Wednesday

Blocks III – Defining attributes

Post a Comment Jan-16-2008 | Posted by Eren Pala | Printable Version | Level |

AutoCAD 12 and higher versions

I have mentioned how the blocks are created, how they are edited and how they are being saved as an external block in my previous articles. You are going to learn creating blocks including labels in this week. I imagine that you are saying; ‘what are these labels’ or ‘for what purposes I am going to use them’. Let me talk about their usage. Instead of forming an area pattern, copying and renaming it for every place, we can insert our area pattern block and fill the necessary fields.

Let me start by an area pattern example for attributes. First, draw the area pattern.

Figure 1.

Since the pattern is ready, the next thing is forming the texts.

‘Attribute Definition’ window (as can be seen in Figure 2) will appear when you type the command.

Figure 2.

The options in the Mode section:

• Invisible: Makes attribute invisible.
• Constant: Makes the values constant.
• Verify: Asks the value again for verification.
• Preset: Set the value as we entered; no futher request for the value.

The options in the Attribute Definition section:

• Tag: The name with an attirubute attached. This is the text seen when we edit or create the block. Gives information about the attribute.
• Prompt: The question that will be asked for the value after creating and inserting the block.
• Value: The default value that will be written as an input. For instance, if you assign your name as a value for the ‘drawn by’ section in a letterhead, you will not have to enter your name each time.

Insertion Point: This option sets the insertion point of the text.

Text Options: This option sets the format of the text.

• Justification: Alignment options of the text
• Text style: Text style option.
• Height: Text height option.
• Rotation: Rotation angle of the text.

By defining and aligning the first attribute, the following ones below aligned automatically if the ‘Align below previous attribute definition’ option is selected.
Let me put the relevant attributes into the area pattern formed before.

Run the ‘attribute definition’ command and fill the necessary fields in the appeared window. The example I did is like the one in Figure 3.

Figure 3.

The object we have prepared should be seen like the one in Figure 4

Figure 4.

Once the object seen in Figure 4 becomes a block, it can be used whereever we want. “Attribute Edit” window (Figure 5) will be appeared when you insert the block that we have created. Fill the relevant fields and our block is seen as the one in Figure 6.

Figure 5.

Figure 6.

Have a nice day,

Previous articles:

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