Hey guys, I made some custom details/sections and I turned them into Blocks. But how do I save them to the trimble database so I can import them to any future drawings? Do you know what I mean? Thanks
Export the blocks as DWG files - you need to have an instance of the block in the TBC project and select that to export - typically I place those at around 0,0 so I can easily find them and delete the instances of the block that get imported. By bringing in an instance you also bring in the definition.
Alternately import the instances into your project template and then delete the instances leaving only the block definitions and then save your template as a template - that way the block references will always be in your projects going forwards.
Alan
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Export the linework that was used to create the blocks as a DXF/DWG to import into your new project. Then create blocks from the DXF/DWG. Then you can delete that linework as you will have the blocks created in the project.
Thanks for the quick responses! Well I am a newbie so I will try my best at some of these suggestions. I dont know what an “instance” is however.
Hey thanks, this sounds pretty simple but im still new so i will give it a try!
When you create a block you draw a bunch of lines and text first then you say create a block and then you select the lines and text that you drew and make them into a block. The block is an object that is stored in the project but currently it is just a definition that references all of the lines and text that you selected. Then you say insert a block - you pick the one that you just created from the list, set the scale and orientation and then place it here here and here. The three blocks you created are instances - they are a block that references the master block definition which references all of the lines and text that you drew. They remain as instances until e.g. you explode them (which creates a new set of lines and text at and around the location where you placed the block instance. You can also delete an instance of a block but the original block definition is still in the project - you just cannot see it or what it looks like unless there is an instance of it placed somewhere or you run the command to place a block somewhere.
So to export a block that you have defined - you have to insert a block in the drawing somewhere and then export that instance to a file format - best format for blocks is dwg. To export it, you select the instance and that can only exist if it has the block definition so on export it writes the block definition plus the instance definition that could be scaled up or down and or rotated etc.
Then you start a new project for example. That does not have your block definition. You import the dwg of your block(s) and that will create the instances in the project as well as the block definitions. You can then delete the instances but you will still have the definitions available to you to use using insert block command.
If you create the block definitions and no instances you can save the project as a template and whenever you start a project using that template the block definitions will be available to you directly.
Hopefully this explains it better
Alan
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