inserting custom tool palette

[jgdean]

Hi everyone, I recently got a new drafting job for a chemical plant. The issue that I am having is that they are using AutoCAD 2004. That version came out when I was a freshman in high school and I am lost. I am trying to insert the custom blocks that pertain to our design standards, but I am getting nowhere. It is frustrating beyond belief and if anyone can help me it would be awesome.

 

I have the blocks in a separate folder. I am getting to the customize tool palette option, but every time I try and import these files the folders show up empty. Admittedly, I am not the greatest with the complexities of AutoCAD because I picked it up on the job and never had any "official" training; however, it has also been two years since I've had to do this and I am a little rusty... I'd like to think it's just that because they are using decade old software. Annnnnnyways, any help would be great. Thanks guys!

[humpo]

open the drawing with the blocks, then just drag them to your palette. i suggest making your own tab by right clicking and selecting new palette on the palette window.

 

hope this makes sense

[jgdean]

open the drawing with the blocks, then just drag them to your palette. i suggest making your own tab by right clicking and selecting new palette on the palette window.

 

hope this makes sense

 

Thanks humpo, but the file I am trying to make into palettes has over a thousand blocks either in a single palette box or in dropdown boxes. I am trying to avoid opening up that many drawings and do it all one by one but I will if I have to. haha

 

If I did not understand you correctly and you weren't saying to do it that way then I apologize.

[tzframpton]

Open up Design Center (Type DC at the command line). Under the Folders browser window, browse to the DWG file that contains all the blocks. Expand the file, and click on Blocks. Select all the blocks, right-click and select "Create Tool Palette".

 

This is the easiest way to create a Tool Palette for lots of blocks at once. Hope this is what you were looking for.

[humpo]

are you trying to move the blocks on to a palette for quick repeated access or just insert them into a drawing?

 

EDIT: see above

[jgdean]

Basically, I need these blocks for everyday use. The blocks that I am trying to insert are the same ones that I use every day to do my job. There are at least 15 different palettes I would need to add onto my work station. I am trying to get into the design center; however, I am having trouble getting the program to recognize any shortcuts. I've tried everything that it could and/or should be. (design_center, desingcenteronline, dc, dconline, etc.) I think that if I can get in there I would be able to get everything set up.

[steven-g]

I would think Ctrl+2 should open it up even in your version

[ReMark]

Follow the advice given in post #4 by StykFace. It will be to your benefit.

[Ski_Me]

I don't think that his blocks are in one single drawing. jgdean you will need to create a drawing file that contains the blocks you want to use. Start a new drawing name it something relevant then start inserting your blocks into it. Once this is done then you can create your pallet. Open design center right click select new pallet then navigate to your newly created file with all your blocks in it select it and your done. I know it's time consuming but think of it as painting and remember 90% of painting is prep. By the way if you don't want your pallet to be big and huge with 1000 blocks then group your blocks by use and create more than one file. I can't imagine you have 1000 blocks that have the same use. I have found that setting up AutoCAD to work the way that you want it to you need to start at the end result and work backwards from that.

[tzframpton]

I don't think that his blocks are in one single drawing. jgdean you will need to create a drawing file that contains the blocks you want to use.

Hold your horses... you can still do this.

 

If the blocks are individually separated as one block per file, then simply copy/move all the DWGs into a single folder. In Design Center, browse to the folder that contain all the blocks, right click on the folder and then select "Create Tool Palettes from Blocks". It might be good to take initiative and organize the blocks using directories, so you don't have one Tool Palette with 1,000 blocks on it. I'm sure there will be lots of filtering that will need to take place, but it's easier to Ctrl+Select/Shift+Select and Delete from a Tool Palette rather than build a Tool Palette one block at a time.

 

Hope this helps.