12. Blocks and the Blocks box

B / make a block

1. ①
   Select the objects you want gathered → type B → Enter.
2. ②
   Type a name for the block and press Enter.
3. ③
   Click the base point (the place that becomes the insertion point).

= loose objects become “one block”.

X / explode

Select a block and press X → Enter = it returns to lines, circles, arcs and text.

U puts it back together.

The Blocks box

A shelf for storing blocks across drawings. Type PARTS → Enter.

• To register: select a block and press + in the Blocks box. (Loose objects need B first, to make them a block.)
• Enclose several with a window and every part inside comes in at once. Somebody else's parts library may hold hundreds in a single file, so enclosing just the part you need and cutting it out is quick. Enclose the same part any number of times and only one card appears on the shelf.
• To place: click a card → click where it goes. You can go on placing. Right-click = finish.
• The shelf itself is nothing but a folder and DXF files. Your parts are stored in an open form that any CAD program can read.