BLOCKIFY command

Converts identical sets of entities (2D or 3D) to block references.

BricsCAD Lite; BricsCAD Pro; BricsCAD Mechanical; BricsCAD BIM

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Description

Searches the drawing for identical sets of entities (2D or 3D) and replaces them with block references.

Method

There are four methods to use BLOCKIFY command:

  • Convert 2D and 3D entities to blocks.
  • Convert equally shaped solids to blocks.
  • Find collections of existing blocks.
  • Match geometry to existing block definitions.
Note: To replace block patterns by arrays of entities, use the ARRAYDETECT command.

If a selection set is active when launching the command, the current settings of the BLOCKIFYMODE and BLOCKIFYTOLERANCE system variables are used for running the command.

If no selection set is active when launching the command, the Command Context panel opens to display the Settings options and the last used workflow. You can modify the BLOCKIFYMODE and BLOCKIFYTOLERANCE system variables settings through the options displayed in the panel.

  1. Settings
  2. Tolerance
  3. Workflows
Settings
Shows all the settings available in BLOCKIFYMODE system variable with their current state and lets you toggle them on/off.
Search entire drawing
Uses the entire drawing as search space.
Use default insertion point
Lets the application automatically assign the insertion point when creating new block definitions.
Use default block name
Uses the default names for the new blocks as specified in settings.
Compare geometry only
Ignores color, layer, line type, scale, weight and thickness, transparency, plot style and material properties when comparing entities.
Convert unique solids
Converts solids to blocks when they occur only once.
Use parameters and constraints
Keeps the parameters and constraints associated with the selected elements when converting them to blocks.
Show preview
Shows the matches in the drawing and in the Command Context panel. Select the matches you want to replace with block references.
Tolerance
Allows you to define a relative tolerance for determining whether two entities are equal. An example of a relative tolerance is the maximum ratio of the difference between two line lengths to the length of one line. A negative value means the algorithm will determine the optimal tolerance itself (0.000001 for 2D and 0.0003 for 3D entities). This option is highly recommended.
Note: This value corresponds to BLOCKIFYTOLERANCE system variable's value and is used in the BLOCKIFY and PARAMETRICBLOCKIFY commands.
Workflows
Displays the last used workflow. Press the right side arrow to display all workflows from which to choose one:
  • Equal solids
  • Match existing blocks
  • Find collections

Equal solids

Searches the drawing (or the selection) for equally shaped solids and replaces them with block references of the newly created block definitions. In case a solid matches an existing block definition, the replacing block reference points to that block definition.
Note: This option is not available in the Lite license level.

Select the search space or choose the entire drawing as a search space.

Specify a block name or use the default name. If you choose to use the default name, block definitions with names like Block1, Block2 etc. are created.
Note: If BLOCKIFY is used on BIM entities, it checks the BIM Name property of all equal-shaped BIM classified solids and tries to find the longest common substring to use it as the name of the block definitions.
Select the elements to be replaced with block references:
  • tick the group check-boxes in the panel.
  • click on the individual check marks / x signs in the drawing.
Note: Click the name of the groups in the panel to preview matches in the drawing. To add or remove groups to the preview selection, use the Shift and Ctrl keys and the Select all and Clear selection options.

Match existing blocks

Searches the drawing (or the selection) for geometry matching existing block definitions.

Select the search space or choose the entire drawing as a search space.

Select matches to replace with block references:
  • tick the group check-boxes in the panel.
  • click on the individual check marks / x signs in the drawing.
Note: Click the name of the groups in the panel to preview matches in the drawing. To add or remove groups to the preview selection, use the Shift and Ctrl keys and the Select all and Clear selection options.

Find Collections

Searches for identical sets of solids and block references and lets you choose the ones to create new nested block definitions from. The collections within the selected sets are then replaced with block references of these definitions.

Note: With a large number of input entities, calculating all possible collections can take a long time. Press the Esc key to cancel the calculation at any time, and choose from the collections found so far.
  1. Options
  2. Collections
  3. Details
Options
Maximum gap

Increases the allowed gap between entities to find a more complex collection.

For example: If a drawing contains multiple block references of desks and chairs, you can find a collection of both elements by setting the maximum gap between a desk and a chair.

Recalculate
Recalculates the collections based on the new maximum gap.
Collections

Displays the found collection sets. Select the collection set you want to create the nested block reference from.

Note:
  • A message is displayed if the selected set contains overlapping collections. Overlapping collections are collections that have at least one solid in common. Select which of the overlapping collections to remove so you can create the new block.
  • The overlapping collections are highlighted if the Highlight overlapping collections option is ticked.
Details
Show
Tick the check-box to highlight in the Model space one collection at a time within the collection set.
To cycle through the collections,use the left and right arrows next to the Show check-box.
Use the Zoom in button to extend the view to the highlighted collection.
Remove
Removes the current highlighted collection from the collection set.
Reset
Resets to the initially found collections in the collection set, by re-adding any collections that were removed.
Note: After creating a block reference, the collections sets are recalculated, taking into account the newly created block reference. Thus some of the collection sets configurations previously found are no longer available.