[solved] Block Edit (BE) doesn't always work

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Elloe
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Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2021 6:35 am

[solved] Block Edit (BE) doesn't always work

Post by Elloe » Wed Mar 24, 2021 7:21 am

I'm currently getting up to speed with QCAD Pro (3.26.1.0 (3.26.1) ) on Linux amd64 (Xubuntu) so please excuse me if I've misunderstood something.

I'm currently adding (UK) BSI fire safety symbols to plans of our building, I imported them from

https://www.firesafe.org.uk/graphical-s ... -drawings/

BSI Current Symbols link is at the end of the page.

In my drawing I have a separate layer "Fire-Detection" to which I add copies of the symbols. That layer has a custom colour but the imported symbol blocks use their own layer 0 colour so I needed to edit each fire symbol block and change the Color property to "By Block" from "By Layer".

I needed to first modify all 80 imported blocks before placing copies on the drawing.

I couldn't find a way to do that to all 80 blocks as a batch, and didn't have time to get up to speed on how to do that via scripting, so had to do it manually.

So my workflow was:

1. Select fire symbol block
2. Block Edit
3. Select All
4. Alter Properties > Color to "By Block"
5. Deselect All
6. Enter Main

At step 2 I found that the B,E shortcut doesn't work (on the block selected in the drawing), and in exploring, that menu > Block > Edit also has the same issue as does the selected item's context menu (right-click) "Block > Edit Block BE" option. In all of these the block being edited is the block last selected in the Block List. When the Model Space is selected in the Block List 'nothing happens'.

However, using the selected block's context menu (right-click) and choosing "Edit Block BE" does work as I expected - editing the block that is selected in the drawing, NOT the block selected in the Block List (if any).

So there seems to an inconsistency but I'm not clear if this is intentional or not. If it is then there ought to be a call-out in the help to warn novice users of this gotchya and avoid losing a lot of time figuring it out!
Last edited by Elloe on Wed Mar 24, 2021 3:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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andrew
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Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2007 6:07 am

Re: Block Edit (BE) doesn't always work

Post by andrew » Wed Mar 24, 2021 7:54 am

Block > Edit Block edits the block selected in the block list.
Notable exception is the context menu which by definition acts on the current context of the mouse cursor (i.e. the entity under the mouse cursor when you press the right mouse button).

You can use Block > Edit Block from Reference to pick a block reference in the drawing to edit the block behind it.

Or you can simply double-click a block reference in the drawing to edit a block.

CVH
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Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2017 4:17 pm

Re: Block Edit (BE) doesn't always work

Post by CVH » Wed Mar 24, 2021 8:41 am

Hi,
Mixing things up ... Block References and Blocks themselves.

May I remark that on opening the mentioned dwg, I saw 7 spooks ...
Only hardly visible in a certain zoom state.
Spooks1.png
Spooks1.png (750 Bytes) Viewed 3690 times
Spooks2.png
Spooks2.png (1.73 KiB) Viewed 3690 times
Spooks3.png
Spooks3.png (1.31 KiB) Viewed 3690 times

These are from strange shaped polylines with global width 0.009units
'Fire Alarm - Initiating Equip - Detector Flame' even has two:
2Poly.png
2Poly.png (8.55 KiB) Viewed 3690 times
Regards,
CVH
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Husky
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Re: Block Edit (BE) doesn't always work

Post by Husky » Wed Mar 24, 2021 9:46 am

Elloe wrote:
Wed Mar 24, 2021 7:21 am
In my drawing I have a separate layer "Fire-Detection" to which I add copies of the symbols. That layer has a custom colour but the imported symbol blocks use their own layer 0 colour so I needed to edit each fire symbol block and change the Color property to "By Block" from "By Layer".

I needed to first modify all 80 imported blocks before placing copies on the drawing.

I couldn't find a way to do that to all 80 blocks as a batch, and didn't have time to get up to speed on how to do that via scripting, so had to do it manually.
Changing ALL block Colors from "By Layer" to "By Block"
Selection Filter,
search and select blocks,
Property Editor,
change Color to "By Block" ... 80 blocks done in one go ... :wink:
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Elloe
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Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2021 6:35 am

Re: Block Edit (BE) doesn't always work

Post by Elloe » Wed Mar 24, 2021 3:14 pm

Husky wrote:
Wed Mar 24, 2021 9:46 am
Changing ALL block Colors from "By Layer" to "By Block"
Selection Filter,
search and select blocks,
Property Editor,
change Color to "By Block" ... 80 blocks done in one go ... :wink:
Thanks - I tested that in retrospect and it mostly worked. I tried pre-converting 2 symbols back to 'By Layer' to see how the selection would work, and then tried to match on just those two but I must have mixed things up somehow since they didn't change. Selecting the majority that were already 'By Block' and converting them back to 'By Layer' and later back to "By Block" did work so I must have made a silly mistake somewhere.

As an aside - this is weird talking to a Husky in forums since at home I talk to two others - Silver and Pepper - who say 'WoooHoooOoooo' to Yoooo :)

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