LISTBLOCKS

It was initially created in 2000. At that time, no image icon preview available in Window Explorer and no Design Centre in AutoCAD. So a list of all blocks in a library folder will be very handy.

The latest 2018 update provides more options. Now the lists can be created from a single block library drawing which may contains of a lot of blocks. It can also automatically print these lists to a multi-paged pdf file.

Command: LISTBLOCKS
Create block list from [Current / File / Path] <Current>:

It provides options to create the block lists from 3 different sources:

• Current
  Create block schedules from all block definitions in current drawing.

• File
  Create block schedules from all block definitions in another drawing. You can then pick up a dwg file from a file selection dialogue box. This drawing can be a "block library" drawing or a template drawing which contains common used blocks.

• Path
  Create schedules for all dwg files in a selected folder. You can insert these dwgs as blocks or xrefs.

Block type: [Insert Xref] <Insert>:

• Insert
  If the block name exists, it will change this block to an xref.

• Xref
  If the xref to be inserted has the same name and path as an existing xref in current drawing, it won't be inserted.

Please select number of rows in the list (0 for Auto) <Auto>:

Enter preferred number of rows or enter 0 to choose number of rows automatically. Every row contains same block number as the row number per sheet. So the total block number per sheet equals the square number of rows. For example, 10 rows per sheet contains 10x10=100 blocks per sheet. The number of rows can be an any integer number. But if you selected "Auto", the maximum row number will be 10.

Print to a pdf file? [Yes/No]<Yes>:

This option appears if current drawing has been saved before and the plotter setting is not "None". Select "Yes" to input a pdf file number in a file selection dialogue box. You can create a new pdf file or replace an existing one. It then prints all block sheets into a multi-paged pdf file in background. When the plot job completed, it shows a bubble notice at bottom-right corner. You can right-click the printer icon and select "View plotted files" to view the pdf file.

Pdf plot settings uses current layout page setup. So you need set up paper size, plot style table etc before hand.

1. It ignores nested block entities on frozen layer or turned-off layers and zoom the block to its visual extent so it fills in the cell perfectly.

2. You can use variable "LB_DefaultDelt" to control the accuracy of block extent searching result. The default value of this variable is 0.1. If it didn't scale / zoom some blocks properly, you can preset the variable with a smaller value. Just type in (setq LB_DefaultDelt 1e-2) before using LISTBLOCKS. You can also replace 1e-2 with any value smaller than 0.1. Although smaller value gives more accurate block extent searching result but it also means a longer searching time. So if there are thousands of blocks to be proceed, you may try a larger value such as 10 or 100 to speed up the procedure instead of a small value.

3. The block schedule contains a title, which is the source file or folder name. It also contains a page number at bottom of the schedule.

4. The block names string are fields which are linked with block name. If you rename a block these names will be updated automatically after REGEN (check FIELDEVAL setting if the field doesn't update).

Following types of dwg file are not going to be listed:

1. No entities or only have attributes

2. Only have attributes

3. The length of entity is zero

4. Self-referenced drawing

5. Drawing name contains invalid characters which can not be used in a block name, such as "=".

6. The paper size is proportionally scaled from A4. You can print sheets to A4 paper.

• In trial version, maximum 20 blocks can be inserted from a folder.

Please email liugesen@126.com to get a free Registration Code.

11 May 2019 Provide Insert and Xref options when "Path" is selected.
14 Nov 2018 Completely new version.
13 Mar 2015 Resolved an issue when there is a invalid dwg file in the directory.
13 Dec 2012 Maximum 20 blocks in trial version,
Sort blocks by name,
Ensure block name texts in all fonts fit in the cells.
26 Jun 2010 update