In AutoCAD, you typically insert elements such as blocks, external references (Xrefs), images, or other drawing components. The most common type of insertion for reusable content within a drawing is inserting blocks.
To insert a block in AutoCAD:
- Navigate to the Home tab on the ribbon.
- Locate the Blocks panel.
- Click the Insert button.
Clicking the Insert button on the Home tab's Blocks panel displays a gallery of blocks that are currently defined in your drawing. This allows you to quickly select and place frequently used blocks without opening a separate palette.
Understanding the Insert Options:
The Insert button often presents additional options below the main gallery, as described in the reference:
- Recent Blocks: Clicking this option opens the Blocks palette specifically to the "Recent" tab. This tab lists blocks you have recently inserted, making it easy to re-insert them.
- Blocks from Libraries: Clicking this option opens the Blocks palette to the "Libraries" tab. This tab allows you to access block definitions from specified drawing files or folders, acting as block libraries. This is useful for standard components or shared resources across multiple projects.
Using the Blocks palette (Recent Blocks or Blocks from Libraries) provides more control over insertion options like insertion point, scale, and rotation before placing the block in your drawing.
Essentially, inserting in AutoCAD involves selecting an existing drawing element (like a block) and placing it into the current drawing file at a specified location, scale, and rotation. The method starting from the Home tab, Blocks panel, click Insert is a direct way to begin this process, especially for blocks already in the drawing or recently used.
