Let’s say, I design a product which supposed to match surrounding parts. So this Rhino file has my part and the others I’m mating with. The orientation of my part is aligned to the surrounding.
I need to make another file with my part in tooling position (differs from the designed orientation).
Based on this tool-oriented position I need to build extra surfaces, connected to my part.
The goal is to have my part up-to-date in that 2nd file. So I need a connection between two files.
Firstly I was thinking about Worksession. But it doesn’t allow manipulation to the attached file (like re-orienting etc.).
My second thought was about blocks. I’m thinking on attaching my initial work file to the 2nd one as a block. I will be able to rotate and move it. But my concern is all the surrounding parts from 1st file. I don’t need them in my tool file.
Is there a way to make block linked to the other file, but with particular objects/layers from it (I would prefer layers, as design process is adding and removing geometry). Not the full content of the file.
Any comments from you, folks, who has similar workflow, is greatly appreciated.
It seems you need to make a third file/block one without the surrounding parts from the first file and without the surrounding parts of the second file. Select only your product and not the surrounding parts and make a third file/block with only that model or product elements.
A similar question. I have some object saved as a block in file “A”. I created another Rhino file “B”, then inserted the block “A” and oriented the latter in the 3d space to alight to a reference NURBS model. How can I export the new orientation of block “A”, so that I can import it again in file “B” and it will be exactly as the modified orientation (not same as the original block “A”)? When I try to export the modified block, after I insert it again it goes to its default position.
Is there a way to make a linked block of geometry from other file specifically of particular layer(s)?
Otherwize your proposed 3rd file needs to be created manually, which breaks the up-to-date-ness of it.
My main working file is the 1st one. All the changes are implemented to it. I need a portion of this file (my product geometry) to become a block in other file. Is there a way to do this?
Have you considered something like this? Here the blocks are imported via Import Content; Plane, Geometry, usertext & layer information can then be harvested. Modifying the block’s and saving the file will be reflected in the second file.
Yes you can do this but you will have to have a block file that you export to, but don’t worry that is only a carrier file.
Open your Main file the 1st one. Select what you want to export as a block and click export or export with origin, save as yourBlockname.
In your second file where you want to orient your block/part differently import the block using insert command and select linked and embedded option. Place your block and do what you want with it.
Now when you need to update changes to the block in your second file do your changes in the Main file and select the objects and re-export the selected objects to the block file using the same Block name. When prompted select yes to overwrite the older file.
In the block manager in your second file you should see update block is newer than current file. Update block choice.
So yes you do need a third file but it’s only for transport and can be renamed and used as a backup or archive since you’re merely exporting files of selected objects.
I don’t use blocks much because of some of these caveats. I use selected objects and insert them as blocks. In your case if you selected your Blockobject (Object A reorientated) in file B you would merely have to select it, export it and save as file A.
I think it should work; don’t know what the block manager would report after this change?
Yes one of the caveats but at some point you might still have to update the block even if you don’t use a third file, using the block manager. I don’t use auto updating, I prefer to have control in case something goes wrong. This way you have control over your situation because blocks at least for me have had many bugs in Rhino that are slowly being worked on. Many times I’ve had to give up using blocks because of bugs downstream mainly with materials and rendering. Also the sizing issues going from metric to imperial. I don’t have V8 so I don’t know if these bugs are solved.
Sorry I see I left out a step, do this in file B.
Once you insert your block A and orient it to how you wish.
Explodeblock, block A and reselect it.
Export it overwriting the old block A file.
When you insert click on the file tab at the top right and reinsert your file. Notice two dialog boxes will be displayed, the older insert will have the old block definition displayed with the old orientation in the little display window, the new insert box which comes up allowing you to select the overwritten file will have the latest Block A with the new orientation. You should see it orientated in the little viewer.
It’s weird that this other insert dialog box comes up and might throw users for a loop or they may not even be aware they have to click on the file icon to get to it.
I always thought the block manager and a how it could be improved has been sorely underdeveloped. The block manager should have a spread sheet tab with all block properties and allowance there for user input. In V3 I crafted my own block manager using VB but never ported it over to newer Rhino versions.
