AutoCAD For Dummies, 19th Edition

Chapter 17

The ABCs of Blocks

IN THIS CHAPTER

Introducing blocks

Creating block definitions with Block

Inserting blocks with Insert

Adding attributes to blocks with ATTdef

Removing unwanted block definitions with PUrge

In Chapter 11, you can see how to copy objects in a drawing or even to another drawing. That’s one way to use AutoCAD to improve drafting efficiency. Another way is to make a copy of a DWG file and then modify it to create a different but similar drawing. This can be an even better productivity booster, as long as you’re in the habit of making similar drawings. But those are all baby steps compared with the techniques I cover in this chapter and in Chapter 18: By treating parts of drawings as modules or symbols that can be reused and updated. AutoCAD calls these modules blocks.

This block treatment applies also to entire drawings, drawings saved in web format (Design Web Format, or DWF), PDFs, Autodesk Inventor 3D models, MicroStation DGN files, raster images, and ...