Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 4
Organizing Objects with
Blocks and Groups
Drawing the tub, toilet, and sink in Chapter 3, “Setting Up and Using AutoCAD's Drafting
Tools,” may have taken what seemed to you an inordinate amount of time. As you continue
to use AutoCAD, however, you'll learn to draw objects more quickly. You'll also need to draw
fewer of them because you can save drawings as symbols and then use those symbols like rub-
ber stamps, duplicating drawings instantaneously wherever they're needed. This saves a lot of
time when you're composing drawings.
To make effective use of AutoCAD, begin a
symbol library
of drawings you use frequently. A
mechanical designer might have a library of symbols for fasteners, cams, valves, or other parts
used in their application. An electrical engineer might have a symbol library of capacitors, resis-
tors, switches, and the like. A circuit designer will have yet another unique set of frequently
used symbols.
In Chapter 3, you drew three objects—a bathtub, a toilet, and a sink—that architects often
use. In this chapter, you'll see how to create symbols from those drawings.
In this chapter, you'll learn to do the following:
Create and insert a block
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Modify a block
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Understand the annotation scale
Group objects
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Creating a Block
In word processors, the term
block
refers to a group of words or sentences selected for moving,
saving, or deleting. You can copy a block of text elsewhere within the same file, to other files, or
to a separate location on a server or USB storage device for future use. AutoCAD uses blocks in
a similar fashion. In a file, you can turn parts of your drawing into blocks that can be saved and
recalled at any time. You can also use existing drawing files as blocks.
