One of the most powerful features of AutoCAD is dynamic blocks. I mostly use this feature to create dynamic symbols that can be used in drawings, like Section arrows, 2D Pipe ends, North Arrows, etc. A Dynamic block allows you to dynamically change 2D Objects in various ways, like rotate, scale, move, show or hide.

AutoCAD's Dynamic Blocks offer more versatility over conventional blocks. Let’s get started with an example of an office workstation. You can create a dynamic block that allows the length of a desk to be stretched, while at the same time maintaining the size and relative position of objects, such as chairs. Regular blocks allow you to reuse a group of objects repeatedly, thus saving time and creating consistency in your AutoCAD drawings. Dynamic blocks take that power a step further, allowing you to adjust the shape, size, or configuration of blocks as you insert them.

AutoCAD® 2006 Dynamic Blocks in AutoCAD Part 1 of 3: Dynamic Block Overview and Quick-Start Tutorial. In AutoCAD ® 2006 software, you can now create blocks that are intelligent and flexible. This exciting new feature, called Dynamic Blocks, enables you to modify blocks within specific constraints. A block library might have dozens of windows (if. Dynamic block was first introduced in AutoCAD 2006. We cover this topic in several articles. They are published a few years ago, but still relevant to current version of AutoCAD. If you want to learn dynamic block, then this tutorial series will help you. This is the first post of the dynamic block.

The example below is one of my Dynamic blocks.

This Section Label can rotate in any direction and be used on any side using the grips identified on the image, but this is just a fraction of what dynamic blocks can do. I will try to demonstrate most of the functions I have used before by applying it to something a little bit more interesting than just creating drawing symbols.

Simple Dynamic Block:

So to begin with I created some 2D pipe sketches. I created an 80NB and 100NB Flange, Pipe, Tee and 90° Elbow. I could add every size available for a pipe specification, but for this example, two sizes are enough. My 2D Sketches look like the image shown below.

I create a normal block with my two flange front sketches in it and call it Flange_Front.

I do the same for my Flange, Pipe, Elbow and tee sketches and call them respectively Flange Side, Pipe, 90-Elbow and Tee so that I have five blocks in total. After that is completed I select my Flange Front block, right click and select Block Editor and the display should look something like this.

I will be using the Block Authoring Palettes highlighted to the left of the screen above. If it is not there click the Authoring Palettes button on the ribbon highlighted in the image above.

The first thing I am going to do is set up the Visibility Parameter on the Authoring Palettes to create grips that will let me pick between the two flange sizes. I select the Visibility Parameter on the Authoring Palettes and place it to one side of the flanges as seen below. I am going to move it later after the setup is complete.

Next, I go to the ribbon and select Visibility States option, which will open a new window where I can create the two sizes as shown below. I rename the first to 80NB and add a new one for the 100NB leaving the settings as is and click OK.

Now on the same visibility tab of the Ribbon, I make sure the 80NB is selected. Currently, everything is visible in the drawing area. Above the selection drop down there are three buttons.

The first button “Visibility Mode” enables or disables the visibility of all items. The second “Make Visible” is for selecting everything I want to make visible and the third “Make Invisible” is for selecting everything that I want to make invisible.

As everything is visible at the moment I will be using the third button to make the 100NB flange invisible under the 80NB selection. I click the button and select everything on the 100NB Flange Sketch.

When I press enter the 100NB flange disappears, leaving only the 80NB flange visible. I click on the first option “Visibility Mode” which allows me to still see the 100NB Flange but it appears darker than the 80NB Flange.

I can make anything visible again by selecting the second button and selecting the components that are dimmed out. Now I change the selection drop down on the ribbon to the 100NB selection and follow the same procedure as before but instead of selecting the 100NB sketch parts I select the 80NB sketch parts.

Now all I need to do is reposition the sketches and Visibility parameter at the block base point which us also the origin. For some reason, in the Block Editor, the move to @0,0,0 will not work so I always draw a line starting at 0,0,0 and then move my sketch to that point on the line and then delete that line.

I position the two sketches over each other at the origin of the block and move the Visibility Parameter to look something like the image shown below (Visibility Mode Enabled). I then select Close Block Editor option on the Ribbon and save the block.

My first dynamic block is complete. Now when I select my Flange_front block there is a square grip in the middle of the flange for moving the block around which is also the base point of the block. There is also an arrow drop down grip on its side for choosing the size of the flange. When I pick a size the block switches between the two sketches of my flange.

Making “Nested” dynamic blocks:

Now I do the same for all the other blocks, adding the Visibility Parameter to all of them and moving them over each other and to the Origin or Basepoint so I can change between the sizes and have a grip at a good place to easily move my blocks. Pay attention to the positions I placed the grips in the image below, the square grip is the Basepoint of the blocks and the down-pointing grip is the size drop down.

After adding the base point and visibility parameter I can start adding the other Parameters that will be needed to make this a basic dynamic pipe routing system.

Dynamic Blocks can be added to other dynamic blocks. We can add the two flange blocks together to create another dynamic block to select between the front and side view of the flange. The only drawback to this is if we want to change sizes then we will have to insert the block, select the view that we want, then explode it and then we can access the size (Only one visibility Parameter per block).

But if I go this route I could add all the different parts of a pipe specification into one block, insert it and select the component (Pipe, Tee, etc.) explode and select the view (Front, Side, etc.), explode and select the size and then place it at its desired place on the drawing so I only have to have the master dynamic block in my drawing and I will have my whole specification at hand.

Personally, I would prefer having the different pipe fittings & parts separate from each other and just choosing between the views, exploding and then choosing the size.

Any blocks can also be added to the Tool Palettes as well. All that is needed is a template drawing with all of the blocks in it saved to a folder that will not change and a drawing name that will not change.

Adding more parameters to Block:

For this next part, I am only going to work with the last 4 side view blocks. The front view flange block will not be used further in this exercise.

I open the Flange_Side dynamic block in the block editor. I am now going to make it rotate. To do this I click on the Visibility Mode button on the ribbon till I can see both of the side flanges over each other one dimmed out a bit. I need to set up the rotation for both sizes and make the Rotate grip visible for both.

Now I select the Rotate Parameter in the Authoring Palettes, I click on the midpoint of the front of the flange then I move out a bit and click again. Then I need to move the mouse cursor around the flange till it shows 360 degree rotation then click again. Now it should look something like the image shown below.

Notice the yellow exclamation box on the Rotation Parameter. This is because this Parameter requires an Action to go with it. Switch to the action tab on the Block Authoring Palettes, as shown in the image below.

I select the Rotate Action from the Actions tab of the Block Authoring Palettes. It prompts me to select the Parameter so I select the Rotation Parameter I just created. Then it will prompt to select all the items that we want to rotate. I select everything except the visibility Parameter and press enter. Remember that I need to see both flanges, both need to rotate, but not the Visibility Parameter, I want that to stay where it is.

Next step is to make sure that the Rotate grip is visible on both f

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