Creating CustomBlocks

You can create CustomBlocks by adding constraints, activities, and elements to existing Blocks in the Block Editor.

To create a CustomBlock:

1. Plan the CustomBlock in advance.

   Before creating a CustomBlock, carefully consider what you want to create. Take into account the sizes that should change, the relationship between entities, and the set of entities that vary or not.

2. Define the Block.

   Draw the entities in the graphics area and define the Block using the MakeBlock command.

3. Open the Block in the Block Editor.

   You can create a CustomBlock from any existing Block by adding the required features to its definition in the Block Editor. This lets you control the CustomBlock appearance after you insert the CustomBlock in the drawing. See Using the Block Editor.

   Note: Use the EditBlock command to open a specified Block in the Block Editor.

4. Apply constraints to the CustomBlock.

   Specify the geometric and dimensional constraints using the available tools. Applying constraints forces geometric assemblies to modify their shapes and positions. See Adding Constraints.

5. Add elements to the CustomBlock.

   Add elements to specify entities that you want to change. Specify the number of grip points and their positions. See Adding Elements.

6. Apply activities to the elements.

   Associate activities to elements to specify how to change. See Applying Activities to CustomBlock Definitions.

7. Test the CustomBlock.

   Test the CustomBlock definition without closing the Block Editor. See Testing CustomBlocks.

8. Save the CustomBlock.

   Save the CustomBlock definition under a specified name for later use within a drawing. See Saving CustomBlocks.

This topic discusses:

• Using the Block Editor
• Adding Elements
• Applying Activities to CustomBlock Definitions
• Using Element Sets
• Controlling the Visibility of CustomBlock Entities
• Associating Data to CustomBlocks
• Testing CustomBlocks