You can create individual
drawing files for use as blocks.
You
can create drawing files for the purpose of inserting them into
other drawings as blocks. Individual drawing files are easy to create
and manage as the source of block definitions. Collections of symbols
can be stored as individual drawing files and grouped in folders.
Create a New Drawing File
You have two methods for creating drawing files:
- Create and save a complete drawing file
using SAVE or SAVEAS.
- Create and save only selected objects
from your current drawing to a new drawing using EXPORT or WBLOCK.
With either method, you create an ordinary drawing
file that can be inserted as a block into any other drawing file.
Using WBLOCK is recommended when you need to create several versions
of a symbol as separate drawing files, or when you want to create
a drawing file without leaving the current drawing.
Change the Base Point of
Drawings to Be Used as Blocks
By default, the WCS (world coordinate system)
origin (0,0,0) is used as the base point for drawing files inserted
as blocks. You can change the base point by opening the original
drawing and using BASE to specify a
different base point for insertion. The next time you insert the
block, the new base point is used.
Update Changes in the Original
Drawing
If
you change the original drawing after inserting it, the changes
have no effect on the current drawing. If you expect the original
drawing to change, and you want the changes to be reflected in the
current drawing, you may want to attach it as an external reference
instead of inserting it as a block. For more information about external
references, see Reference Other Drawing Files.
Use Paper Space Objects
in Blocks
Objects in paper space are not included
when you insert a drawing as a block. To transfer paper space objects
to another drawing, make the objects into a block or save them in
a separate drawing file, and then insert the block or drawing file
into the other drawing.
To create a new drawing
file from selected objects
- Open an existing drawing or create a
new drawing.
- At the Command prompt, enter wblock.
- In the Write Block dialog box, select
Objects.
If you want the original
objects used to create the new drawing to remain in your drawing,
make sure the Delete From Drawing option is not selected. If this
option is selected, the original objects are erased from the drawing.
If necessary, you can use OOPS to restore them.
- Click Select Objects.
- Use your pointing device to select the
objects to be included in the new drawing. Press Enter to complete
object selection.
- In the Write Block dialog box under Base
Point, specify the point to be the origin point (0,0,0) for the
new drawing using one of these methods:
- Click Specify Point to specify a point
using the pointing device.
- Enter the X,Y,Z coordinate
values of the point.
- Under Destination, enter a file name
and path for the new drawing, or click the [...] button to display
a standard file selection dialog box.
- Click OK.
A new drawing is created with the selected objects.
To create a new drawing
file from an existing block definition
- In the Block Definition dialog box, in
the Name box, select the block to modify.
- In the Name box, enter a new name.
- In the Description box, enter or modify
the description for the new drawing file. Click OK.
CommandsADCENTER
Manages and inserts
content such as blocks, xrefs, and hatch patterns.
BASE
Sets the insertion base
point for the current drawing.
BLOCK
Creates a block definition
from selected objects.
EXPORT
Saves the objects in
a drawing to a different file format.
INSERT
Inserts a block or drawing
into the current drawing.
OOPSWBLOCK
Writes objects or a
block to a new drawing file.
