Builder Method Blocks

A method block is one Darty method and all of the property columns that belong to it. Builder keeps those columns together so the method can be configured, moved, inserted, or removed as one unit.

For example, a Text block might contain content, fittingMethod, and alignment property columns. Its tag search and method name are stored in the first column of the block, while the remaining columns inherit that block identity.

See Builder Table Anatomy for the four Darty header rows and the difference between saved values and Builder-only visual grouping.

Add a Method Block

1. Select Add Method Block in the Builder toolbar.
2. Choose a method from the Methods or Simple Methods group.
3. Configure the method and select the properties that should become table columns.
4. Select Apply.

A block added from the main toolbar is placed after the last existing method block.

The method picker includes the full Builder method set, including methods such as Appearance, Graphic Style, Barcode, Place, Text, Transform, tag methods, swatch methods, and the Simple Methods group. The available configuration controls depend on the selected method.

Applying the editor changes the Builder table only. It does not run the method against Illustrator and does not add values to a separate Tools Method table.

Configure Property Columns

The method editor uses the same method-specific controls available elsewhere in the Tools interface, with additional Builder controls for deciding which values belong in the sheet.

Each active property becomes one column in the method block. Depending on the method, a property control can be a text field, true/false/unset choice, number or unit value, color editor, dropdown, searchable selector, reference point, icon picker, or another specialized control.

The tag-search control defines which Illustrator object or objects the method targets. Builder writes it in the block's first tag-search cell rather than creating a separate tagSearch property column.

Edit an Existing Block

Open the three-dot More Method Block Actions menu in the block's group header, then select Edit Method Block.

The editor opens with the block's current properties and defaults. When you select Apply, Builder rebuilds that block while preserving:

• Body values for property keys that remain in the block
• Existing labels for retained properties
• Imported properties that Builder does not recognize as standard fields
• The block's existing position in the table

Supported properties appear in the method's defined order. Newly activated properties receive blank body cells. Applying an edited block can change its width when properties are added or removed.

If an optional property already contains a default or body-row data, the editor prevents it from being toggled off. Clear those values first, or remove the property column directly from the grid and confirm the data loss.

Edit One Row Through the Method Interface

Select a body cell inside the required method block. The row-number area then provides Edit Method Block for Row, which opens the same method-specific controls for that record.

Row editing differs from block editing:

Selecting Apply updates the table; it still does not execute the method. See Builder Rows, Cells, and Navigation for direct cell editing and row actions.

Method Block Actions

Each group header has a three-dot menu with actions scoped to that complete block.

Builder does not currently provide a Duplicate Method Block command. Duplicate Row duplicates a data record, not a method block.

Insert Before or After a Block

Use the target block's three-dot menu and select Insert Method Block Before or Insert Method Block After. Choose and configure the new method, then select Apply.

The complete new block is inserted at the requested boundary. Existing blocks and their data stay together as they shift left or right.

Use insertion when placement is already known. You can also add a block at the end and move it later.

Move a Method Block

Builder provides two ways to reorder blocks.

Drag the Group Header

Drag the method's top group header toward another block. The highlighted drop indicator shows whether the block will be placed before or after the target.

Use the Move Dialog

Open the block's three-dot menu and select Move Method Block. Enter any column inside a different target block using a column letter or number, then choose Before or After.

Examples of valid target entries include A, B, AA, or 3. The target identifies a block, so choosing any property column within that block produces the same block-level placement.

In both move workflows:

• Every property column in the method block moves together.
• Tag, method, property, label, default, and body-row values keep their alignment.
• A property column cannot be dragged away from its method block independently.
• The moved block cannot target itself.

Remove a Property Column

Use the delete control in a property-header cell to remove that single property from its method block.

• An empty property column is removed immediately.
• If the column contains a default or body-row data, Builder asks you to confirm that those values will be deleted.
• If the first property in a multi-column block is removed, Builder transfers the block's tag and method headers to the next property so the remaining block stays valid.

Removing a property is different from deactivating it in the method editor. The direct delete control allows deliberate removal after a warning even when the property contains data.

Remove an Entire Block

Open More Method Block Actions and select Remove Method Block. Confirming removes every column in the block, including:

• The tag search and method header
• All property names, defaults, and labels
• Every data-row value stored under those properties

Use Undo if the block was removed accidentally and you have not cleared or replaced the Builder session. Clear Table is different: it resets the entire workspace and cannot be undone.

Imported and Unsupported Methods

Builder can preserve method blocks imported from a sheet even when their method-specific structured editor is not available. Such a block remains part of the table and can still be moved or removed as a unit, but Edit Method Block reports that the method is not supported by the sheet editor.

Preserving the imported block prevents Builder from silently discarding unfamiliar property columns. Check the Darty Methods Reference before changing an unfamiliar block manually.

Block Editing Checklist

Before saving or loading the table into Data, verify that:

• Each block starts with the intended tag search and method.
• Every required property is present.
• Optional properties appear only when needed.
• Defaults belong in the property header rather than an individual data row.
• Labels are present where human-readable notes are useful.
• Reordered blocks still follow the execution order you intend.

Related Documentation

• Builder Overview
• Builder Table Anatomy
• Builder Data Sources and Files
• Builder Rows, Cells, and Navigation
• Darty Methods Reference