AutoCAD 2009 Essentials
By solving all of the workshops included that complete small projects from concept through actual plotting, this guide will help you simulate the creation of a real life project from beginning to end.
TABLE OF CONTENTS AutoCAD 2009 Essentials
Chapter 6: Dealing with Blocks
WHAT ARE BLOCKS?
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A Block in AutoCAD is any shape that is repeated in one or more drawings more than once.
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So, instead of drawing it each and every time you need it, use the following steps:
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Draw it once.
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Store it as a block.
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Insert it as many times as you wish.
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Blocks in AutoCAD have changed in the past five years, which has made some of the old procedures obsolete.
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In our discussion we will discuss the old methods, but we will concentrate more on the new methods for using blocks.
CREATING BLOCKS
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The first step in creating blocks in AutoCAD is to draw the desired shape.
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While drawing the shape, consider the following three guidelines:
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Draw the shape in Layer 0 (zero).
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Draw the shape in certain units.
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Draw the shape in the right dimensions.
Why layer 0?
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Layer 0 is different from any other layer in AutoCAD because it will allow the block to be transparent both in color and in linetype.
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If you draw the shape, which will be a block while layer 0 is current, then insert it in another layer with the red color and dashdot linetype.
Why certain units?
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If you want AutoCAD to automatically re-scale your block to fit into the current drawing units, you have to specify the units of the block.
What are right dimensions?
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Right dimensions are either:
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The real dimension of the shape.
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Or, values such as 1, 10, 100, 1000 for the distances, so it will...
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