BricsCAD V19's Best Three New Functions
Blockify command detects multiple copies of identical entities, and then replaces them with an equivalent block. For example, select a line segment. BricsCAD searches the drawing for all other lines of the same length, creates a block (of a line) that mimics them, and then replaces the lines with the block.
The drawing looks no different afterwards, but replacing entities with blocks reduces the drawing size in memory and when saved to disk, as well as improving opening, drawing, zooming, and saving performance. This works, because the block is actually a reference to a definition, and not an entity in itself.
For a practical application, use Blockify to convert general polylines in imported PDF files to blocks. Here is how the command looks in action:
: BLOCKIFY
Select input entities or [Find all groups] <Find all groups>: (Select the line segment)
Entities in set: 1
Select input entities or [Find all groups] <Find all groups>: (Press Enter to continue)
Select search space or [use entire Model space] <use entire Model space>: (Press Enter to search the entire drawing)
Duration of finding similar groups: 0.000164 sec
Number of block inserts: 7
Select block insertion point or [use Default point] <use Default point>: (Press Enter)
Once done, the newly-created block looks identical to the replaced entities. BricsCAD gives the block a generic name, such as ‘block1’. Here is the meaning of the Blockify command’s options:
Select input entities - Select one or more representative entities to be replaced by the block
Find all groups - Have BricsCAD find multiple instances of entities automatically
Select search space - Select the area of the drawing to search
use entire Model space - Have BricsCAD search the entire drawing
Select block insertion point - Pick a point, should you wish the block offset from the entities
use Default point - Have BricsCAD use the natural insertion point
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