How to Use AutoCAD : Blocks and Hatch

01 Blocks and Title Pages : Why

Modifying lines into PLINEs and WBLOCKs makes it easier to select objects made up of many
lines (Ex: sinks, furniture etc are made of many lines that can be combined into one object). For
simple objects a PLINE is appropriate, for more complex objects, like furniture, a WBLOCK is
better
Title Blocks can be created, copied, modified and referenced into drawings.
01.1 PLINE :
Any group of connected lines can be converted into a PLINE. For example, a Wide Flange Column
(there are a few at Crown Hall) can be drawn with a total of 12 lines. However, once drawn, it is no
longer necessary to modify those lines individually. Turn the set of lines into a PLINE.
Type the command PEDIT (or PE), ENTER. Select any one of the lines.
AutoCAD will ask Object selected is not a polyline, do you want to turn it into one? <y> ENTER
for yes.
AutoCAD will ask Enter an option Type J for Join. select the rest of the lines and ENTER.
ENTER (or ESC) again to end the command.
The twelve separate lines should now be one object.
01.2 HATCH
HATCH will fill a closed boundary with a HATCH pattern. HATCHes can represent plan, elevation,
and section information; bricks, hexagons, lines, tile etc. Instead of drawing each brick of a faade,
AutoCAD can HATCH the faade with the chosen pattern.
Type H for HATCH. At the left represents the HATCH patterns, scale and rotation, as well as
HATCH origin. At the top of the middle column are options to create a HATCH by Pick Point or by
Select Object.
Since we have just created a closed PLINE column, choose Select Object and choose the PLINE
column, ENTER. Set the Pattern to ANSI32 (which is standard for steel) and set the Scale to 2.
Click OK.
The column is now hatched with a pattern.
Create a new Layer called a p 01 cut column hatch, color blue, and move the Hatch to that layer.
02 WBLOCK :
A WBLOCK is an unmodifiable set of lines inserted from, or made into, another drawing file. A
BLOCK or PLINE can be EXPLODEd (X) and returned to simple lines if necessary.
Open the 02 Basic Blocks.dwg file.
Select one of the pieces of furniture and make sure it is on the layer a p 06 furniture. If not, make a
new layer and put it on that layer.
Type W, ENTER, the WBLOCK menu will open.
Make sure Objects is selected from the Source item.
Click the button for Select Objects and select one of the pieces of furniture, ENTER.
Make sure Convert to Block is selected.

Click the button for Pick Point and choose a point on the piece.
Under Destination, select a folder and name to save the BLOCK.
(Suggestion : USB\Arch226\Blocks\furniture_name.dwg
Make sure to open the furniture.dwg file (if you arent still in it). For inserting purposes, move the
piece to the origin. Type M, choose the object, pick a corner or center point and move it to the point
0,0,0.
To make sure the object is easy to use when inserted into the Crown plan drawing, type BASE and
choose the 0,0,0 point. Save and close.
Now remove any excess layers etc from the file. Type PURGE and choose Purge All. If there are
any extra layers or extraneous information in the file, they will be removed.
Type I for Insert and choose the furniture.dwg file. Make sure to place the block on the layer a p 06
furniture. Select the object to verify that it is one object made of multiple lines.
Type X and choose the object to explode it back to multiple lines.
03.1 Title Block : Creating
Open the AutoCAD Template.dwg file. Verify the orange rectangle is set at the UCS origin (0,0,0).
Type UCSICON, type ON. It should be placed at the bottom-left corner of the rectangle. If not, type
UCS, choose O for origin and place the origin at the bottom-left corner. Move the UCS icon to the
bottom-left corner of the screen by typing UCS and choose World.
In Modelspace, draw a PLINE 17 wide by 11 tall to represent the piece of paper the Title Block
will be used on (8 1/2x11, 11x17, 24x36 etc). Put it on a Layer called format so it wont print.
OFFSET the PLINE to the inside 1/2 to account for the printers margin.
Draw a tall, thin rectangle along the right edge of the new rectangle to become the Title Block. It
should be placed on layer text and include information about the drawing; drawing name, scale,
date, your name etc.
Type BASE and choose the bottom-left corner of the Title Block to verify that it is set to 0,0,0
Set the format layer to current. Use the PURGE command to get rid of any excess Layers. Select
Purge All from the menu.
SAVEAS the file as Title Block 11x17.dwg to your Arch226 folder.
03.1 Title Block : Inserting by XREF
XREF allows the user to insert an object, like the Title Block, which may be updated later. All
subsequent copies of the XREF will be automatically updated.
Open the file you have created for your Crown Hall drawing.
Right-click over the Layout 1 Tab, choose Page Setup Manager and change the size of the paper
to 11x17 and rename the tab.
Type XREF, ENTER. The small XREF window should open. You should see the name of the active
file at the top of the list.
Click the first option in the menu for Attach DWG and choose Title Block 11x17.dwg

Make sure Specify on Screen is NOT checked under Insertion and Scale menus, click OK.
The Title Block should be placed in the window with its bottom-left corner located at the bottom-left
corner of the dashed outline of the margin in Paperspace. The dashed line represents the margin
of the current default printer.
The default position of the bottom-left corner of the margin is set at 1/8,1/8. You may move the
Title Block accordingly so that it fits exactly in the Layout. However, because all printers have
different margins, the margins corner may change when a new printer is selected. If we know the
margin of the printer, we can move the UCS and BASE point in the Title Block file so that the origin
points coincide. The Title Block can also be moved in Paperspace in the file it has been XREFd
into.
In the file the Title Block has been XREFd into, make sure to place the XREF on Layer 0.
NOTE : When inserting and XREF, you may find that AutoCAD presents a warning bubble (in the
bottom-right corner of the screen) stating that you have unreconciled layers. The little AutoCAD
gremlin is, apparently, quite paranoid when it finds new layers. Its afraid the layers contain errors
and provides the warning.
Click the blue text and the Layers window should open. Under the Filters, portion on the left side of
the menu, right-click the Uncreconiled New Layers filter and choose Reconcile.
NOTE : the Title Block can be modified at will. For example, if the date needs to be changed.
Modify the Title Block (in the Title Block 85x11.dwg file) and save it. Return to the previous drawing
and AutoCAD will provide a warning stating that an External Reference has changed. Click the
blue text to Refresh the XREF.
NOTE : AutoCAD looks for the XREF where it is stored in the computer. (This is a reference and
similar to inserting images and files in Dreamweaver) If the Title Block file is moved, the XREF will
not display. If you find the Title Block has moved, type XREF to open the dialog box, choose the
Found At option from the bottom of the Details menu and click the icon to the right of the text to
search for the file. Click the Refresh icon (second icon at the top of the menu) if needed.