Block > Insert (Library Menu)

This command can be used to insert an instance of a block into a drawing. Instances of blocks which are not currently in memory can be inserted. These will (as long as automatic library loading is enabled) be loaded automatically.

After choosing this command the "Insert Block" dialog appears, where the block to insert can be chosen.

After closing the dialog by clicking on "OK", a rectangle with a cross through it appears at the cursor. The rectangle represents the block to be inserted. It is already rotated and sized according to the chosen settings.

The point at which the block is inserted is chosen by clicking the mouse at any chosen point within the drawing.

If the corresponding option was checked, the rotation angle can be entered by clicking the mouse anywhere in the drawing. Its position relative to the insertion point determines the angle.

After specifying the insertion point (and the angle, if applicable), an instance of the chosen block is created. If the "Edit" check box in the "Local Attributes" section has been enabled, the "Edit Attributes" dialog appears in which the local attributes of the instance can be edited. If this dialog is closed by clicking on the "Cancel" button, the instance is still created. The alterations to the attributes will however be ignored.

For information on attribute display inside blocks see Attributes.

The instance which is generated will not automatically be assigned to the current layer. Instead, the command Layers > Defaults is used to decide whether they should be assigned to the current layer, or another specified layer. The instance is drawn using the current pen and the appearance of the instanced block is not changed.

An instance of a block can only be displayed if the relevant block is loaded to memory. If, at a later time, this is not the case (e.g. because the relevant library is not available), a text in the form "(Library Name) Block Name" is shown at the insertion point. The instance itself can however be manipulated as usual. Local attributes can be edited and commands like copying, rotating and scaling work as normal. As soon as the block is available again, the instance is displayed again. If a drawing is going to be given to someone who does not have the library, all external blocks should be converted to internal blocks (see Convert External Blocks).