Chapter 10

Working with Reusable Content

When you create a drawing file, you are creating and interacting with a special database file through a graphical interface. In some cases, you need to define a number of individual objects as a single object for greater ease of use. That single object is referred to as a block.

Once you have grouped objects together into a block, you can reuse that data in other locations in the same drawing or in other drawings. Leveraging existing data in your drawings helps you to work more efficiently and keeps your design data consistent. In addition to blocks, there are other types of information that you can reformat and reuse in your drawing files.

Use DesignCenter to drag specific content, or even an entire drawing, from one drawing file into another. You can also use tool palettes to organize and share data such as blocks, hatches, and even commands.

In this chapter, you are introduced to these methods for leveraging existing drawing information.

Objectives

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

• Create a block definition and insert a block definition or file into a drawing to place block references.
• Use DesignCenter to reuse the data in a drawing.
• Access tool palettes and use their tools.