SYMBOLS AND BLOCKS

[Dent Cermak]

I am running LDD7 with Carlson Survey 2008. I have set up my Field to Finish to do my line work and insert my blocks (Manholes, drop inlets, power poles, etc.). Works like a charm. BUT, when I remove the points via "Erase Points" to clear up my screen so I can draw more stuff, ALL of my blocks disappear with the points.
How do I separate the blocks from the points? (Like turning off the Descriptor Keys under Label Settings in AutoCad.) I want to have all of my lines and symbols without all the points.
What do I have set wrong?

[tstrickland]

I put my points on a separate layer and freeze it. I don't think there's a way around erasing all symbols associated with the points, but I could be wrong.

[Dent Cermak]

I just had a Carlson class last week on Carlson Survey 2009. In the class we removed the points and the symbols stayed there. Maybe it's a new feature in Carlson Survey 2009?
Surely there is a work around in 2008. I really don't want to send a drawing out with all of those points in it.

[Nava Ran]

F2F>Separate Attribute Layers
In Layer Property Manager Freeze/OFF what you want

[Dent Cermak]

Yes that does place the symbol on a separate layer. Then I send the drawing to a client. The first thing he wants to do is get rid of the Carlson points because he's in AutoCad and wants to use his AutoCad points, so he thaws the points layers and erases the points. OOPS!! No symbols!!
If this is the way Carlson works, then in the next release, or in a patch, Carlson needs to come up with the AutiCad "Remove points from drawing" command where the points are removed and the symbols stay as an independent block. This is a MAJOR issue guys.

FOLLOW UP: The only solution I have found so far is to WBLOCK all of my symbols and then clean up that dwg file and then reinsert the symbols.
The code gurus at Carlson need to fix this. We are looking at buying 11 seats of Carlson and this issue was almost a war stopper.

[emorse4487]

First of all, the other guy has no business deleting entities from your drawing.

That said:

All you have to do is use field to finish (F2F) to put your symbol on separate layers. Then, isolate your symbol layers and explode the symbol blocks.

This will put them on a separate symbol layer that is no longer attached to your point attributes. Erase your points from the drawing and you're ready to ship out the drawing. If you have to wblock you're doing something wrong.

You could also simply remove the points from the drawing and send your MDB desckey file along with your points list and have the other guy do what he pleases with them.

The problem is with AutoCAD, not Carlson. You can seamlessly convert just about every point format into Carlson points and you're ready to go. LDD doesn't support anything but LDD points, how is that Carlson's problem?

[Dent Cermak]

Wrong answer. I NEVER send drawings out with my points still in them because of the mentioned software problems. These problems are inherient in ALL of the other packages, AutoCad, Intergraph, etc. I send the client the *.dwg file and a *.txt file for their use. The client pays for the drawing. He can erase whatever he likes.
I tried your solution and it does not work. My blocks are set up to be inserted at the drawing scale. Brought in through F2F they come in fine. Explode the blocks and they lose their scale. Itty-Bitty blocks look very tacky.
I have the blocks set to come in on a separate layer. They do so, but seem to come in as an attribute of the point.
The problem lies with the fact that other people use other software. I have to deal with that. So does everyone else. It is my job to send the client a drawing that he can use and not have to spend any time "fixing".
There is Carlson's problem. In the past Carlson has been very responsive to these issues and I do not see them changingh any time soon. They have always asked users to notify them of problems just like this. Has this changed? Are you speaking FOR Carlson or is this just your opinion?

[emorse4487]

For intellicad users:

Insert points using F2F with symbols on separate layers, like so:


Isolate symbol layers; it should look something like this:


Edit Menu>Explode>Block Explode....

Or type the following:
Command: _EXPLODE2



Layer for Attributes [Original/<Inserted>]: O
Add Number To Attribute Layers [Yes/<No>]: N
Select entities:

Select your isolated symbols then right click; it will say:
Exploding Attributes to Text Entities ...
Warning: no blocks with attributes found

Thaw all of your points layers and then run:
Command: delpt
Erase all the points in the drawing. Let the magic ensue.

If LDD7 doesn't have this command, write a lisp.

I have no idea why the scale on your blocks are changing.

[Dent Cermak]

Well, live and learn! This Old Dog is learning new tricks. That works in my set up too. Thanks for the tip!!