Tipster Andria Lynch reminds AutoCAD users about dynamic blocks and their capabilities.
"Many users will appreciate this forgotten functionality of AutoCAD blocks. While in the block editor, explore the block palette to add actions, parameters, and constraints to your block to create more functionality. This is a simple Exit Sign Block that has been given a visibility parameter to be able to change the position of the solid fill region. You can add actions such as stretch, rotate, and scale, and even parameters that can change the block's visibility state." Notes from Cadalyst Tip Patrol: Dynamic blocks are a real time-saver; they let designers reuse the same linework over and over again. If you are an architect and need to show a chair in plan view, odds are that you will need to show it more than once. That is where a block in AutoCAD comes in. Create it, insert it, and insert it again until you are finished — no need to redraw it every time!
Yes, you could always copy the linework, but a block makes things much easier. It also allows you to make universal changes to your chair very quickly. If the chair design changes, just alter the block. Everywhere it is inserted, that block will be updated. Dynamic blocks give you even more power, allowing you to change your block. You can make a chair block that has three designs in it. Insert the block, then choose which design you want. If a particular instance of the block needs a different design, simply choose the alternate design. You can also add other feature like stretch, array, and many more. |