Create and test dynamic blocks

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The creation of dynamic blocks is a procedure that

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takes a few steps and involves different elements.

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If block elements are already defined as blocks,

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you can edit them in the block editor to begin adding parameters and actions to them,

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which will essentially turn them into dynamic blocks.

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These elements are located in the

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block authoring palette which we'll cover shortly

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to get started with creating a dynamic block.

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It's a good idea to have a strategy for what you want the block to do.

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For example, if we look at these dynamic blocks,

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do you want it to have

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multiple view options?

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Like in this example,

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we can change to a different view

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and even flip the block

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and then change back to the original view

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or

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do you want it to be able to

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flip

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such as this section arrow

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or do you want to do something like rotate

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and rotate to specific angles?

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These are all examples of what dynamic blocks can do

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for these examples. In this lesson,

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I'm gonna start off with objects that have already been turned into blocks

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and then I'll turn them into dynamic blocks

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for the first one,

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I'll take a title, call out block

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and add the functionality

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to be able to lengthen the line on it.

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The first thing to do

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is to bring it into the block editor

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and then add a linear parameter to it.

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So this block has attributes.

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So to bring it into the block editor, I'm going to select

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it right click and choose block editor

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once in the block editor.

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Like I said, I'm going to add a linear parameter to it.

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We'll go ahead and

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add it.

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I'm gonna use the nearest O

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snap right about here. I don't have to add it to the entire line.

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Then I'm gonna bring it over to the endpoint

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and stretch above to place this where I can see it. So this is

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a linear parameter.

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Next, we're gonna add a stretch action to it

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by coming to the actions, tab

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clicking on stretch

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and notice when I add this, it asks me to select the parameter.

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So I'm gonna select the parameter

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and then when it asks for a point, I want to use the endpoint of this line.

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It then asks for the first corner of stretch frame.

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So we're going to essentially draw a

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rectangle

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around the end point.

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Then it asks to select objects. I'm going to grab this attribute

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and this line,

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you might be asking why am I grabbing the attribute?

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We want this attribute to move with the line when the action is

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completed.

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So just like that I've added

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a parameter and an action.

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But there's a couple of housekeeping things I like to point out number one,

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I'm gonna go into the properties

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of the parameter

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by selecting it

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right, clicking and going to properties.

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Then what I wanna do

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is

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I can change the name of the parameter and I can also put a

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description which is gonna be important,

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change this name to stretch.

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And then for the description,

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I'm gonna type in

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length and line because this is what's gonna show

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up when we hover over the grip for this.

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So just like that, I'll close the properties parameter.

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Now, when we feel we're

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OK with our block instead of getting out of the

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block and then finding out maybe something doesn't work properly.

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What you wanna do is come over here to the test block function.

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This brings you into the test block area

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and allows you to

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literally test the block out.

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So notice the first thing I want to do is click

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on the block to show the grip that was added.

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And when I hover over that grip, it gives me the description that I entered earlier.

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This is important that way your users know what this functionality is gonna bring.

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So when I lengthen the line,

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you can see that it works

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beautifully.

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It takes the attribute with it

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and it still keeps the anchor point of the line

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and does everything that we wanted it to do.

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So at this point, I can click close test block

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and then my block is ready.

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So I'll be able to click the close block editor.

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And this is important. We wanna save the changes

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to the dynamic block.