	Block Library System Translate

Keyboard shortcut: EB & PB
Toolbar button: &
Compatible with AutoCAD Versions: 13, 14, 2000, 2000i, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

BLOCK LIBRARY SYSTEM

The block library system consists of two commands, ELEVBLKS and PLANBLKS. While different in content, both commands operate the same way.

The block library is a system that allows you quick access to a collection of blocks and commands that you set up. It offers a high level of flexibility and customization so that you may tailor the library to suit your needs. Each menu consists of 40 cells that can each be configured to do one of the following actions:

Insert a block
Insert a "Wall" block (a block that is inserted attached to a "wall" or other object)
Insert an architectural symbol
Insert a cabinet elevation
Go to the next sub-menu
Run an AutoLisp command
Do nothing

Each of these actions (except "do nothing") can be customized to fit your needs. Select an action above to see more on set-up and configuration.

User configurable options:

Navigation structure - see Setting up block libraries
Title for each menu - see Customizing the block library system
Graphic to display for each menu - see Customizing the block library system
For each of the 40 cells per menu...
- When inserting a block you may specify:
  - Block to insert
  - Whether to insert the block exploded
  - Whether insertion point should be predefined or prompted
  - If insertion point is predefined should it be scaled with the scale of the drawing
  - Whether scale should be predefined or prompted.
  - If scale is predefined should it be scaled with the scale of the drawing
  - Whether the rotation should be predefined or prompted
  - The layer type that the block should be inserted on
  - How many attributes are in the block
- When inserting a "Wall" block you may specify:
  - Block to insert
  - Whether to insert the block exploded
  - Whether scale should be predefined or prompted.
  - If scale is predefined should it be scaled with the scale of the drawing
  - The layer type that the block should be inserted on
  - How many attributes are in the block
- When inserting an architectural symbol you may specify:
  - Type of architectural symbol to insert
  - If inserting a building/wall/detail section cut whether to have a callout at each end of the cut line
  - Block to insert (some types have more than one)
  - Color and lineweight for symbol
  - The layer type that the symbol should be inserted/drawn on
  - How many attributes are in the (main) block
- When inserting a cabinet elevation you may specify
  - Cabinet type (base cabinet, base drawers, upper cabinet)
  - Cabinet style (kitchen or bath)
  - If an upper cabinet whether to draw a hood or microwave & hood
  - If a base cabinet whether to draw for a sink
  - Width configuration (1 bay, 2 bays, or 3 drawers & 2 door bays)
  - Height configuration (3, 4, 5, or 6 drawers)
  - Height & Width of cabinet
- When creating a new sub-menu you may specify
  - The background slide file
  - The title for the sub-menu
  - The actions for 40 more cells
- When running an AutoLISP® command you may specify
  - Pretty much anything as long as it is a single AutoLISP® expression of less than 256 characters

Also see Customizing the block library system.

Layers:

If you are using "No Layer Control" whatever you insert or create will be on whatever layer is current. See the Layer Control section of the APS-CONFIG command.
When inserting a block you may select the layer type to use in the Block Insertion Properties dialog. When inserting an architectural symbol you may select the layer type in the Architectural Symbol Insertion Properties dialog. The cabinetry elevations use the layer types assigned to the individual cabinetry commands (BASECABS, BASEDRAWERS, & UPPERCABS) which are set in the Assigning Layer Types to Commands portion of the Layer Control section of the APS-CONFIG command.
- If you are using "Direct Layer Assignment" the layer names are assigned to these layer types in the Layer assignments portion of the Layer Control section of the APS-CONFIG command.
- If you are using "Layer Schemes" the layer names are assigned to these layer types in the Assigning Layer Names to Layer Types portion of the SCHEMEDIT command.
The layer types for this command can be changed in the Assigning Layer Types to Commands portion of the Layer Control section of the APS-CONFIG command.

Known limitations:

When using operating systems and versions of AutoCAD that do not support long filenames the menus may only go one level deep. (The main menu and it's sub-menus only)
Submit a limitation not listed.

Alternate uses:

None reported. If you have an alternate use for this command submit it here.
Submit an alternate use not listed

SAMPLE BLOCK LIBRARY COMMAND SYNTAX:

For this example we will be inserting a series of toilet stalls to go in a bathroom plan.

To do this we will be inserting blocks from the PLANBLKS block library. The PLANBLKS and ELEVBLKS block libraries both function in exactly the same way, the only difference is the content.

Command:
Command: PB
Command: PLANBLKS

The following dialog appears:

Since we need some toilet stalls we would click on "Toilets" and following sub-menu would appear:

Select the first stall that we will insert as shown above.

Insertion point:

Select the point to insert the stall. We have used the endpoint object snap to help locate this point.

Note: With all of the default blocks that come with this software the image that you select will show you the insertion point of the block when possible. It is denoted by a white X. See the Toilets menu above.

Rotation angle <0.0000>:

Specify the rotation angle for the block. Since ours happens to be 0.0 (the default) we can just press <Enter> or <Space>.

--the block is inserted--

Now we would like to insert another toilet block. Since the last thing we did was insert a block from the Toilets menu we may press <Enter> or <Space> and the Toilets menu will reappear without having to go back through the menus that got us there. This is especially helpful if the menu you want is deep in the navigation structure.

Press <Enter> or <Space> and the toilets menu will reappear:

You will notice that there is a yellow box around the block that you chose last time. If you wanted to insert another copy of this block you could just press <Enter> or <Space> and you would insert it again. We don't want this one again however so we will select our next toilet stall as shown above.

Insertion point:

Select the insertion point for the stall. We have used the intersection object snap to help locate this point.

Rotation angle <0.0000>:

Specify the rotation angle for the block. Since ours happens to be 0.0 (the default) we can just press <Enter> or <Space>.

--the block is inserted--

Now we would like to insert two urinal stalls. Since the last thing we did was insert a block from the Toilets menu we may press <Enter> or <Space> and the toilet block menu will reappear.

Select the cell for a urinal stall.

Insertion point:

Select the point to insert the stall. We have used the intersection object snap to help locate this point.

Rotation angle <0.0000>:

Specify the rotation angle for the block. Since ours happens to be 0.0 (the default) we can just press <Enter> or <Space>.

--the block is inserted--

Now we would like to insert the other urinal stall. Since the last thing we did was insert the same block that we want to insert again we may press <Enter> or <Space> twice and insert it again as shown below:

Press <Enter> or <Space> and the following appears:

Press <Enter> or <Space> again and the block highlighted will be inserted again.

Insertion point:

Select the point to insert the stall. We have used the intersection object snap to help locate this point.

Rotation angle <0.0000>:

Specify the rotation angle for the block. Since ours happens to be 0.0 (the default) we can just press <Enter> or <Space>.

--the block is inserted--