-ATTDEF (Command)

At the Command prompt, creates an attribute definition for storing data in a block.

An attribute is an object that is created and included with a block definition. Attributes can store data such as part numbers, product names, and so on.

The following prompts are displayed.

Attribute Modes

The values for the current settings are displayed in the command history. Select an option to toggle it off or on. Press Enter when you have finished adjusting the mode settings. The AFLAGS system variable stores the current mode settings and can be used to set the default modes.

Invisible: Specifies that attribute values are displayed when you insert the block. ATTDISP overrides Invisible mode.
Constant: Gives attributes a fixed value for block insertions.
Verify: Prompts for verification that the attribute value is correct when you insert the block.
Preset: Sets the attribute to its default value when you insert a block containing a preset attribute.
Lock position: Locks the location of the attribute within the block reference. When unlocked, the attribute can be moved relative to the rest of the block using grip editing, and multiline attributes can be resized.

Note: In a dynamic block, an attribute's position must be locked for it to be included in an action's selection set.
Annotative: Specifies that the attribute is annotative.
Multiple lines: Specifies that the attribute value can contain multiple lines of text. When this option is selected, you can specify a boundary width for the attribute.

Attribute tag name

Specifies the attribute tag, which identifies each occurrence of an attribute in the drawing. The tag can contain any characters except spaces or exclamation marks (!). Lowercase letters are automatically changed to uppercase.

Note: It is important to make sure that attribute tags have unique names. The Enhanced Attribute Editor will display any duplicate tags in red. Duplicate tags will cause problems when extracting data or if you use them in dynamic blocks.

Attribute prompt

Specifies the prompt that is displayed when you insert a block containing this attribute definition. If you press Enter, the attribute tag is used as the prompt. If you turn on Constant mode, this prompt is not displayed.

Note: For single-line attributes, you can enter up to 256 characters. If you need leading blanks in the prompt or the default value, start the string with a backslash (). To make the first character a backslash, start the string with two backslashes.

Default attribute value

Specifies the default attribute value. The default attribute value appears when a block is inserted into your drawing. A default value is not required. If you turn on Constant mode, the Attribute Value prompt is displayed instead.

When Multiple Line mode is off, -ATTDEF then displays the same prompts as the TEXT command, using the attribute tag instead of requesting a text string.

The Specify Paper Text Height prompt is displayed only if the current text style is annotative.

Note: For single-line attributes, you can enter up to 256 characters. If you need leading blanks in the prompt or the default value, start the string with a backslash (\). To make the first character a backslash, start the string with two backslashes.

When Multiple Line mode is on, -ATTDEF then displays several of the prompts used by the MTEXT command.

Attribute value (Constant mode)

Specifies the value for a constant attribute. This prompt is displayed only if you turn on Constant mode.

-ATTDEF then displays the same prompts as the TEXT command, using the attribute tag instead of requesting a text string.

When Multiple Line mode is on, -ATTDEF then displays several of the prompts used by the MTEXT command.

Location of multiline attribute (Multiple Line mode)

Specifies the first corner of the bounding box for the multiple-line text. This location is used as the starting point for the attribute.

Opposite corner (Multiple Line mode)

As you drag the pointing device to specify the opposite corner, a rectangle is displayed to show the location and width of the multiple-line text. The arrow within the rectangle indicates the direction of the text flow.