How to make a copy of a block?

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Hi everyone! Apologies if this has already been answered somewhere as I’m very new to the forum, but I can’t seem to find an answer anywhere! How do I make a copy of a block in my drafts please? I have all by basic blocks on the same draft, and I’d like to make a copy of my front bodice so I can make some changes to it and have both draft options available to use. Any pointers very welcome! Thank you :slight_smile:

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I believe that without text editor shenanigans that is not possible at this time. However, such shenanigans are not very difficult if the blocks are not dependent on other block. I just put your bodice front into a new file & it loaded without question. Then I was feeling frisky, & copied the skirt into the same file, but before the bodice. As far as I can tell that worked fine too. I’m guessing there were no dependencies on other blocks with those two sections.

Here’s how:

  1. I made a new plain text file.
  2. I copied the header from your file to the new file.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<pattern>
    <!--Pattern created with Seamly2D v0.6.0.1 (https://seamly.net).-->
    <version>0.6.3</version>
    <unit>cm</unit>
    <description/>
    <notes/>
    <measurements>RIR Bodice Sizes 6-22.vst</measurements>
    <increments/>
  1. I copied all of the text from one <draw> tag through its closing </draw> tag to the end of the new file.
  2. Appended an </pattern> to the end of the file.
  3. Saved, (Probably ought to have sooner,) as [file _name].val

It would have been a little harder to include any traced off pieces, but since you hadn’t traced any off I didn’t have to think about that. But I have since removed the skirt, & moved the bodice front closer to the zero point, so here’s the file: front.val (13.0 KB)

Definitely check to make sure I didn’t break anything inconspicuous, but essential!

:unicorn:

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Nope… it’s not.

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Or if you’re copying points having the same name. So yes, it’s easy to copy a block into an empty file, it won’t work if you for example copy block B from one pattern to another that already has a block B - there’s as 100% chance of a name collision starting with the base point. If it were that easy to copy / import blocks we could implement a library of draft blocks. Actually this is exactly how CAD programs work… you can import a block of various objects, such as a block of trees, or furniture, or whatever. Thing is CAD programs don’t have to rely on a set of unique point names to be used in formulas.

Would’ve a “save as” been easier?

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without the ability to copy blocks to another file is the best workflow to just make anything that might be related in one file as a base file?

i made the mistake of making a hood separate from a bodice and now don’t think there is an easy way for me to get measurements from one file to the other and looks like i can’t merge the files.

i’m an architect by training so would love to use ‘blocks’ like CAD programs but don’t know if that’s possible.

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Hi @emilyli

If you send me the 2 pattern files & the measurements file, I can try to merge them for you. It’s a bit complicated, because one has to take into consideration the sequence that was used in both patterns, but with care & persistence, it is possible but not advisable.

You really can’t drag & drop an item from one file to another and expect it to work with as a pattern. You may wish to widen the neckline, then the hoddie won’t fit around the neckline, or you may want raglan sleeves, then you won’t be able to join the sleeve to the armhole and redefine the sleeve as raglan.

Personally, I have a Master file with all the bits in it which I have in groups. I turn off items that I don’t want and I edit ones that I do want to fit any changes that I’ve made to suit the design I want. ( :upside_down_face: I hope this makes sense :upside_down_face: )

It works pretty much like CAD, but not quite. Each time I open my master, I first save it to a different name, so that the master remains intact. Then I can look at a sketch and edit & add to until the pattern is complete.

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here are the files.

thanks for trying! dain 090823.vit (2.1 KB) dain hood.val (9.3 KB) dain jacket.val (35.9 KB)

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it’s ok. looks like i need to redraw my hood anyway. no need to merge them. i will restart.

thanks.

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LOL, ok. Just save the one pattern under another name and add the hood to the newly named pattern file.