Inserting Blocks

Insert blocks, adding additional instances of existing blocks, or browse to and insert previously saved blocks.

To insert a block:

  1. In the Edit Sketch mode, click Insert Block (Blocks toolbar) or Tools > Blocks > Insert.
  2. In the PropertyManager, under Blocks to Insert, you can either:
    • Select an item from Open Blocks to insert an additional instance of a current block.
    • Click Browse to locate a previously saved block.
    If the block is in current sketch, do this: If the block was previously saved, do this:
    1. Drag the block and click to position in the graphics area.
    2. Do one of the following:
      • Repeat step a to add another incidence.
      • Select another item from Open Blocks.
    1. In the dialog box, select the block and click Open.
      If you select Create external reference to file, changes made to the original file propagate to all instances of the block. You cannot edit the block in the current document.
    2. Drag the block and click to position.
      In the PropertyManager, under Blocks to Insert, you can select Link to file. The result is identical to selecting Create external reference to file in the dialog box.
  3. Add any relations required to ensure that movement is correctly constrained.
  4. In the PropertyManager, under Parameters, set values for:
    • Block Scale . The default value 1 is the size of the original block.
    • Block Rotation . The default value 0 is the angle at which the original block was created.
  5. Click .