Developing a Script in Dynamo (10:18)

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INSTRUCTOR: In this course, we will discuss how to develop

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a Dynamo .dyn file from scratch.

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Dynamo scripts are often referred to as graphs.

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We'll start by discussing the specific tasks

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we want to automate using Dynamo for Civil 3D.

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We will then open up the Dynamo interface

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and explore the nodes available in the Dynamo

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Library for the Civil 3D and AutoCAD categories.

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Lastly, we will use those nodes to build our graph that

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will automate our tasks.

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Let's start by switching over to the Civil 3D environment

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and taking a look at our data set.

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For this particular design, I would

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like to place trees along the center line of the road,

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as this depicts the curved boulevard in the subdivision.

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I can certainly copy a block multiple times

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if I want to block every 50 feet.

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But what happens if the alignment changes or I

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need the trees every

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I would then need to recopy all of those tree blocks again.

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I want to create a Dynamo script that

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automates this task for me.

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That way, if the alignment changes,

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I can use the Dynamo player to rerun the script

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to place the trees along my new alignment

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at the correct intervals.

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Here's a glance at the final result of our graph.

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In order to create this script, we

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need to think logically about the order in which

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each process would take place.

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We start by creating an area for the designer

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to enter the alignment by name, getting

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the station and specific intervals that they request.

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We will finally drop the last station from this list.

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Once we have those stations, the next step

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will be to get the x and y-coordinate values

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at those station intervals.

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We also need to convert those coordinate values

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into points before finally, in Group 3, creating the block.

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In the third group, we will establish an area for the user

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to input the block name and layer,

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pushing the appropriate station coordinate locations

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to that position, and then creating the block

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and telling Dynamo where we want to draw those blocks

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in the current drawing.

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Let's switch back over to Civil 3D and get started.

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Inside of Civil

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to Manage tab at the top, the Visual Programming panel,

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and click on the Dynamo icon.

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This will launch the Dynamo User Interface.

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Once we're in the Dynamo Interface,

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we will click New to start a new script.

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The first thing I like to do is head on down to the Execution

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bar and switch the Automatic Execute script to Manual.

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This ensures that I have control over when

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the script runs to avoid any errors or issues along the way.

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Since I'm working in the current document,

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I'm going to head to the AutoCAD category,

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Documents subcategory, and hover over the current listing

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in the library.

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If I left-click on this listing in the library,

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it will create the node in my workspace.

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By left picking and holding my mouse button,

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I can move this node in place to organize as I go.

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The next thing I want to do is select the alignment

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by its name.

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Since alignments are Civil 3D objects,

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I'm going to go to the Civil 3D category,

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Selection subcategory, and choose Alignment by Name.

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We're going to move this into place

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and connect the document output to the document input.

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The name input value is looking for a String Data Type.

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This can be found in the Input category under Basic, String.

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Left-clicking, I'm going to add it to my workspace

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and connect the output of the string

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to the input of the name.

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The next portion, I need to select my alignment stations.

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Since alignments are a Civil 3D object,

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I'm going to go back up to the Civil 3D category

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under Civil Objects and go to Alignments.

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The next node that I'm going to choose is the stations.

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Once I bring that into my workspace,

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I already have the data type of alignment.

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So I'm going to connect the output to the input.

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The data type that the interval is looking for is a double.

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If you're not sure what double means,

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you can go to the Library search function and type in "double."

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And you'll notice that it gives you a result of number.

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So I'm going to go ahead and add the number node to my workspace

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and connect number output to interval input.

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For Include Geometry Stations, this

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is looking for a Boolean invalid,

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a true or false statement.

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I'm going to go back up to the library search bar and type

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in "Bool."

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One of the results is a Boolean.

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I'm going to click to add that node.

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I'm going to leave it at False for now

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and connect the output to the input.

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If I were to enter in a string here and run this script,

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I would get a list of stations every whatever interval

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that I enter.

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Since I'm leaving all of this blank for now,

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one of the most important things to do from this list

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is to drop the last item of that list of alignments,

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so that way you get an even interval

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and it just lops off the last station.

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So the next thing I want to do is drop the last item

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from that station list.

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I'm going to go back to the list category in the library

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and go to Modify, Drop Items.

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I'm going to pass the double values into the list.

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And for the amount, I'm going to enter in a negative 1 number.

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So I'm going to go back to the Input category under Basic

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and choose the Number node.

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Entering negative 1, I connect the output data

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to the input on amount.

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I've now finished the first portion of my graph.

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Moving forward, the next thing I want to do

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is convert those alignment stations

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into coordinate systems by station and offset.

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I'm going to go back up to Civil 3D,

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under Civil Objects, Alignments, and I'm

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going to choose the Coordinate System By Station Offset node.

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For alignment input value, I'm going

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to go back to the very beginning where

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I have the output of alignment and connect

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that output to the input.

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For the station listing, I'm going

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to choose my station list from the job items

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and push that into the input value under Station.

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For offset, I can leave this as a default of 0

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because that's the default value for my particular task.

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If I intend to share this with others,

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I may want to offer them the opportunity

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to input an offset value.

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I'm going to go back up to the Input category under Basic

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and select Number.

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I'll connect the Number to the offset input value.

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The next thing I want to do is create the blocks

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in the drawing.

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Now that I have the coordinate values from those stations

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and offsets, I want to create the block at those station

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locations.

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To create the block, blocks are in AutoCAD Objects,

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so I'm going to go back into AutoCAD.

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And I'm going to go to Objects, Block Reference, Create.

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For the source block information,

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I need to call out a specific block that's

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already in our drawing by name.

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So I'm going to go back up to the document

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and choose Block By A Specific Name.

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I'm going to connect the block output to the source block

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input.

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For the name, again, I want to input a string value in here,

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so I'm going to to go back to the Input,

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Basic, [INAUDIBLE] node into my [INAUDIBLE] I'm

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going to connect that string to the name.

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And for the data type of this document,

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I'm going to go way back to the beginning of my graph

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and connect this document current to the input value here

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of the document block by name.

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For the next data type to create this [INAUDIBLE]

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going to need a position.

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The data type the position is looking for is a point.

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The only output value that I have thus far

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is coordinate system.

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I need to find a node that will convert this coordinate system

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value into an output of point so I can then

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pass that information into my block reference creation.

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I would suggest using the library search function

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to try and find that node that converts coordinate systems

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to point.

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The first thing that we'll do is we'll enter in "point."

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You notice that we get a lot of results.

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From experience and searching through this entire result,

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I know that none of these nodes will work.

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I'm going to go back up to the search function and type

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in "coordinate."

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Again, we get a variety of results.

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By scrolling down and again hovering

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over each individual node, by hovering over Origin,

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you'll notice that the input value here is Coordinate System

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and the output is Points.

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That is exactly the node that I want

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to convert coordinate system to point so I can create my block

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reference.

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I'm going to left pick to add that node to my workspace

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and move it in between the two.

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I'm going to connect coordinate system to coordinate system

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and the output of point to my position input on my block

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reference create.

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For normal rotation degrees and scale factors,

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I'm going to leave the default settings.

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For the layer, I need to enter a string

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value, the name of the layer that I want the block inserted.

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I'm going to go back to the Input category in the Dynamo

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Library under Basic and choose String.

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I'll connect the output of String to the layer input.

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And for block, it is looking for where

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do I want to enter this block reference that I'm creating.

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Since I want to create these block references in the model

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space of the current document, I'll

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go back up to the AutoCAD category under Document

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and choose Model Space.

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I'll connect the output block to the input.

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And for documents, since I wanted

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to create it in the model space of the current document,

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I will use the node from the very beginning

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and connect it to the current document.

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Our graph is now complete.

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In the next section, I will show you

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how to organize your graph using the Dynamo grouping

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and aligning tools.

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Organizing your graph is an important step

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for ensuring readability to the next viewer of your script.

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We will also review how to set nodes

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as inputs so they appear as available entries

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within the Dynamo player.

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This is also an important step for anyone

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that wants to use your script in their workflow

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but is not familiar with the Dynamo interface.