AutoCAD Tips and Tricks - Blocks and Attributes1. The Fastest Way to Create a Block
You can create a block without any usual settings through Clipboard Copy & Paste.
1. Select objects to define block. 2. Shortcut menu / Clipboard / Copy with base point or Ctrl+Shift+C 3. Ribbon / Home tab / Clipboard panel / Paste drop-down menu / Paste as block 4. Specify insertion point of block. AutoCAD automatically generates block’s name. 2. Replace All Named Blocks with another Named Block
Replacing one block with another might not be a problem, but to replace several equal blocks one at a time with the same block, might slow you down. Express tools offer you a quicker way to do this.
1. Express menu / Blocks / Replace block with another block / Blockreplace dialog box 2. Select the block to be replaced / Ok 3. Select a block to replace block / Ok
All blocks with the same name will be replaced with another block.
3. Replace Some Named Blocks with another Named Block
Blockreplace command replaces all blocks with the same name with another type of block. But what if you want to replace only half of them, and there are many. Unfortunately there is no single command to do this, but a combination off to known commands might do the trick. To shortly describe; you transfer blocks you want to replace to a new drawing, rename them and transfer them back to the main drawing. You will have the same blocks with two different names. Use Blockreplace to replace the named blocks you like.
1. Select blocks to be replaced.
2. Shortcut menu / Clipboard / Cut 3. Open a new drawing. 4. Shortcut menu / Clipboard / Cut 5. Ribbon / Home tab / Clipboard panel / Paste drop-down menu / Paste to its original coordinates 6. Format / Rename or type in RENAME 7. Rename transferred named block. 8. Shortcut menu / Clipboard / Cut 9. Open the main drawing. 10. Ribbon / Home tab / Clipboard panel / Paste drop-down menu / Paste to its original coordinates 11. Express menu / Blocks / Replace block with another block 12. Replace transferred named block with another named block. 4. Copy Block´s Objects
You don’t need to explode a block just to copy some of its objects. Just use another useful Express tool; copy nested block objects as you would copy single objects.
1. Express menu / Blocks / Copy Nested Objects 5. Quick Count of all Named Blocks
Type BCOUNT and select objects to list and count all block with the same name.
6. Explode Attribute to Text
When exploding attributes, its text explodes to tags that defined it. If you want to keep the text values, explode attributes using BURST command.
1. Express menu / Blocks / Explode Attributes to Text 7. Global Attribute Edit
When you want to change tag values in several of the same attributed blocks in your drawing, you will be faster, if you use GATTE command rather than changing each one separately.
1. Type GATTE.
2. Select attribute you want to modify. 3. Enter new text value. 4. Program automatically counts all of the same attributed blocks. Confirm with Yes to change new text in all of them or No to select them yourself. |
Additional AutoCAD Tricks
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