Q4 M6:

Inserting Blocks and Layout

Lesson Objectives:

Define what block is

Identify the use of Layout
Create a drawing using blocks and
layout
 Block
a collection of Examples:
objects that are
combined into a
single named
object

Some of these blocks are realistic representations

of objects, some are symbols, and one of them is
an architectural title block for a D-size drawing.
 Insert a Block

 Typically, each of those

blocks is an individual
drawing file, perhaps saved
in a folder with similar
drawing files. When you
need to insert one into your
current drawing file, use
the INSERT command (or
enter I in the Command
window).
The first time you insert the drawing as a block, you
must click Browse to locate the drawing file. Make
sure you organize your blocks into easy-to-find folders.
 Once inserted, the block
definition is stored in
your current drawing.
From then on, you can
choose it from the Name
dropdown list without
needing to click the
Browse button.

 Tip: The default settings in the Insert dialog box are usually acceptable. After you
choose the block name, click OK, and then specify its location in your drawing. You
can rotate it later, if necessary.
Notice that when you insert a
block, it is attached to your cursor
at the point indicated. This
location is called the insertion
point. By default, the insertion
point is the origin point (0,0) of
the original drawing.
 After inserting the block, you can select it
and a grip appears. You can easily move
and rotate this block using this grip.
 NOTE: Inserting a drawing file as a block provides a static
reference to the specified drawing. For a reference that
automatically updates, you can attach the drawing with the
External References palette (XREF command) instead.
Create a Block Definition

 You can create a block

definition directly in your
current drawing instead of
creating a drawing file to
be inserted as a block .

 Use the BLOCK command

to create a block
definition.
 Example: This is how you could create a
module for a cubicle design.

1. Create the objects for the

block.
2. Start the BLOCK command.
3. Enter a name for the block,
in this case Quad-Cube.
4. Select the objects that you
created for the block (click 1
and 2).
5. Specify the block insertion
point.
 You can enter the
information for steps 3, 4,
and 5 into the Block
Definition dialog box in
any order.
 After creating the block
definition, you can insert,
copy, and rotate the block as
needed.
 Using the EXPLODE command,
you can explode a block into
its component objects if you
need to make changes. In the
In this example, you would probably
illustration below, the cubicle create a new block definition from the
on the right was exploded and objects in the exploded block.
modified.
Recommendations:
 You can create an individual drawing file for each block that
you intend to use. You save these drawing files in folders, each
of which would contain a family of related drawing files.
 You can include the block definitions for title blocks and
common symbols in your drawing template files to make them
available immediately when starting a new drawing.
 You can create several drawing files, which are sometimes
called block library drawings. Each of these drawings contains
a family of related block definitions. When you insert a block
library drawing into your current drawing, all the blocks that
are defined in that drawing become available.
 Tip: With online access, you can download AutoCAD drawing files from the
web sites of commercial vendors and suppliers. This can save you time, but
always check to make sure that they are drawn correctly and to scale.
Autodesk Seek (http:// seek.autodesk.com/) is a convenient way of accessing
BIM (building information modeling) libraries.

 Notes: You can create block definitions that include one or more attributes
that store and display information. The command that you would use is
ATTDEF. Typically, attributes include data such as part number, name, cost,
and date. You can export block attribute information to a table or to an
external file.
Layout
 a standardsize drawing sheet where you can display one or
more scaled views of your design
 After you finish creating a model at full size, you can
switch to a paper space layout to create scaled views of
the model, and to add notes, labels, and dimensions. You
can also specify different linetypes and line widths for
display in paper space.
Model Space and Paper Space

 We create the geometry of

our model in model.
Originally, this was the
only space available in
AutoCAD. All notes, labels,
dimensions, and the
drawing border and title
block were also created
and scaled in the model
space.
 After paper space was
introduced, you could click a
layout tab to access a space
designed specifically for
layouts and scaling. In the
following illustration, paper
space is active. There are
currently only two objects in
paper space: a drawing border
block, and a single layout
viewport, which displays a
view of model space.
 Four Methods for Scaling Views
and Annotating Drawings
 The Original Method: You create geometry, annotate, and print
from model space. Dimensions, notes, and labels must all be
scaled in reverse. You set the dimension scale to the inverse of
the plot scale. With this method, scaling requires a little math.
For example, a common scale used in architecture is 1/4” = 1’-
0” which is 1:48 scale. If a note is to be printed 1/4” high, then
it must be created 48 times as large, or 12” high in model
space. The same scale factor also applies to dimensions, and an
ARCH D drawing border at that scale is 144 feet long. When the
drawing is printed as a D-size sheet, everything scales down to
the correct size.
 The Layout Method: You create geometry and annotate in
model space and print from the layout. Set the dimension
scale to 0 and the dimensions will scale automatically.
 The Annotative Method: You create geometry in model
space, create annotative dimensions, notes, and labels
(using a special annotative style) in model space from the
layout, and you print from the layout. Annotative objects
display only in layout viewports that share the same scale.
The dimension scale is automatically set to 0 and all
annotative objects scale automatically.
 The Trans-Spatial Method: You create geometry in model
space, create annotations in paper space on a layout with
dimension scale set to 1, and you print from the layout.
This is arguably the easiest, most direct method, and it is
the method of choice for this guide.
Specifying the Paper Size of a Layout
 The first thing you should do when you access a
layout tab is:
1. right-click the tab
2. and rename it
3. to something more specific than Layout

 For a D-size layout, ARCH D or ANSI D might be

good choices .

 Next, open the Page Setup Manager (4) to change

the paper size displayed in the layout tab.

 NOTE: You might be wondering why there are two

entries in the list for every sheet size. This is
because some printers and plotters do not
recognize the drawing orientation setting.
 Layout Viewport
 an object that is created in
paper space to display a
scaled view of model space
 You can think of it as a
closed-circuit TV monitor that
displays part of model space.
 In the illustration, model
space is active and accessible
from within the current
layout viewport.
In a layout, when model space is active, you can pan and zoom,
and anything else that you could do on the Model tab.

 For example, let’s say that you

created a backyard deck design in
model space, and now you want to
lay out and print your design from a
layout tab.
 The view in the layout viewport is
not yet set to the correct scale.
 You can switch between paper You can use the MVIEW (make view)
space and model space by double- command to create additional layout
clicking inside or outside the layout viewports in paper space. With several
viewport. layout viewports, you can display several
views of model space at the same or at
different scales .
Scaling Views and Trans-Spatial Annotation
 Steps to follow if you use the trans-spatial method of annotating
your drawing
1. Click the layout tab. If you started the drawing with your own
custom drawing template file, several tasks might already have
been completed: the layout might already be set to D-size, and
the title block might already have been inserted in the layout.
2. By default, paper space is active, so double-click within the
layout viewport to make the model space active. Notice that
the edge of the layout viewport becomes thicker as a result of
switching to model space.
3. Zoom out and center the model space view by panning. Note
that the displayed view will not yet be set to the correct scale.
4. Double-click outside the layout
viewport to make paper space
active again.
5. Open the Properties palette and
then click to select the edge of the
layout viewport.
6. In the Properties palette, specify a
standard scale of 1/4” = 1’-0” from
the drop-down list. This action
scales your view of model space
precisely to the D-size drawing. You
should also set the Display Locked
property from No to Yes, which will
prevent any unintentional display
changes to the view.
NOTE: By default, the dashes and spaces in a
non-continuous linetype appear the same length
regardless of the scale of the layout viewport.
7. Move the layout viewport as
needed, and adjust its edges
using grips.
8. Create notes, labels, and
dimensions directly in paper
space. They will automatically
appear at the correct size.
9. Turn off the layer on which you
created the layout viewport NOTE: After you have finished dimensioning, you can
use the EXPORTLAYOUT command to merge
object. This hides the edges of everything in model and paper space into the model
the layout viewport as shown space of a separate drawing file. This operation
below. creates a drawing file that conforms to the original
method of creating the model and all annotations in
10.Print the drawing to paper or as a
model space.
DWF or PDF file.
References:

 https://www.designtechcadacademy.com/knowledge-bas
e/introduction-autocad#:~:text=AutoCAD%20was%20formal
ly%20launched%20in,and%203D%20models%20using%20com
puters
 https://www.educba.com/introduction-to-autocad
 https://www.cadoasis.com/introduction-autocad-user-int
erface