About Blocks
Blocks are compound objects that are commonly used for symbols, parts, detail views, and title blocks.
A block is one or more objects combined to create a single object. The following are some examples of blocks inserted into drawings.
Using blocks provides the following advantages:
- You can ensure uniformity between identical copies of furniture, fixtures, parts, symbols, and title blocks in drawings.
- You can insert, rotate, scale, move, and copy blocks much faster than operating on selections of individual geometric objects.
- If you edit or redefine a block definition, all block references in that drawing are updated automatically.
- You can include data such as part numbers, costs, service dates, and performance values to blocks. The data is stored in special objects called block attributes.
- You can reduce the file size of a drawing by inserting multiple block references instead of duplicating object geometry.
With online access, you can download AutoCAD drawing files from the web sites of commercial vendors and suppliers. This option can save you a significant amount of time, but check to make sure that these drawings are drawn correctly and to scale.