Write blocks to save them as separate files

By Ellen Finkelstein

When you create a block in a drawing, you should think if it will be useful in other drawings.

You can access that block from other drawings using the DesignCenter or Content Explorer, but you’ll probably need to remember where the block was, in order to find it.

Instead, many people create block libraries, putting several blocks in a special block library drawing, or putting each block in a separate drawing. Because you name and store these drawings specially to make them easy to find and identify, the blocks they contain are easier to find.

For example, you may have a folder named Blocks. And you could name a drawing with a double-hung window block in it Double-Hung Window. That certainly helps you to find it!

To save a block in your drawing as a separate file, you use the WBLOCK command. This is called writing (saving) the block. Follow these steps:

Select the block that you want to write. (This saves you from having to find it in the drop-down list of all the blocks in your drawing when you open the Write Block dialog box.)
Type wblock on the command line. The Write Block dialog box opens.

In the Source section, choose Block. Your selected block appears in the drop-down list.
Click the Ellipsis button to navigate to the desired location and enter the desired drawing name in the File Name text box. Click Save.
In the Insert Units drop-down list, choose a unit type, if desired.
Click OK.

How do you keep track of drawings and create a block library? Leave a comment!

Author
Recent Posts

Ellen Finkelstein

Ellen Finkelstein is the author of the best-selling AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT Bible, which started with R14. Ellen has written extensively on AutoCAD, including articles for Autodesk’s website and features for AutoCAD’s Help system. Ellen’s first book was AutoCAD For Dummies Quick Reference.

Latest posts by Ellen Finkelstein (see all)

Combine or subtract 2D shapes to create custom shapes - February 17, 2022
Working with linetype scales - January 18, 2022
Rename named objects–blocks, dimension styles, layers, and more - December 21, 2021

shruti

December 26, 2012 at 2:05 am

Is there any way to find out the location of cad file from which the block is taken into drawing..?
as i save one cad dwg file with so many blocks,i took one block from it n copy paste to my drawing, n now i want to take another block from that cad dwg file n i forget the name of it.how can i find out?
pls revert back as soon as possible.

Tim

May 19, 2014 at 4:41 pm

Is there a way to change the name of a block?

May 20, 2014 at 3:24 pm

Try the RENAME command. I explain it here – https://allaboutcad.com/find-all-named-objects-in-a-drawing/

James

November 5, 2014 at 5:46 pm

I have a drawing from a third party which has multiple different blocks in it.

Is there a way that in one command you can write each different block out to a drawing file? Or does it have to be done individually with WBLOCK?

visnja

January 25, 2015 at 9:32 am

Thank you so much. I have situatation when I create dynamic block with atribute, and make wblock, than insert in new drawing….I could’n see characteristics of dynamic block. Probably I make mistake with sourse in writw block and missing sing -Block. I waste so much time to find solutions of this problem. It is very helpfull.