Blocks represent a special type of entity that, once saved, can be inserted and manipulated in the drawing as a single entity. A block can consist of visible entities such as lines, arcs, and circles as well as visible or invisible data called attributes. You can use attributes to track things such as part numbers and prices and to export attribute information to an external database. You can also track the number of parts by counting the number of times a block has been inserted into the drawing. Blocks are stored as part of the drawing file.
External references have similar uses to blocks. Using external references, you can attach entire drawings to your current drawing. Unlike a block, however, an external reference does not become part of the current drawing.
You can save blocks in the IntelliCAD Explorer. You can also use the IntelliCAD Explorer to manage and insert copies of blocks. The IntelliCAD Explorer lists the names of all blocks contained in the current drawing, along with other information about each block or external reference.
You can also rename a block, modify its insertion point, and change the path of an externally referenced drawing by single-clicking on the property and making your edits within the IntelliCAD Explorer.
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Attaching a drawing as an external reference
Inserting a drawing as a block
Saving a block as a separate drawing
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