Using Layouts to Set Up a Print - AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011: No Experience Required - page 713

Instead of static text strings, the title block now has a series of attributes which
will make changing and, more importantly managing, the variable data within
your title block easier. Later in this chapter, you will create plan sheets by using
the XREF command to insert the title block into each plan sheet.
Making the Sheet information Block
Although blocks and xrefs share a number of properties and behaviors, xrefs can-
not be used to manage attributes. Consequently, in addition to the 14-BD8H11.dwg
you have already created, you will also need to create a sheet information block
containing your attribute definitions, which will then be inserted into each draw-
ing in your plan set. Use the WBLOCK command to extract the attributes from the
title block drawing by doing the following:
1. Open 14A-BD8H11.dwg from the Training Data directory if it isn't
already.
2. Select each of the attribute definitions, and change the layer to Layer
0 and the Color to By Block.
3. Enter WBLOCK ↵ at the command line to open the Write Block dialog box.
4. In the Write Block dialog box, the Source should be set to Objects, the
Base Point to 0,0,0, and Objects should be set to Delete From Drawing.
5. Pick the Select Objects button within the Objects group to return to
the drawing.
6. When creating attribute blocks, the order in which you select the attri-
butes will dictate the order AutoCAD will use to prompt you when insert-
ing the block. Therefore, it's important to select attributes individually,
not using one of the window section methods.
Select the attributes in the following order: SHEET_NO, PROJECT,
DRAWN_BY, DATE. Press ↵ after you finish selecting the attributes.
7. Back in the Write Block dialog box; click the ellipsis button at the end
of the File Name And Path text box to save this block as TTLB-INFO in
the Chapter 14 Training Data folder.
8. When you're finished, the Write Block dialog box should look like
Figure 14.14. Click the OK button to create the TTLB-INFO.dwg file.
When the Write Block dialog box closes, and you'll be taken back to
the drawing, where you'll see that the block attributes are no longer
in the drawing.