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<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigation: Albion 6 CAD User Guide > Drawing > Inserting Symbols |
The term Symbol is synonymous with Block Insert, or just 'Block', and the terms are used interchangeably here.
Defining Symbols
Symbols can be created in one of two ways:
•Select a set of objects inside a drawing, and create a symbol out of them.
•Open a small drawing and create a symbol out of the objects inside it.
Once a symbol has been defined, it can be inserted into a drawing any number of times, at different locations, with different scales and rotations.
Symbols reside in the Block Table.
Once inserted into a drawing, the size of a symbol can be specified in one of three ways:
1.Scaled: As a multiple of the block that it references. Here a value of 1 would produce a symbol that is the same size as the original set of entities that was used to define the block. A value of 2 would produce a symbol that is twice the size of its defining objects. Using a Scaled size causes the size of the symbol to be completely dependent on the block that it references. Should you change the referenced block, then the symbol size will change accordingly.
2.World Units: As a fixed size in world units (usually metres). The size of a symbol specified in world units is independent of the size of the block that it references. When the symbol is rendered, the block's entities will be scaled so that they fit within the symbol's size. Thus, if you change the block which a symbol references, the total size of the symbol will remain the same. The same applies to symbols specified in Point Units.
3.Point Units: As a fixed size in Points. This is similar in concept to line widths that are specified in points, in the sense that the objects will always print out at the same physical size on paper or PDF. The size of the symbol does not change if it is scaled, nor if the view is zoomed in or out. Note that when you are working in model space, you will have to use the drawing's reference scale to adjust the visible size of Point-specified symbols. A larger reference scale will make the points appear smaller in your workspace.
When working with symbol sizes in a drawing, you might see the sizes distinguished into two categories: Scaled and Absolute, which are sometimes abbreviated iconically as S and A, in blue and green respectively.
World Units and Point Units are Absolute.
Scaled sizes are as they claim: Scaled.
Creating a symbol from a set of objects
•Select the objects inside your drawing that will define your symbol.
•From the menu, choose Draw > Symbol > Define.
•Enter the name of the new block.
•Indicate the origin of the block on the drawing.
•The symbol can now be inserted into the drawing, using the menu command Draw > Symbol > Insert.
Creating a symbol from a drawing file
•From the menu, choose Insert > Block Part / Symbol.
•At the top of the Block Insert box, click the button 'Load From File'.
•Choose the drawing file that will be used to define the symbol.
•You will be asked 'Maintain reference to existing file?'. This has the following consequences:
oAnswering Yes will cause the symbol's file to be inspected every time the host drawing is loaded. If it has been modified, then the symbol will automatically be reloaded from the original source.
oAnswering No will cause the contents of the symbol file to be inserted into the host, and then the symbol's file will be forgotten.
oIn either case, you can change the binding of the symbol later from the block table manager (from the menu choose Tools > Manage Table > Symbol)
•Click OK to insert the symbol into the drawing.
See Also