Blocks [Groups]

[Polar Bear]

Hello,

I made a block and copied, thinking the copies of the block would get modified (as in other drawing software).  But when i change an item in the block, none of the other blocks are changing.

thank you

pb

[Eduardo Rolon]

You created a "Group" not a "Block" and groups are independent of each other. Changing one will not update the other.

What you want to use are "Modules".

• https://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/user-guide/77186/
• https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Project-data-BIM/Hotlinked-Modules/ta-p/303819

[furtonb]

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(...) the copies of the block would get modified (as in other drawing software) (...)

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Unfortunately this kind of behaviour and 'module' (block equivalent) handling is far away from the current version of Archicad, as in-place editing is still in the "idea pool" on GS's roadmap: https://graphisoft.com/product-roadmap/idea-pool

I could imagine module editing to become something like instanced groups in Revit:

https://revitpure.com/blog/16-tips-to-master-model-groups-in-revit

[jl_lt]

However, as the procedure described by Jared Banks, you can create an object, which then you add to the project and copy it as  needed WHILE you keep a copy of the original parts of the object somewhere in your project.

Then, if you want to make a change to all the objects, you edit your original parts and save them as an object with the same name.  All object copies will update. Of course, now you will need to keep a copy of the edited object if you want to further make changes and so forth.   Not worth it for a couple of objects, but if you have lets say over 100 hundred custom made panels, then you might want to look into this.

Hope it helps

[furtonb]

Thanks @jl_lt for the tips, although I still stand next to my previous comment, I've been using objects, hotlinks, even experimented with drawings to replicate "block-like behaviour".

I don't think creating objects it is a replacement for a workflow where you basically double click any of the copies, do the modifications, and click away to finish it (instanced groups in Revit, blocks in Rhino, Autocad, symbols in VW, even Sketchup has very powerful and dead simple techniques for instancing model parts).

Blocks have a purpose for easy replication, creating identical (or slightly different) copies, the closest to this functionality in Archicad are indeed objects at the moment, but these are not quite blocks - GDL editing is way too much firepower in many cases, and a nightmare in others (doors, windows - especially for historic renovations...): they lack context in every case (try using trace and reference, or anything to locate the actual drawing), making the creation not very intuitive. I could cite 3ds max as a further example, where copying is very nuanced.

This should be way easier than it is at the moment, as I see all the current workflows in Archicad unnecessarily tedious. Hotlinks could be also mentioned, but they are more like xrefs, let it be through the iceberg method or saving .mod files. 

Overall, I would seriously appreciate bumping the GS's effort on "blocks in Archicad": let it be revamping objects, copying an established workflow from other sw, calling it in-place hotlink editing (or editing objects "in place" to access the model to do modifications in relation to it) etc. - I think there is a massive potential for improvement here.

[jl_lt]

Its safe to say we all agree on your points @furtonb, and it has been askwished for many times;  but the OP was wondering about block-like behaviour, which can indeed be replicated in archicad,  albeit in a not so convenient way, with the method i described.  No gdl is needed, you just override an existing obrject with a newer version of itself. Useful if you do have many repeating custom-made objects that might need some editing in the future, but not much else. 

But like many things in archicad, not because some industry-standard functionality can be replicated or workarounded it means it should stay like that