autocad blocks for point marker library

[petergil]

A Civil 3d newbee here. Can anyone tell me where are the autocad blocks for point marker are stored in the C drive? id like to add more blocks this library to set my point marker style.

TY,

Peter

[petergil · Accepted solution]

I answered my own question TY, user settings points to the folder where it puts symbols.

[Sinc]

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@petergil wrote:

I answered my own question TY, user settings points to the folder where it puts symbols.

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It sounds like you are using Land Desktop (aka "Civil 3D Land Desktop Companion")...?

Civil 3D itself is different, and the blocks are actually stored within each drawing.  To create more Point Markers in Civil 3D, you would INSERT the blocks into your drawing template and then use them to create new Point Styles.

[petergil]

Im using Civil 3D. Thanks for that info...I guess I was overthinking it. Just bring in a block into your template dwg and it should be there as a choice to pick from for point markers..

Keep it simple stupid answer.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

Sinc (or anyone else) -  If you are working on an existing file and did not think of doing that before hand, is there a way to insert it into the drawing?  Also, when you open a new file from template, how come the blocks don't show up if you have essentially loaded up all these blocks? I am in the middle of setting up some new desc keys and already working within a file (wrong move but trying to run in parallel for the next project) and don't really want to start over from scratch. 

[mathewkol]

Like Sinc said. Insert the desired blocks into the drawing. They will then be available for use to create point styles.

[Anonymous]

I got that, but how do you not show them when you insert it or do you show it but show it in a box?  The NCS comes with blocks but they are no where in the model space (or are they just invisible).  

[AllenJessup]

The block description [the portion of the drawing database that defines the block] is separate from the block instance that appears in the drawing. That's what makes blocks more efficient than a bunch of individual objects collected in a Group. IOW You have one block definition for however many instances of that block appear in the drawing.

So you can have a block definition in drawing without any instances. If you use the -insert command and hit ESC when asked for the insertion point. You will have the definition in the drawing with no instance of the block. Otherwise just insert the block and then erase that instance of the block.

This is also why you have to Purge the unreferenced block definition from drawings to reduce their size.

Allen

[Anonymous]

Thanks Allen, that makes sense!

[Anonymous]

Allen,

If you do it that way, what layer gets used?  I always like to insert new blocks on 0.  Does the -insert use the current layer??

Thanks,

Reid

[mathewkol]

Any AutoCAD insert command will use the current layer. If you hit ESC before you pick an insertion point as Allen suggests, there will be no block reference, therefore nothing gets put on any layer.

[AllenJessup]

That's it. The definition is added to the drawing. Insert will uses the current layer. A style will insert the block depending on how the style is set up.

Allen

[Anonymous]

AllenJessup -  Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't the block itself that you are trying to insert needs to be drawn on the 0 layer so that if you use it like a point marker on a description key, it will assume the characteristics of the layer that the user is trying to place the block on. 

[AllenJessup]

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@Anonymous wrote:

doesn't the block itself that you are trying to insert needs to be drawn on the 0 layer so that if you use it like a point marker on a description key,  

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Yes. If that's what you're using it for and how you want it to behave. But I'm referring to inserting a block that has already been defined externally to the drawing you're working in. If you insert an external block and abort the actual insertion, the block definition contains what layer it's components were drawn on.  But that's not necessarily the layer the instance of the block will be inserted on.

Allen