Lee Ambrosius
August 14, 2018
Blocks are some of the most common objects used in AutoCAD drawings. A block can be anything from a conference chair in an office plan to a set of notes and a title block on a layout. As with most AutoCAD workflows, blocks can be inserted into a drawing using different methods, such as using the INSERT command or dragging files from Windows Explorer or File Explorer.
Inserting AutoCAD Blocks Quickly With Tool Palettes
When inserting a block, a common practice is to set a layer current before browsing to a drawing or choosing a previously inserted block on that layer.
What if you could simplify the workflow? What if you could eliminate the need to set a layer current along with the need to browse to a drawing before inserting a block?
Tool palettes allow you to simplify the workflow of inserting blocks by creating block tools. When a block tool is created on a tool palette, you can specify its behavior with settings such as:
- Default block scale
- Default or prompt for rotation angle
- Explode the block upon insertion
- General object properties, such as layer or linetype
- Custom properties assigned to dynamic blocks
You can explore more about tool palettes and block tools by following the step-by-step examples in the Have You Tried: Insert Blocks Quickly With Tool Palettes topic.
