Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups - Mastering AutoCAD for Mac - page 121

Now you can edit the individual objects that make up the door, if you desire. In this case, you
want to change only the door's insertion point because you've already made it a more conve-
nient size. You'll turn the door back into a block, this time using the door's lower-left corner for
its insertion base point:
1. In the Tool Sets palette, click the Create icon. You can also choose Draw  Block  Make
from the menu bar or type B ↵.
2. In the Define Block dialog box, select Door from the Name pop-up list.
3. Click the Pick Point button, and pick the lower-left corner of the door.
4. Click the Select Objects button, and select the components of the door. Press ↵ when
you've finished making your selection.
5. Select the Convert To Block option in the Source Objects group to automatically convert
the selected objects in the drawing into a block.
6. Select Inches (or Centimeters for metric users) from the Block Unit pop-up list, and then
enter Standard door in the Description box.
7. Click Create Block. You see a warning message that reads, The block definition has
changed. Do you want to redefine it? You don't want to redefine an existing block
accidentally. In this case, you know you want to redefine the door, so click the Redefine
button to proceed.
In step 7, you received a warning message that you were about to redefine the existing Door
block. But originally you inserted the door as a file, not as a block. Whenever you insert a draw-
ing file by using the Insert icon, the inserted drawing automatically becomes a block in the
current drawing. When you redefine a block, however, you don't affect the drawing file you
imported. AutoCAD changes only the block in the current file.
You've just redefined the door block. Now place the door in the wall of the room:
1. Click the Erase icon in the Tool Sets palette, and then click the door. Notice that the
entire door is one object instead of individual lines and an arc. Had you not selected the
Convert To Block option in step 5 of the previous exercise, the components of the block
would have remained individual objects.
2. Press ↵ to erase the door.
3. Insert the Door block again by using the Insert icon on the Tool Sets palette. This time,
use the Nearest Snap override on the right-click shortcut menu, and pick a point on the
right-side wall of the bathroom, near coordinate 9´-4˝,2´-1˝. Metric users should insert the
door near 284,63.4.
4. Use the Grips feature to mirror the door, using the wall as the mirror axis so that the
door is inside the room. To mirror an object using grips, select the objects to mirror, click
a grip, and right-click. Select Mirror from the shortcut menu; then, indicate a mirror axis
with the cursor. Press Esc to clear your selection.
Your drawing will look like Figure 4.9.