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Groups and blocks

When a set of objects belongs together (a desk with its chair, a kitchen unit, a repeated detail), stop manipulating the parts one by one. ATIS.cad gives you two levels of packaging, both in Home > Modify.

Create a block​

  1. Select the objects (window selection is the fastest, see Select and edit objects).
  2. Click Create block and give it a name.

A block created from a rectangle and a circle

The selection becomes a single block instance. It selects, moves and copies as one unit, which is exactly what you want for furniture and repeated symbols:

Two instances of the same block, placed with Copy

Explode a block​

To edit the inside of a block instance, select it and click Explode in Home > Modify. The instance is replaced by its component entities, and the status bar counts them, for example "Exploded: 2 entities created."

The exploded instance is back to editable entities

Explode also matters for imported DWG files: some AutoCAD objects arrive as block instances you cannot edit directly, and Explode is the way to open them up.

Groups​

A group is a lighter association: click Group to tie the selected objects together under a name, and Ungroup to dissolve the association. Unlike a block, a group does not create a reusable definition, it just keeps companions together.

If you have any questions or need further information, please contact the technical team.