Part V: Creating Drawings
l (^) Parameters. The top field with the two circles to the left controls the scale of the block.
This number affects the entire block, including the text. You also have the option to scale
dimensions, so that the dimension text size (not the dimension value) increases with the
overall block scale.
The Lock Angle option refers to the rotation of the block. If the Lock Angle option is not
selected, then you can rotate the block if one point on it is coincident to a stationary
object, such as a vertex in a drawing view.
l Leader. You will recognize these options from the Notes leaders. The leader is attached to
the block where the angled black handle was placed when you created the block. You can
edit the leader connection and insertion points by clicking the Leader & Insertion Points
button on the Definition panel.
l Text/Dimension Display. The Display Dimensions option controls whether or not any
notes and dimensions in the block are displayed or hidden.
l Layer. You can assign most entities on drawings to layers, which in turn have controls for
items, such as line type, color, and visibility.
Creating blocks
You can create blocks by selecting the sketch and annotation elements and clicking the Make Block
toolbar button in the Blocks toolbar, or by accessing the command by choosing Tools ➪ Block ➪
Make from the menus.
By default, when you create a block, the Insertion Point panel of the PropertyManager does not
expand. If you expand this panel, the blue Origin symbol represents the insertion point that is
attached to the cursor during block insertion, as shown in Figure 22.12. The angled line hanging
off the left side of the block is the leader attachment point for the block. You can also drag this line
around the block and snap it to sketch geometry. By default, this block does not use a leader, but if
one is required, then you can select when you place the block.
FIGURE 22.12
Creating a block