Blocks Not Staying on Layer when Hidden

[wildspidee]

Mac 10.9.5
QCAD 3.7.5.0

I created a pattern draft called Front on layer Front. I then copied all the entities to another area of the workspace and put them on a new layer called Front Shldr. I selected several entities and created a block. Then I used the Rotate tool to rotate the block (choosing to keep the original).

When I look at all the parts, including the block, they are on layer Front Shldr. However, if I hide the original draft, Front, the blocks disappear on the Front Shldr layer. I repeated this process for a Front Side layer and the same problem occurs.

I need to be able to hide patterns completely because I'm exporting to bmp for work outside the program.

I've attached the file, so you can see what is happening. Any assistance is appreciated.

Thank you.

[Clive]

Hi wildspidee

In the Block list 'double click' block 1, the block will now show in it's own window, now you can edit the block. Select the entities which make up the block and in the property editor you will now see that they are on layer 'Front'! change the layer to 'Front Shoulder'.
Now double click 'Model Space' in the block list to return to your drawing, this should have corrected your layer issues.

Do the same for Block 2.

*Before creating a Block make sure that the selected entities are on the layer you need the block to be on.

With this file, blocks were created while the entities were still on layer 'Front', even though you had switched layers to layer 'Front Shoulder' !

[Clive]

In addition,
There's a handy option you can set in Application Preferences to enable opening a block for editing by just 'Double-Clicking' on it.

Double Click to open Blocks.png (15.09 KiB) Viewed 9948 times

[wildspidee]

Clive,

I wasn't sure if I had moved the copied entities to the new layer before or after I had created the block. Your solution answers that question, I did it afterwards. In the future, I'll be more careful with that. I was quickly able to fix my problem with the block isolation mode in your solution.

Also, if I could ask another question. What is the *Paper_Space that is showing up in my block list? I don't recall seeing that before. I double clicked it to see what it would do and I get a whole lot of nothing. Is that associated with printing in some way?

Good to know it's a preference option, just in case.

I have another question too, but I'll ask it in another post to stay on topic.

Thank you very much.

Lori

[Clive]

Also, if I could ask another question. What is the *Paper_Space that is showing up in my block list? I don't recall seeing that before. I double clicked it to see what it would do and I get a whole lot of nothing. Is that associated with printing in some way?

There is a related feature request for this:
http://www.ribbonsoft.com/bugtracker/in ... &closedto=

Currently there is no paper space/Layout functions in QCAD, I'm sure given time there will be development for this, basically and traditionally paper space or paper layout is where you would set up your drawing ready for printing, by adding annotations,borders, title blocks, etc. etc...

So Model space is the real workbench if you like where you do all the drafting and paper space is where you would tidy and arrange for printing.

[wildspidee]

That makes lots of sense. I can see where that would be very helpful. Now you have to get everything situated just so in the Model Space before you go over to printing. If it doesn't layout on the page size you've selected, you have to go back and rearrange. I've run into this quite a few times myself. Hopefully, someone will continue development on this.

Thank you for the info.

[RockinHorse]

.....

*Before creating a Block make sure that the selected entities are on the layer you need the block to be on.

Hi Clive
I'm very new while working with QCAD-Pro. I just started to get some experience with layers and at least with blocks in QCAD. In general I'm not new for CAD, only for QCAD. So I got some older dwg-files with rich content and created by another cad soft.

I'm afraid about what you wrote above - I think this is a very tricky game. After some tries and errors I experienced that a block-element is something very far from that kind of groups well known in other cad systems. I think this should be pointed out very clearly. Please don't explain blocks as a kind of groups as it is done in the German PDF-Book.

thx
Hubert

[andrew]

Hubert: blocks are indeed groups. In addition, they have names and can be reused (inserted) multiple times. What made you think otherwise?

[RockinHorse]

Hubert: blocks are indeed groups. In addition, they have names and can be reused (inserted) multiple times. What made you think otherwise?

Hi
From my point of view I feel big differences between blocks (QCAD) and groups (i.e. VISIO and many others). As I learned for a long time groups are conglomerates of different elements. Groups can be copied and after that each copy keeps its independence at any time directly after beeing copied. This was valid for me until now, up to the moment I learned to understand "blocks" from QCAD!

Sure, you can copy a block! That's what I read before - so I understand now what really happened. It's not really an independent copy, for my understanding I see this more like an instance.

Ok, I think I'll find my way. May be this will take a little time until I have adjusted my procedures to create drawings. I feel QCAD is great.

thx
Hubert

[andrew]

Sure, you can copy a block! That's what I read before - so I understand now what really happened. It's not really an independent copy, for my understanding I see this more like an instance.

Yes, that's the 'reusable' part. I.e. one block can be inserted multiple times. This makes a lot of sense for a CAD system, for example when inserting the same screw 50 times into a drawing. If you later decide that another screw should have been used, you only have to change one block.

On a side note, Visio is NOT what is generally known as a CAD application but rather a 'drawing package'. You pretty much know that you are working with CAD if there are blocks and layers.

[RockinHorse]

Hi Andrew

.....for example when inserting the same screw 50 times into a drawing. If you later decide that another screw should have been used, you only have to change one block.

You will be lucky if your decision depends on 50 screws... but you will be very sad if you need to change 25 from 50... But this is another story.

On a side note, Visio is NOT what is generally known as a CAD application....

oh yeah. I know it very well. The question for me is why simple procedures which are behind the "group" idea must be change into more complicated? I know drawing packages for a long time, since there was no soft like this available on windows computers. I used VISIO in very earlier times for structured diagrams. But later I discovered to use VISIO for quick&dirty drawings as well. Also I'm familiar with AutoCAD. But again, VISIO was for quick&dirty not so bad. But now I'm working with 2 computers and I want to refuse the computer with the Windows OS. So it was my decision to buy QCAD-Pro with the book and to continue with Mac which is my best friend since more than 30 years.

thx
Hubert

[andrew]

You will be lucky if your decision depends on 50 screws... but you will be very sad if you need to change 25 from 50... But this is another story.

Select the 25, change the block name in the property editor accordingly, done
You will very likely start to like the advantages of blocks once you are used to them.

[RockinHorse]

....Select the 25, change the block name in the property editor accordingly, done
You will very likely start to like the advantages of blocks once you are used to them.

Three days ago I bought the book and one day after I bought QCAD-Pro to replace the simple version of QCAD. And as you know if somebody is deep inside old procedures, so it will take a little time to learn the newer once even they are similar but not exactly the same.

Sometimes its hurts me (groups & blocks - which are still for me not the same) to study the book. Yesterday I started to take a view with QCAD at a big old drawing I converted before to dwg. I think there are close to 2000 elements in. I played to use the different methods for selection and to split up the drawing into several layers. I gues this was a good way to get familiar with QCAD.

And today I decided to convert all my old drawings to dwg and to shut down my Windows computer forever. So I think it will be a great future with QCAD-Pro on my Mac.

thx
Hubert