Cloning a dynamic block

[gswifort]

I'm trying to clone a dynamic block reference. I can only do this successfully if the bref isn't assigned an anonymous BTR.

from pyrx import Db, Ge, command
from pyrx.ed.prompt import entsel


@command
def demo3():
    obj_id = entsel("Select a dynamic block reference:")
    dyn_block_ref = Db.DynBlockReference(obj_id)
    anonymous_btr_id = dyn_block_ref.anonymousBlockTableRecord()
    print(f"\nAnonymous Block Table Record ID: {anonymous_btr_id}")
    properties = dyn_block_ref.getBlockProperties()
    print(f"\n{len(properties)=}")
    new_bref = Db.BlockReference.cloneFrom(Db.BlockReference(obj_id))
    new_bref_id = Db.curDb().addToModelspace(new_bref)
    new_bref.dispose()
    new_dyn_block_ref = Db.DynBlockReference(new_bref_id)
    new_properties = new_dyn_block_ref.getBlockProperties()
    print(f"\n{len(new_properties)=}")

Polecenie: DEMO3
Select a dynamic block reference:
Anonymous Block Table Record ID: 0
len(properties)=40
len(new_properties)=40
Polecenie: 
DEMO3
Select a dynamic block reference:
Anonymous Block Table Record ID: 46bd0225000
len(properties)=40
len(new_properties)=0

[CEXT-Dan]

I’ll have to look into this, I think either deepclone or wblockCloneObjects

[CEXT-Dan]

try this

from pyrx import Ap, Db, Ed, Ge
import traceback

def deep_clone(id: Db.ObjectId, ownerId: Db.ObjectId):
    db = id.database()
    idmap = Db.IdMapping()
    idmap.setDestDb(db)
    db.deepCloneObjects([id], ownerId, idmap)
    for pr in idmap.idPairs():
        idmap.compute(pr)
        if pr.key() == id:
            clone = Db.Entity(pr.value(), Db.OpenMode.kForWrite)
            clone.recordGraphicsModified()
            return pr.value()

@Ap.Command()
def doit():
    try:

        _, id, _ = Ed.Editor.entSel("\nGetIt: ", Db.BlockReference.desc())
        db = id.database()
        cloneid = deep_clone(id, db.modelSpaceId())

        #test
        orig = Db.BlockReference(id)
        clone = Db.BlockReference(cloneid)
        print(orig.blockTableRecord() == clone.blockTableRecord())

    except Exception as err:
        traceback.print_exception(err)

[gswifort]

Works! 😃
Thank you!

[gswifort]

Maybe you can add DynBlockReference.cloneFrom() method?

on the other hand, the interface would be incompatible with other Entities because the ownerId would have to be provided, so maybe a different method name

[CEXT-Dan]

It’s possible to get the owner using entity.ownerid()
I'm not an expert in cloning, I think sometimes Db.IdMapping() needs attention.

There’s also entity.deepclone(), is virtual.
I tried Db.BlockReference.deepclone, but it does not work well, maybe I can improve that.

[gswifort]

It’s possible to get the owner using entity.ownerid()

but cloneFrom does not add anything to the database - it is better not to make an exception here

[CEXT-Dan]

Yeah, in this case it must be added to the database since the reference has an extension dictionary.
We can leave this discussion opened for a while; I’d like to investigate it deeper..

[CEXT-Dan]

Also, this works in a pinch.

def copy_object(id: Db.ObjectId):
    if id.isDerivedFrom(Db.Entity.desc()):
        axe = Ax.AcadEntity.cast(id.acadObject())
        return axe.copy().objectId()
    
@Ap.Command()
def doit():
    try:

        _, id, _ = Ed.Editor.entSel("\nGetIt: ", Db.BlockReference.desc())
        cloneid = copy_object(id)

        orig = Db.BlockReference(id)
        clone = Db.BlockReference(cloneid)

        print(orig.blockTableRecord() == clone.blockTableRecord())

    except Exception as err:
        traceback.print_exception(err)