Where are blocks stored?

[pvd]

Hi all,

 

I need to move (or copy) 162 blocks from one drawing to another, is there a fast way to do it? I been trying the designmanager (Ctrl-2) but so far no succes....(I'm using autocad 2011). Does anyone know the path where they are stored?

 

Thank you in advance!

[ReMark]

Blocks are stored with the drawing they are created in or, if one uses the WBlock command, they are written to one's hard drive. Have you used the WBlock command? Do you know where (what folder or folders) your AutoCAD dwg files are kept?

[pvd]

Hi Remark,

 

These blocks are made with the block-command and we store our dwg's on the server. Not sure if this is a clear response to you....if it would have been wblocks, where are these stored on the harddisk?

 

Thanks

[ReMark]

I just noticed that while your post is in the AutoCAD General forum that in fact you are using Inventor so perhaps my advice may not be applicable. Since I do not use Inventor I can only tell you what happens using AutoCAD.

[pvd]

No no, your adive is welcome Remark. I'm using both and this question does concern autocad. Any suggestions? Thanks

[ReMark]

AutoCAD? OK.

 

A block created in one drawing but not WBlocked out to your hard drive (as a dwg file) can be used in a new drawing in the following ways:

 

1. Copy/Paste between the two drawings.

2. Dragged and dropped via Design Center.

3. Dragged and dropped via a custom Tool Palette populated with the block.

 

A block that is written to the hard drive using the WBlock (Write Block) command can be brought into a new drawing using the Insert command.

 

Any blocks created using the WBlock command should be written to the hard drive that your drawings are stored on. If your drawings are stored on a server then that is where I recommend you also store your blocks. Give some serious thought to creating a logical folder system to store blocks in and make sure the "path" to these folders is part of AutoCAD's support file search path. That will ensure AutoCAD can find the blocks when needed and not "hang" while vainly searching for a file it cannot find.

[pvd]

Thanks Remark; now in my case:

 

I have one drawing with 162 blocks, but these blocks aren't in the drawing itsself anymore, I just can see them in the designmanager. I notice it's impossible to drag them all at once into my drawing. Is there another way than dragging them all one by one cause that's a lot of work?

[ReMark]

Your statement above doesn't make sense to me. Maybe I need another cup of coffee to clear my head.

 

Is this an AutoCAD drawing?

[BIGAL]

Why drag all 162 blocks into a drawing if your not going to use them all? It just makes the drawing bigger.

 

When you purge a drawing you do the opposite to what you want and remove all un used blocks.

 

Can you not just copy your dwg into the dwg that has the 162 blocks ? Then they are available.

 

Using a template drawing you would normally have only the blocks that your pretty sure you want to use then insert all other blocks as required, thats the idea of design manager. Or using a menu systems etc to pick blocks to be used then they do not have to exist in your current drawing.

 

We have all our blocks in a master blocks directory with sub group directory and a menu system to pick not sure but we have 300+ blocks. Most of the time we pick by image and not block name.

 

Also even if you have the 162 blocks in a dwg how do you remember what you called them unless your using some form of block manager.

 

As per Remark its pretty easy to wblock all 162 in one go you just need a script or search here for a lisp

wblock block1 c:\myblocks

wblock block2 c:\myblocks (not quite right syntax but you should get the idea)

[pvd]

Thanks guys, as I understand, there isn't an easy way to do this. I been asked to copy these blocks from one drawing to another. But as these blocks don't appear in modelspace - they are just loaded in the designmanager and I need to get them out of there - there's no other way than dragging them one by one into my new drawing unless I find a LISP that does it for me...In the end, these blocks don't interest me anymore, I was just curious if there's a way to do this...(seems like I've nothing else to do here..)

 

Goodmorning to you Remark and Goodevening for you Bigal!

[ReMark]

If the blocks are indeed in this one drawing and you do not want to drag & drop them via Design Center into a second drawing then do a "copy/paste" between the two drawings. Just grab all the blocks in one fell swoop.

[pvd]

But it's not possible to grab more than one block from the designcenter and drag them in a drawing, or did I missunderstand? (I start needing coffee too...)

[ReMark]

You'll notice there was no mention of Design Center in my last post.

[pvd]

Excuse my stupidity Remark, but as I said before, these blocks aren't anywhere but in my Design Center...no comprendo. Thanks for you help though.

[eldon]

Have you tried to Insert the drawing with the blocks, into the other drawing

[ReMark]

I do not understand how all 162 blocks show up in Design Center but they aren't in the original drawing. Maybe we're talking two different features of AutoCAD. Maybe you're talking about Tool Palettes and not Design Center.

 

When I use Design Center to look at what is in another drawing file I see all the blocks that have been inserted and used in that drawing.

[Dana W]

Excuse my stupidity Remark, but as I said before, these blocks aren't anywhere but in my Design Center...no comprendo. Thanks for you help though.

 

The blocks are in a drawing somewhere. The design center merely opens a path to them. Click your 'tree view toggle' button on the top of the design center dialog box so you can see where you have been navigated to. You can nav the design center all over your C: drive or your network, and even pick up blocks from your own recent drawings.

 

I am assuming you are having trouble using the design center. I appologize in advance if that is not the issue.

[pvd]

I think these blocks have been erased but still are in the designcenter. If I would purge the drawing I think these blocks will dissappear. I will try to insert the drawing into the other drawing by: "wblock" and then choose "entire drawing"? But then I suppose I still will have to get them out of the design center one by one before I can use them no? Don't ask why I wanna do this, I have just been asked to do this, if it's possible in the first place...

[dbroada]

do these blocks show on the drop down list if you type INSERT in the drawing? If they are I would insert this drawing into the other one and all the block then become available (until you purge). If they don't show on the drop down list I have to assume design centre has got in a muddle and they are now lost.

[ReMark]

As long as the blocks haven't been purged from the original drawing then you should be able to get a list of the block definitions that still exist inside the drawing and you should still be able to click on the block (via Design Center) and bring it into your new drawing. You just wouldn't be able to bring multiple blocks into your drawing at the same time.

 

You are making this more difficult than it needs to be. As previously suggested insert the original drawing in its entirety into the new drawing then blow away anything you don't need OR open the original drawing, erase what you don't want then do a "Save As" using a different drawing file name. This drawing then becomes the basis of your new drawing.

 

Now stop wasting more time and words and just do it. None of us is getting any younger waiting for this to happen! LOL