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249 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
249 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
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<meta name="generator" content="HTML Tidy for HTML5 for Apple macOS version 5.8.0">
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<title>JMRI: OBlock Table Help</title>
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<meta name="author" content="Bob Jacobsen">
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<meta name="keywords" content="JMRI help OBlock Table"><!--#include virtual="/help/en/parts/Style.shtml" -->
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<body>
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<div id="mBody">
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<div id="mainContent" class="no-sidebar">
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<h1>The Occupancy Block (OBlock) Tables</h1>
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<p class="important">Under development, see <a href="../logix/OBlockEdit.shtml">OBlock
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Help</a></p>
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<p>OBlocks may be set up manually in the OBlock Table, using a script, or automatically in a
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Control Panel Editor - Circuit Builder. When a Block is defined in a Layout Editor Panel, a
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new Block is created if one does not already exist.</p>
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<p class="important">In Layout Editor, Blocks are identified by their <strong>User
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Name</strong>, so if a Block shown in the Block Table is used in a Layout Editor Panel, its
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User Name should not be changed here.<br>
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If you want to change the User Name of a Block used in a Layout Editor Panel, make the change
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in the Layout Editor, not in the Block Table.</p>
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<h2 id="blockPaths">Blocks & Paths</h2>
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<p>To complete the definition of a Block, Paths and Bean Settings must be attached to each
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Block.<br>
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<strong>Paths</strong> describe entry points to the Block. Each Block has one or more Paths
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associated with it. Sometimes a Turnout must be set a certain way to use a Path; Bean
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Settings carry that information. Paths and Bean Settings are set up automatically for Blocks
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defined in a Layout Editor Panel. They can also be set up in a script. There is currently no
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way to manually enter Paths or Bean Settings. Paths and Bean Settings are not shown in the
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Block Table, and are mentioned here only for completeness.</p>
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<p>For use in automatically running Trains, a Length attribute and a Curvature attribute may
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optionally be assigned to a Block. These optional attributes are entered manually in this
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Table. If Trains will not be run automatically through a Block, there is no need to add these
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attributes.</p>
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<h2>Columns in the Block Table</h2>
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(You may change the order of the columns by dragging their titles, and sort the rows by
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clicking one of the sort triangles next to a column title)
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<ul>
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<li>
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<p><strong>System Name</strong> - The System Name of the Block. There is no functional
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requirement for a type letter in the System Name of a Block, but by convention we use 'B'
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for 'Block'. The default implementation is not system-specific, so a system letter of 'I'
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is appropriate. This leads to system names like "IB201".</p>
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><strong>User Name</strong> - The User Name of the Block. The User Name of a Block
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created here may be set to any text. The User Name for a Block created by Layout Editor
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is set by Layout Editor and should not be changed.</p>
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><strong>Value</strong> - This is the string value of whatever object the Block is
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carrying. Usually, this will either be a message or a Throttle object. If you modify
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this, it's stored in the Block as a string. There is currently no way to manually add a
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Throttle object to a Block from the table. <a href=
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"../../../../html/tools/tracker/index.shtml">More information on Block tracking</a></p>
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><strong>Comment</strong> - You may enter any text in this field that will help you
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distinguish this Block from other Blocks, or provide useful notes about its use.</p>
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><strong>Delete</strong> - Click the <strong>Delete</strong> button in any row to
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delete the Block in that row from the list of Blocks in the program. You must save your
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configuration (and any Panels present) to disk to make the deletion permanent. Deletion
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can not be undone. <strong>Caution: Make sure you remove all references to a Block before
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deleting it. JMRI will show a warning if you haven't done so.</strong> Blocks are
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referenced in the Paths of other Blocks, in some scripts, and in Layout Editor
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Panels.</p>
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</li>
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</ul>
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<!-- <li>
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<p><b>Direction</b> - The current direction stored in the
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Block.</p>
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><b>Length</b> (optional) - Displays the length of the
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Block. Optionally, you may enter the length of the Block
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here. The length is used for automatic running of trains.
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If '0.0' is displayed, the length has not yet been
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entered. The entered length should be the actual length
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of the Block on the model railroad layout. Length is
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entered and displayed in either inches or centimeters,
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depending on which unit is requested at the bottom of the
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Block Table pane.</p>
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><b>Curvature</b> (optional) - Displays the Curvature
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selected for the track in the Block. Curvature is used
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for automatic running of trains, and need not be entered
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if trains will not be run automatically. Curvature, if
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present, indicates to the computer that it should slow
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the train as it runs through the Block. If <b>None</b> or
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<b>Gradual</b> is selected, an automatic train will
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proceed at normal speed. <b>Tight</b> should be selected
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if the train should slow down somewhat; <b>Severe</b>
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should be selected if the train should slow by a maximum
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amount. If the Block has variable curvature, your
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selection should be made according to the most limiting
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part of the Block.</p>
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><b>State</b> Shows the current state of the block,</p>
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<ul>
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<li>Occupied</li>
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<li>UnOccupied</li>
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<li>Unknown</li>
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<li>Inconsistent</li>
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</ul>
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<p>Choose between textual and graphic display in the
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<a href="../../../apps/TabbedPreferences.shtml#Display">Display preferences</a>.
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</p>
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><b>Reporter</b> The Reporter assigned to this Block.
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See the <a href="ReporterTable.shtml">Reporter Table</a>.
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Puts the Reporter Value into the Block value.</p>
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><b>Use Current?</b> If we consider the scenario
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whereby we want to track a train around the layout,
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typically this is achieved via the use of Memory objects
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associated with Blocks. Until the train is known, we have
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nothing to track. Typically, we can manually type the
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train ID into a pane and then this is tracked around the
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layout based on Block occupancy. If, however, we have an
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attached device that can provide us with the train ID,
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such as an RFID reader, we no longer need to manually
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type the train ID in - the reader does this for us. In
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essence, the reader is little more than an 'intelligent'
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sensor - not only can it sense that 'something' is there,
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it can tell us which something it is.</p>
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<p>Now to the implementation. A Sensor is purely ACTIVE
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or INACTIVE - i.e. something is there or it isn't. A
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Reporter, however, can tell us one of the following:</p>
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<ol>
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<li>'Hey, I'm seeing something right now - this is
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it'</li>
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<li>'Hmm, I'm not seeing anything right now'</li>
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<li>'Hey, I saw something a while back - this was
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it'</li>
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<li>'Hmm, I've not seen anything yet'</li>
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</ol>The first two are from the CurrentReport; the last
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two from LastReport. At start-up (assuming there is
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nothing within the range of the reader), both 2 and 4 are
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the initial state. Once something is seen, both 1 and 3
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return the same result. When the something is
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'out-of-range' 2 and 3 are then active. With 'Use
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Current?' selected, the Block value will switch between 1
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and 2, whereas with 'Use Current?' unselected the Block
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value will switch between 3 and 4.
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><b>Permissive</b> The Permissive option is used to
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identify Blocks that can be entered while the Block is
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occupied. This is used with certain automation tools and
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logic, to help determine if a train can enter an occupied
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Block and what Aspect should be displayed on a Signal
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Mast.</p>
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><a id="BlockSpeed"></a><b>Block
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Speed</b> The Block Speed is used with certain automation
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tools and logic, to help determine the speed at which a
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train can be set through the Block. It is also used by
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the Signal Mast Logic for determining which Aspect should
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be displayed in a signal path.</p>
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<p>In the drop down list, you are presented a set of
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named fixed speeds that have been predefined in the
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<code>signalSpeed.xml</code> file, in addition to a
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global option.<br>
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It is also possible to enter in a numerical value to
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represent a speed.</p>
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<p>The global value is set via the <b>Speeds</b>
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menu.</p>
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</li>
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</ul>
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<h2>Block Table Controls</h2>
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<p>Along the bottom of the Block Table pane are buttons
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that control its operation.</p> -->
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<dl>
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<dt>Add OBlock...</dt>
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<dd>
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Push this button to <a href="BlockAddEdit.shtml">create a new OBlock</a>.
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</dd>
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<dt>Block Length Units</dt>
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<dd>Choose between showing the Block Length (measured in real world units on the layout) in
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either inches or centimeters.<br>
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Existing values will be converted.</dd>
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</dl>
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<h2 id="addBlock">Adding a new OBlock</h2>
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<p>To add a new OBlock, see <a href="BlockAddEdit.shtml">Adding Blocks</a>.</p>
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<h2>Editing an existing OBlock</h2>
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<p>To check or change the properties of a Block, click the <strong><a href=
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"BlockEdit.shtml">Edit</a></strong> button to the right of a Block entry in the OBlock Table,
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see <a href="BlockEdit.shtml">Edit Block</a>.</p>
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<p><a href="../../../../html/tools/tracker/index.shtml">More on Block Tracking</a>
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</p>
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<p><a href="../display/ControlPanelEditor.shtml">Using OBlocks with Control Panel Editor</a>
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</p>
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<p>Back to the <a href="../../../../html/tools/Blocks.shtml">Blocks Help page</a></p>
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