Blocks Palette

Control Options

Across the top of the Blocks palette, the following display and access controls

Filter

Accepts criteria using wild-card characters to filter the available blocks by name. Valid wild-card characters are ? for a single character and * for multiple characters. For example, 4??A* displays blocks named 40xA123 and 4x8AC. The drop-down list displays previously used wild-card strings.

Browse

Displays a file selection dialog box for choosing a drawing file or one of its block definitions to insert into the current drawing as a block.

Icon or list style

Displays several options to list or preview the available blocks.

Tabs

You can insert a block from these tabs by dragging and dropping them, clicking and placing them, or right-clicking and choosing an option from the list.

Preview Area

Displays a preview or a list of the blocks available based on the current tab. A lightning bolt icon in the lower-right corner of the preview indicates that the block is dynamic. A icon indicates that the block is annotative.

Current Drawing Tab

Displays previews or a list of block definitions available in the current drawing.

Recent Tab

Displays previews or a list of block definitions recently inserted or created in the current and previous sessions. These blocks can come from various drawings.

Tip: You can remove a block displayed in the Recent tab by right-clicking it and choosing the Remove from Recent List option. To remove all blocks displayed in the Recent tab, temporarily set the BLOCKMRULIST system variable to 0.

Other Drawing Tab

Displays previews or a list of block definitions that were inserted from a single, specified drawing. Block definitions can be stored in any drawing file. Inserting a drawing file as a block also imports all of its block definitions into the current drawing.

Tip: You can create "block library drawings" that store all related block definitions. If you use this method, choose the Explode option in the palette when inserting the block library drawing to prevent the drawing itself from being displayed or listed in the preview area.

Insertion Options

The location and orientation of the inserted block depends on the location and orientation of the UCS.

Insertion Point

Specifies the insertion point for the block. When checked, you specify the insertion point when inserting the block, using either your pointing device or manually entering coordinates. When cleared, previously specified coordinates are used.

Scale

Specifies the scale for the inserted block. When checked, you specify the scale factors in the X, Y, and Z directions. If you enter a negative value for the X, Y, and Z scale factors, the block is inserted as mirror image around that axis. When cleared, previously specified scales are used.

Rotation

Specifies the rotation angle for the inserted block in the current UCS. When checked, you specify the rotation angle of the block using the pointing device or entering an angle. When cleared, the previously specified rotation angle is used.

Repeat Placement

Controls whether the block insertion automatically repeats. When checked, you will be prompted automatically for additional insertion points until you press Esc to cancel the command. When cleared, the block you specified is inserted once.

Explode

Controls whether the block is automatically exploded into its component objects when inserted. As an indication that the block will be exploded on insertion, the preview of the block at the cursor is automatically suppressed.

When checked, the component objects in the block are disassociated and revert to their original properties. Objects using the BYBLOCK color are white. Objects with BYBLOCK linetype use the CONTINUOUS linetype.

When this option is cleared, the specified block is inserted without being exploded.

Note: You can specify this option with a uniform scale factor only. If you need to explode a non-uniformly scaled block, you can still do so manually with the EXPLODE command if the block was created with the Allow Exploding option checked.