You can explode a compound object such as a polyline, dimension, hatch, or block reference to convert it into individual elements. For example, exploding a polyline breaks it down to simple lines and arcs. Exploding a block reference or an associative dimension replaces it with copies of the objects that compose the block or dimension.
When you explode a dimension or a hatch, all associativity is lost and the dimension or hatch object is replaced by individual objects such as lines, text, points, and two-dimensional solids.
When you explode a polyline, AutoCAD LT discards the associated width information. The resulting lines and arcs follow the polyline's centerline. If you explode a block that contains a polyline, you need to explode the polyline separately. If you explode a donut, its width becomes 0.
If you explode a block with attributes, the attributes are deleted, but the attribute definitions from which they were created remain. The attribute values and any modifications made by ATTEDIT or DDATTE are lost. The colors and linetypes of objects in exploded block references can change. For more information about the properties of block references, see Using Symbols (Blocks).
An external Reference (xref) is a drawing file linked (or attached) to another drawing. You cannot explode xrefs and their dependent blocks. For more information about the properties of external references, see Referencing Other Drawings.