Creatinga Dynamic Block contained in its own file

[believemoore]

This is going to sound extremly noobish, but I am having a lot of trouble creating a dynamic block as a seperate file. STARTING FROM SCRATCH:

 

-I create what I want my 'block01' to look like

-Then use the create block command in which now I have my block

-Go into the block editor and put the attributes and parameters that I want

-Then save as Block01.dwg.

 

Thats its! A block as a seperate dwg file is all I want. I want to save this block as a dwg so that if down the road I need this block I can just go Insert > Blocks Folder > Block01 and there it is with all its dynamicness. BUT I keep getting an invalid when I try to insert the block into a drawing because it says its referencing itself. I guess I understand this because if I go into Block01.dwg sitting there is the block itself. With all the other block.dwg files we have here when I open the drawing it ask if I want to go straight into the block editor, but not mine and I can't figure it out. I'm sorry if this is a little hard to understand.

[dbroada]

it references itself as you have a blocked named Block01 inside a drawing called Block01. AutoCAD can't work out which part it wants. There are (at least) two ways forwards....

 

I would rename the file that contains the block and then WBLOCK your block to its own file.

 

Alternatively you can explode the block within your current drawing. You then won't be able to test the block and when you open up this file you should get a message box something similar to "your drawing contains block authorign elements, do you want to open in block editor mode?"

 

I am sure there are other posibilites but they are the two that spring to mind.

[SLW210]

You could use Design Center or create a tool palette for inserting your block.

[qball]

open a new file, type Bedit, then start from there. Like Dbroada said, you're creating a block within the same file name.

If you're in a drawing file and you use the Block command, you can create the block, and then Wblock it to your Blocks folder. But it's better to just start a new file. And use the Test Block window.

[qball]

I just checked, if you go into your File, and Wblock the dynamic block to a separate file location (or name) you can retain all the work you did and not have to start over.

[dbroada]

And use the Test Block window.

is that new? I don't think I have one of those with 2008.

[dbroada]

I just checked, if you go into your File, and Wblock the dynamic block to a separate file location (or name) you can retain all the work you did and not have to start over.

that's why I suggested changing the existing file name before WBLOCKing the block.

[qball]

I think it's new for 2010. very nice.

[dbroada]

I think it's new for 2010. very nice.

I'd say essential rather than nice. 2008 doesn't lend itself to the 1 block/file method without a means of testing it.