Exercise | Create and Insert Blocks

In this exercise, you create a block from individual lines that represent a phone. You then insert another instance of the phone in the drawing. You then save the drawing file and insert it into a new drawing.

The completed exercise

1. Open C_Workstation.dwg.
2. To view an object's information:
   • On the command line, enter list to start the List command.
   • Select the bottom horizontal line on the phone.
   • Press ENTER.
   • Notice that the object listed is a line object.

     

   • Press F2 to close the AutoCAD® text window.
3. On the Insert tab, click Block panel > Create.
4. To define the block using the Block Definition dialog box:
   • For Name, enter Phone (1).
   • For the base point, click Pick Point (2).
   • Snap to the lower right endpoint of the phone (3).
   • Under Objects, click Select Objects (4).

     

   • Select the phone geometry with a window selection.

     

   • Press ENTER to return to the dialog box.
   • Under Objects, click Convert to Block (5).
   • Verify the setting in the Block Definition dialog box. Click OK.
5. To view the object information:
   • On the command line, enter list to start the List command.
   • Select the line on the phone that you previously selected.
   • Press ENTER.
   • Notice that the object is now listed as a block reference with the name Phone.

     

   • Press F2 to close the AutoCAD text window.
6. To insert the block into the drawing:
   • On the Insert tab, click Block panel > Insert.
   • In the Insert dialog box, select the phone block from the list (1).
   • Specify the insertion point in the screen (2). The default scale should be 1.0 and the rotation angle should be 0.
   • Click OK.

     

7. Click to place the phone just below the original phone.

   

8. Save this file. On the title bar, notice the path where C_Workstation.dwg is saved.
9. To start a new file using a template:
   • On the ribbon, click Application Menu > New.
   • In the Select Template dialog box, select the acadiso.dwt file.
   • Click Open.
10. On the Insert tab, click Block panel > Insert.
11. To insert the file into the current drawing:
    • In the Insert dialog box, click Browse.
    • In the Select Drawing File dialog box, navigate to and select C_Workstation.dwg.
    • Click Open.
    • With C_Workstation now listed in the Insert dialog box, click OK to insert the C_Workstation block into the drawing. Insert the block anywhere in the drawing window, or if you clear the option to specify the insertion point on -screen, it inserts the block at 0,0.

    

12. To view the block in the drawing:
    • Zoom out to view the block.
    • On the Insert tab, click Block panel > Insert.
    • Select the list and notice that the C_Workstation drawing is now inserted as a block into the current drawing along with all of the blocks that belonged to that drawing. Each of these blocks is now part of the current drawing database.
    • Click Cancel to close the Insert dialog box.

    

13. To view other properties in the drawing:
    • On the Home tab, click Layers panel > Layer Control.
    • Notice that the layer A-EQPM-IDEN is now part of the current drawing database. This layer was brought into the drawing along with the C_Workstation block.

    

14. Close all files. Do not save.