Inserting Blocks

Commands: INSERT,  -INSERT, INSERTALIGNED and MINSERT

The Insert command lets you insert blocks through a dialog box.

The -Insert command inserts blocks by prompting in the command bar. BricsCAD will lookup the block name in the block definitions in the current drawing. If the block is not found in the current drawing, the paths defined by the SRCHPATH system variable are searched. If the block is not found there either, BricsCAD responds 'Could not find file <blockname>'

The Insertaligned command inserts a block entity, with easy alignment on existing entities. The Insertaligned command is similar to the Insert command, but during the placement the block will be dynamically aligned with existing lines, polylines, arcs or circles. The block is aligned with the entity to which the cursor snaps. If no entity is snapped, the block is aligned with the X-axis of the WCS.

The Minsert command Inserts a block as a rectangular array; combines the -Insert and Array commands (short for "multiple insertion").

You can choose to select an existing block definition or to insert an entire drawing as a block. When you insert a drawing, a new block definition is created in the current drawing. If you change the original drawing file, those changes have no effect on the current drawing unless you redefine the block by reinserting the changed drawing. When a block is inserted in a drawing, it is treated as a single entity.

General procedure to insert a block:

• Specify a block definition or drawing file.

• Specify the insertion point.

• Specify the scale.

• Specify the rotation angle.

To insert a block

1. Do one of the following

2. Click the Insert Block... tool button () on the Insert  toolbar.

3. Choose Insert Block... in the Insert menu.

4. Type insert in the command bar, then press Enter.

The Inserts dialog opens.

2. In the Inserts dialog, do one of the following:

3. Select an existing block definition in the Name list.

4. Click the Browse button and select a drawing file.

3. (option) Check the Explode option to explode the block after insertion.

4. (option) Uncheck the Specify On-Screen option, then specify the Insertion Point by keying in the coordinates in the X, Y and Z fields.

5. (option) Uncheck the Specify On-Screen option, then specify the Scale by keying in the scaling factors in the X, Y and Z fields.
   Check the Uniform Scale option to equal the X, Y and Z scale factors.

6. (option) Check the Specify On-Screen option to specify the Rotation angle when inserting the block.

7. Click the OK button.
   The command bar reads: Insertion point for block.
   A prompt menu displays.
   
   

6. Specify the insertion point.
   The command bar reads: Corner/XYZ/X scale factor <1.000000>:
   A prompt menu displays.
   
   
    

7. Right click or press Enter to accept the default X scale factor.
   The command bar reads: Y scale factor: <Equal to X scale (1.000000)>:

8. Right click or press Enter to set the Y scale factor equal to the X scale factor.
   The block is inserted.

To insert a block using the Drawing Explorer

Inserting internal blocks

1. Open the Drawing Explorer - Blocks dialog.

2. (optional) Choose either Detail View () or Icon View ().

3. (option) Edit the insert options:

4. Choose Options... in the Settings menu or select a block, then right click and choose Options ... in the context menu.

5. Set the insert options in the Drawing Explorer Options dialog box.
   
   

4. Do one of the following:

Select a block, then do one of the following:

• Click the Insert Block button () on the Details  toolbar.

• Right click and select Insert from the context menu

• When in Icon View, double click the block.

To select an external drawing, do one of the following:

• Click the Insert External tool button () on the  Details  toolbar.

• Choose Insert External in the Edit menu.

• Right click, then choose Insert External in the context menu.

The Drawing Explorer - Blocks window closes.

The command bar reads: Multiple blocks/Scale/<Insertion point for block>:

A prompt menu displays

5. Follow the instructions in the command bar to insert the block.
   The Drawing Explorer - Blocks window reopens.

6. (option) Insert more blocks.

7. Close the Drawing Explorer - Blocks window.

Inserting blocks from another drawing

Block Manager (Internet connection needed)

1. Open the Drawings Explorer.

2. In the Drawings pane, click the Folders tab.

3. (option) If necessary, add the folder of the drawing.

4. Click the Expand icon (+) in front of the drawing.
   The Blocks icon of the drawing displays.
   

5. Click the Blocks icon.
   The blocks in the drawing display in the Details pane.
   If necessary, click the Icon View button () in the Details toolbar to see thumbnail images of the blocks.

6. (option) Edit the insert options:

7. Choose Options... in the Settings menu or select a block, then right click and choose Options ... in the context menu.

8. Set the insert options in the Drawing Explorer Options dialog box.
   
   

The available options are:

• Align: If checked, launches the InsertAligned command to insert the block.
  When the Align option is checked, the Fixed Scale and Fixed Rotation options are not available.

• Fixed Scale: If checked, allows to insert the block at a fixed scale.

• Fixed Rotation: If checked, allows to insert the block at a fixed rotation.

7. To insert a block, do one of the following:

8. Click the Insert Block button () on the Details  toolbar.

9. When in Icon View, double click the thumbnail image of the block.

10. When in Detail view, double click the number in front of the block name.

The Drawing Explorer dialog closes temporarily to let you insert the block in the drawing.

The command bar reads: Multiple blocks/<Insertion point for block>:

A prompt menu displays

5. Follow the instructions in the command bar to insert the block.
   The Drawing Explorer window reopens.

6. (option) Insert more blocks.

7. Close the Drawing Explorer - Blocks window.

To insert a block aligned with an entity

1. Make sure the appropriate Entity Snaps are active.

2. Type insertaligned or insal in the command bar, then press Enter.
   The command bar reads: ? to list blocks in drawing/~ to open the file dialog/<Block to insert> <name>:

3. Do one of the following:

4. Press Enter or right click to insert the most recently placed block again.

5. Type the name of an existing block definition in the command bar, then press Enter.

6. Type the name of an external block file in the command bar, then press Enter.

7. Type ~ (tilde) then press Enter to open the file dialog.

The command bar reads: Multiple blocks/<Insertion point for block>:

A prompt menu displays.

3. Snap to an entity.
   The block is aligned with the entity.

4. Click to define the insertion point.
   When you move the crosshairs, the block is mirrored about the selected entity or a about a line tangent to the selected entity.

5. Click to specify the mirroring of the block.

To insert multiple instances of a block in a rectangular array

1. Type minsert in the command bar, then press Enter.
   The command bar reads:
   ? to list blocks in drawing/~ to open the file dialog/<Block to insert>:

2. Do one of the following:

3. Type ~  (press and hold the Alt gr key, then press the ~ key), then press Enter.
   The Insert Block file dialog displays.
   Select the drawing file you want to insert and press the Open button (or double click the file name).

4. Press Enter to accept the <Block to insert>.

5. Type a block name, then press Enter.
   Optionally, type ? to display search for existing block definitions.

3. The block is attached to the cursor.
   The command bar reads: Multiple blocks/<Insertion point for block>:
   

4. Specify the insertion point.
   The command bar reads: Corner/XYZ/X scale factor <1.00>:

5. To define the X scale factor, do one of the following:

6. Press Enter to accept the default .

7. Type the X scale factor, then press Enter.

8. Click to define the X scale factor graphically.

The command bar reads: Y scale factor: <Equal to X scale (current X scale)>:

6. Repeat step 5 to define the Y scale factor.
   The command bar reads: Rotation angle for block <0>:

7. Do one of the following:

8. Press Enter to set the rotation angle to 0°.

9. Type a rotation angle, then press Enter.

Click to define the rotation angle graphically.
The command bar reads: Number of rows in the array <1>:

8. Type the number of rows, then press Enter or press Enter for one row.
   The command bar reads: Number of columns <1>:

9. Type the number of columns, then press Enter or press Enter for one column.
   The command bar reads: Vertical distance between rows, or spacing rectangle:

10. Type the row spacing distance, then press Enter.
    The command bar reads: Horizontal distance between columns:

11. Type the column spacing distance, then press Enter.
    The block array is created as a single entity.