Symbol libraries provide a convenient way of inserting frequently used symbols in a drawing.
You can pre-configure symbols and save them to the symbol library for reuse. The symbol library displays inside the dialog box that is displayed when you insert a symbol in a drawing. When you select a symbol from the symbol library, all other information you typically enter in the dialog box are filled automatically.
Some symbol libraries are available on the ribbon, making it easier to access them. What’s more, when you insert a symbol directly from the symbol library on the ribbon, AutoCAD Mechanical toolset does not display any dialog boxes.
The symbols with libraries that are accessible from the ribbon are:
- Surface Texture symbols
- Welding symbols
- Feature Control Frame symbols
- Edge symbols
- Leader note symbols Note: The symbol library for leader notes has some differences from the symbol library for other symbols. Please refer the related concept "About Using Leader Note Templates from the Symbol Library" for details.
The symbols with libraries that are not accessible from the ribbon are:
- GOST Dead Joint symbols
The symbols that do not support symbol libraries are:
- Taper and slope symbols
- Datum Identifier symbols
- Feature Identifier symbols
- Datum Target symbols
- GOST Marking and Stamping symbols
When you add a symbol to the library, you are prompted to provide a unique name for it. If the name is longer than the available space, the name is truncated in the library. However, when you move the pointer over the name, the entire name appears in a tooltip. Additionally, the tooltip shows a summary of the settings for that item.
You can delete, rename, or modify a symbol in the symbol library, you can set one as the default. When you create a symbol without using the symbol library, the default settings for dialog boxes are derived from the default symbol. You can also opt not to have a default, in which case the rules of each individual symbol type control the default settings of the symbol.
You can import a symbol library from another drawing. However, the drafting standard and revision of the symbol you are importing must be the same in both drawings.
- The drawing you are importing from was last saved in a previous version of AutoCAD Mechanical toolset.
- The current drawing does not contain the revision you are trying to import.
During the import process, you get to choose whether to replace the entire library, append symbols, or overwrite symbols. If you choose to replace, AutoCAD Mechanical toolset deletes the current library and replaces it with the imported library. If you choose to append, imported symbols having the same name as existing symbols, are renamed by affixing a number to its name. If you choose to overwrite, imported templates replace the existing templates having the same name.