Parameters, actions,
and their relationships (dependencies) are displayed in different
ways in the Block Editor. You can specify settings for some of these elements.
Actions
An action
displays its name and icon (a lightning bolt) in the Block Editor. Actions
are grouped into bars, which display all actions associated with
a parameter.
Hover the cursor over
an action icon to display
- The associated parameter
- The associated selection set
- Additional objects that belong to the
action
Custom Tools
You
can create custom block authoring tools, which you access from the block
authoring palettes. In order to preserve the default tools on the
block authoring palettes, you should create a new palette for custom
block authoring tools. You can then copy a parameter set tool from
one of the existing palettes and paste the copy onto the new palette.
Dependencies
When
you select a parameter, grip, or action in the Block Editor, its
associated objects are highlighted. This is called dependency
highlighting. You can turn dependency highlighting on
or off.
The following example
shows how dependency highlighting creates a halo effect for the
associated parameter (labeled Distance) and action (labeled Stretch)
when you select the custom grip in the Block Editor.
The following table details what is dependency
highlighted when you select an element in the Block Editor.
Selected object in the Block
Editor
|
Objects that are dependency
highlighted
|
Parameter
|
Associated grips and
actions
|
Grip
|
Associated parameter
and actions
|
Action
|
Associated parameters,
grips, and the selection set (geometry)
|
To specify settings for
parameters and actions in the Block Editor
- Click Block Editor tab
Manage panel Dialog box launcher. 
- In the Block Editor Settings dialog box,
set the desired options.
- Click OK.
To specify the text color
for actions in the Block Editor
- At the Command prompt, enter bactionbarmode.
- Enter 0 to view legacy
action objects.
- At the Command prompt, enter bactioncolor.
- Enter one of the following values:
- BYLAYER
- BYBLOCK
- An integer from 1 to 255.
- A true color specified
by three integers each ranging from 1 to 255 in the following format: RGB:000,000,000.
- Press Enter.
- At the Command prompt, enter regen to
regenerate the drawing.
CommandsBACTIONBAR
Displays or hides action
bars for a selection set of parameter objects.
BEDIT
Opens the block definition
in the Block Editor.
BESETTINGS
Displays the Block Editor
Settings dialog box.
BLOCK
Creates a block definition
from selected objects.
REGEN
Regenerates the entire
drawing from the current viewport.
System VariablesBACTIONBARMODE
Indicates whether the
action bars or the legacy action objects are displayed in the Block
Editor.
BACTIONCOLOR
Sets the text color
of actions in the Block Editor.
BDEPENDENCYHIGHLIGHT
Controls whether or
not dependent objects are dependency highlighted when a parameter,
action, or grip is selected in the Block Editor.
BGRIPOBJCOLOR
Sets the color of grips
in the Block Editor.
BGRIPOBJSIZE
Sets the display size
of custom grips in the Block Editor relative to the screen display.
BPARAMETERCOLOR
Sets the color of parameters
in the Block Editor.
BPARAMETERFONT
Sets the font used for
parameters and actions in the Block Editor.
BPARAMETERSIZE
Sets the size of parameter
text and features in the Block Editor relative to the screen display.
BPTEXTHORIZONTAL
Forces the text displayed
for action parametes and constraint parameters in the Block Editor
to be horizontal.
BTMARKDISPLAY
Controls whether or
not value set markers are displayed for dynamic block references.
BVMODE
Controls how objects
that are made invisible for the current visibility state are displayed
in the Block Editor.
