Fine, the first step is done. 
Thank you,
Micha
Wouldn’t nesting block’s work for you?
Take base wagon block and link it into different variations and save those out in blocks again?
Hi Peter, sound interesting. How do I " link it into different variations"?
For example I have wagon A with 5 different devices that should be visible in 2 different configurations … final y I would like to keep my basic wagon file with all devices and a train file with different wagons based on this file.
Thank you,
Micha
It is, mind you, not the most efficient way, but it’s a way I know how to do it in blocks;
Blocks with blocks inside it. A fixed set of wagon variations. So rather then choosing 1 block with options you just choose the correct wagon layout from the blocks.
[…] = block
Block files
[Wagon A]
[Wagon B]
[Wagon C]
Main file:
[Locomotive]
[Wagon A]
[Wagon A]
[Wagon C]
[Wagon B]
[Wagon B]
[Wagon C]
[Wagon A]
Ah, I understand, I create an own file with only blocks for each wagon. I doesn’t cost space at the harddisk. Not a direct way, butter better than nothing. 
I hope some one of the McNeel like the idea of block configurations and implement it - at Pro/Desktop it was a great feature
Thanks,
Micha
Yeah having 1 file with options to choose from sounds very interesting I must say. Perhaps you can set this up in Grasshopper?
This is a very old wish, but I guess still we don’t have any practical workaround than creating separate block files with linked blocks inside. Or are there any progression about this great feature? This will lead us to create part libraries like “M8 bolt” with different lengths in one file where we choose the length while we insert the file into the scene.