494 Part III Working with Data

Inserting Blocks and Files into Drawings

Blocks that are defined in a drawing are inserted in the same way as separate drawing files. After you choose the location, you can change the size and rotation of the block. This capability is ideal for parts libraries. Parts may be created at the size of 1 unit and then scaled or rotated as needed. Figure 18-7 shows a window block inserted at various scales and rotation angles.

Figure 18-7: A block of a window inserted at various rotation angles and scales.

Using the Insert dialog box

To insert a block or file, follow these steps:

1.Choose Insert Block from the Draw toolbar to start the INSERT command. The Insert dialog box (shown in Figure 18-8) opens.

Figure 18-8: The Insert dialog box.

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2.You can insert a block or a file as follows:

•To insert a block from within your drawing, click the Name drop-down list and choose one of the existing blocks.

•To insert a file, click Browse. The Select Drawing File dialog box opens. Locate the file’s drive and folder and then choose the file. A preview appears to the right. Click Open. The Insert dialog box displays the path of the file.

3.Uncheck Specify On-Screen in the Insertion point, Scale, and Rotation sections if you want to specify the insertion point, scale, and rotation angle in the dialog box. Then provide the requested information in the dialog box.

4.Check the Explode check box if you want to insert the block as individual objects instead of as one block object.

5.Click OK to close the Insert dialog box.

6.If any of the Specify On-Screen checkboxes were checked, the command line prompts you for the necessary information:

•At the Specify insertion point: prompt (which varies depending on whether or not you checked the Explode check box in Step 4), specify the insertion point. You see the block with its base point at the cursor so you can judge how it looks.

•At the Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: prompt, press Enter to accept the default scale factor of 1, or type another scale. The Specify Opposite Corner option lets you define a square box whose side defines the scale factor. A side of 1 unit results in a scale factor of 1. If you specify the X scale factor, the command line now prompts you for the Y scale factor. The default is the same scale as X, but you can specify a different one. For 3D models, use the XYZ option to specify all three scale factors. (If you checked Explode,

the prompt is slightly different and you specify the scale factor for all directions at once.)

•At the Specify rotation angle <0>: prompt, type in a rotation angle. You can also pick a point to use the angle from the insertion point to the point you picked as the rotation angle. This technique is useful for aligning a block with an existing object.

After you provide all the necessary information, the command inserts the block or file.

A negative scale factor for any of the axes creates a mirror image of the block or file. When you specify a negative X scale axis, the block is mirrored around the Y axis. When you specify a negative Y scale axis, the block is mirrored around the X axis. Figure 18-9 shows a door block inserted with positive and negative scale factors. The rotation angle of all the blocks

is 0 degrees. By combining negative and positive scale factors with rotation angles, you can get any door configuration you want. Sometimes it can be difficult to visualize the result of a negative scale combined with a rotation angle. See the sidebar, “Presetting scale and rotation while inserting a block,” for a solution.

When you insert a drawing file, paper space objects are not included in the block definition created in your drawing. To insert paper space objects in another drawing, open the original drawing and define the objects as a block. Then use the DesignCenter to insert that block into any other drawing.

496 Part III Working with Data

X scale factor = -1 Y scale factor = -1

X scale factor = -1 Y scale factor = 1

X scale factor = 1 Y scale factor = 1

X scale factor = 1 Y scale factor = -1

Figure 18-9: A door block inserted at various positive and negative scale factors, creating mirror images in different directions.

Presetting scale and rotation while inserting a block

When you’re dragging a block on the screen to specify an insertion point, it may be helpful to see the block at the scale and rotation angle you want. The problem is that the prompts for scale and rotation come after the prompt for the insertion point. If you use the command-line version of INSERT, by typing -insert, you can preset the scale and rotation angle at the first prompt, using the options shown here. To use one of these options, right-click and choose the option from the shortcut menu at the Specify insertion point or [Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate/PScale/PX/PY/ PZ/PRotate]: prompt. All the prompts appear on the command line, including the prompt for the name of the block or file you want to insert.

Option Use

Scale

Specifies the scale factor

XSpecifies the X scale factor

YSpecifies the Y scale factor

ZSpecifies the Z scale factor

Rotate	Specifies the rotation angle
PScale	Specifies the preliminary scale factor for the display of the block as you drag it and prompts
	you again for the scale so you can change it
Pxscale	Specifies the preliminary X scale factor for the display of the block as you drag it and
	prompts you again for the scale so you can change it
Pyscale	Specifies the preliminary Y scale factor for the display of the block as you drag it and
	prompts you again for the scale so you can change it
PZscale	Specifies the preliminary Z scale factor for the display of the block as you drag it and
	prompts you again for the scale so you can change it
PRotate	Specifies the preliminary rotation angle for the display of the block as you drag it and
	prompts you again for the rotation angle so you can change it

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Using the DesignCenter

When you want to insert a block from within another drawing, use the DesignCenter. Choose DesignCenter from the Standard toolbar. In the left pane, navigate to the drawing that contains the block you want. Double-click the drawing and choose Blocks from the list that appears. In the right pane, you see a list of the blocks in that drawing. Click Preview to see a preview of each block you select. Click Description to see a description of the block. (The description only appears if you saved one when creating the block.) There are two ways to insert the block:

Double-click the block’s icon to open the Insert dialog box so you can specify exactly how you want to insert the block, just as I described earlier for blocks within a drawing.

Drag the block’s icon onto the drawing area to insert the block at the point where you release the mouse button, using the default scale and rotation.

You can also use the DesignCenter to insert entire drawings. In the left pane, navigate to the folder containing the drawing. The drawings are then listed in the right pane. Choose a drawing and drag it onto the drawing area. On the command line, you’ll see the -INSERT command, the command line version of INSERT. You can simply specify an insertion point, scale, and rotation, or you can use the options described in the sidebar, “Presetting scale and rotation while inserting a block.”

Cross-

Reference

On the

CD-ROM

You can also insert blocks from a tool palette. See Chapter 26 for details.

The drawings you need for the following Step-by-Step exercise on inserting blocks, ab14- b.dwg and ab18-c.dwg, are in the Drawings folder on the CD-ROM.

STEP-BY-STEP: Inserting Blocks

1.Open ab18-c.dwg from the CD-ROM.

2.Save the file as ab18-03.dwg in your AutoCAD Bible folder. This is the floor plan of the first floor of a house, as shown in Figure 18-10. Many of the doors and a toilet need to be inserted. OSNAP should be on. Set running object snaps for endpoint and midpoint. The current layer is Door.

3.Use Zoom Window to zoom in on the left third of the house.

4.Choose Insert Block from the Draw toolbar. In the Name drop-down list of the

Insert dialog box, choose DOOR (if it isn’t already selected). Check all three Specify On-Screen check boxes. Click OK to close the Insert dialog box.

Tip	If you make a mistake while inserting a door, press Esc if you’re in the middle of the prompts.
	If you’ve completed the command, click Undo on the Standard toolbar or erase the door and
	start over.

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4 5

3

6 7

2

1

Figure 18-10: The floor plan of the house needs some doors and a new toilet.

5.As you move the cursor, you can see the dragged image of a door. This image shows you the block at an X and Y scale of 1 and a 0-degree rotation angle. Follow the prompts:

Specify insertion point or [Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate/PScale/PX/PY/PZ/ PRotate]: Use the Endpoint object snap to pick 1 in Figure 18-10.

Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>:

–1

Enter Y scale factor <use X scale factor>: 1

Specify rotation angle <0>: 270 (You could also specify –90 degrees.)

6.Repeat the INSERT command. The Insert dialog box already shows the DOOR block. Click OK. Follow the prompts. You’ll probably want to use Zoom Window to zoom into the area of 2 in Figure 18-10.

Specify insertion point or [Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate/PScale/PX/PY/PZ/ PRotate]: Pick 2 in Figure 18-10.

Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>:

2/3

Enter Y scale factor <use X scale factor>: Specify rotation angle <0>: 180

7.If you zoomed in for the previous step, return to the previous view using Zoom Previous. Zoom in to the area around 3 in Figure 18-10. Choose Insert Block from the Draw toolbar. Click OK. Follow the prompts:

Specify insertion point or [Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate/PScale/PX/PY/PZ/ PRotate]: Pick 3 in Figure 18-10.

Enter X scale factor or specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>:

–3/4

Enter Y scale factor <use X scale factor>: 3/4 Specify rotation angle <0>: 315

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8.Use Zoom Dynamic to zoom in to the area around 4 and 5 in Figure 18-10. Choose Insert Block from the Draw toolbar. Click OK. Follow the prompts:

Specify insertion point or [Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate/PScale/PX/PY/PZ/ PRotate]: Pick 4 in Figure 18-10.

Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>:

1

Enter Y scale factor <use X scale factor>: Specify rotation angle <0>: 270

9.Repeat the INSERT command and click OK. Follow the prompts:

Specify insertion point or [Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate/PScale/PX/PY/PZ/ PRotate]: Pick 5 in Figure 18-11.

Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: –1 Enter Y scale factor <use X scale factor>: 1

Specify rotation angle <0>: 90

10.Use Zoom Dynamic to zoom in on the area around 6 and 7 in Figure 18-10. Start the INSERT command and click OK. Follow the prompts:

Specify insertion point or [Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate/PScale/PX/PY/PZ/ PRotate]: Pick 6 in Figure 18-10.

Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>:

–2/3

Enter Y scale factor <use X scale factor>: 2/3 Specify rotation angle: 270

11.Repeat the INSERT command and click OK. Follow the prompts:

Specify insertion point or [Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate/PScale/PX/PY/PZ/ PRotate]: Pick 7 in Figure 18-10.

Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>:

2/3

Enter Y scale factor <use X scale factor>: Specify rotation angle: 90

12.Beneath the doors you just inserted is a water closet with a toilet. Pan down to it. Erase the toilet, which is a block. Change the current layer to FIXTURE.

13.Choose DesignCenter from the Standard toolbar. (If you don’t see the two panes, click Tree View Toggle on the DesignCenter toolbar.) In the left pane, navigate to your CD-ROM drive. (You may need to use the horizontal scroll bar if the left side of the list of drives and folders is not in view.) Double-click the CD-ROM drive and then double-click ab14-b. dwg. Click Blocks from the list of named objects. On the right, you see the blocks in the drawing.

14.Double-click TOILET2. You see a preview at the bottom of the DesignCenter. (If you don’t, click Preview on the DesignCenter toolbar.) The Insert dialog box opens. Because you can see the preview, you know the rotation angle is correct; you can assume that the scale is correct because toilets are generally about the same size. The Insertion Point Specify On-Screen check box should be checked. The other Specify On-Screen check boxes should be unchecked. Click OK.