Chapter 10

Using and Creating Symbols

Objectives

• Set the scale of a drawing for inserting symbols• Use the DesignCenter and Content Browser to

insert symbols in a drawing• Insert and modify multi-view blocks• Define the display representation for a multi-view

and mask block• Create and insert mask blocks• Attach mask blocks to AutoCAD Architecture

objects to control display

Setting the Scale and Layer of the Drawing

• Specify scale from Drawing Window status bar

• Drawing Setup is used to view:– Units– Scale– Layer Standard– Display

Accessing the Content Browser and Design Center

• Select symbols from Design Tool Catalog-Imperial or Design Tool Catalog-Metric

Or• DesignCenter

from the Content panel of the Insert tab

Inserting Symbols from the Content Browser

Steps to Creating a Tool Palette and Adding Content

1. Right-click over the Tool Palettes title bar, and choose New Palette.

2. Overtype a new name to name the new palette.

3. To add content from the catalogs of the Content Browser.

4. Click on a Design Tool Catalog to open the catalog.

5. Click on a category to open the tool catalog.

6. Click on the i-drop of the tool in the tool catalog and drag the tool to the tool palette.

Design Center

Adding Content from the Design Center

• You can drag symbols from the Design Center to a tool palette

• Select the AEC Content tab to access symbols located in the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\ACA 2010\enu\AEC Content

Folders in the Design Center

• Metric– Bathroom– Domestic Furniture– Electrical Services– Kitchen Fittings– Office Furniture– Piped & Ducted

Services– Site

• Imperial– Conveying– Electrical– Equipment– Furnishings– General– Mechanical– Site– Special Constr– Specialties

Properties of Multi-View Blocks

• Basic-General– Description– Definition– Layer

• Scale– X– Y– Z

• Location– Specify rotation on

screen– Elevation– Additional Information

• Advanced– Insertion offsets– Attributes

Steps to Inserting Symbols from the Content Browser

1. Set running Object Snap

2. Select the scale from the Annotation Scale flyout of the Drawing Window Status Bar.

3. Choose the Content Browser from the Tools panel of the Home tab.

4. Open the Design Tool Catalog-Imperial or Design Tool Catalog-Metric

5. Click on the i-drop of the desired tool and drag the i-drop into the workspace.

6. Edit the Properties palette.

Multi-View Block Styles

• Multi-View Blocks• Controlling display

according to viewing direction is defined for each display representation.

• Multi-view blocks are created from view blocks in the Style Manager.

• View blocks specified for each Display Representation as shown at left.

Editing the Multi-View Block Definition

• MVBLOCKDEFEDIT• Select a multi-view block,

select Edit Style from the General panel of the Multi-View Block tab

• Multi-View Block Definition Properties dialog box opens which allows you to edit the definition of view blocks used to create the multi-view block.

Multi-View Block Definition Properties-View Blocks Tab

View Blocks Assigned to a Multi-view Block

Display Properties of Multi-view Blocks• A view direction is specified for each of the view blocks and display

representations

• If there are no view blocks defined for the Reflected display representation the multi-view block is not displayed when the Reflected display configuration is current.

• View blocks and display representations of a multi-view block are defined based upon the intended use of the multi-view block.

• Symbols created for a floor plan should be assigned the General display representation.

• Incandescent Lights, Switches and receptacle symbols are assigned to the General display representation

• Incandescent light symbols are assigned to the Reflected display representation

• Switch and light symbols are not assigned the Reflected display representation

Display Representations of Multi-view Blocks Defined in the Display Manager

Importing Multi-view Blocks in the Style Manager

Adding Multi-View Blocks

Steps to In-Place Edit of Insertion Offsets

1. Select a multi-view block and choose Edit View Block Offsets from the Modify panel in the Multi-view Block tab to display the grip of the insertion point.

2. Select the grip and move the cursor to display the dynamic dimensions as shown below.

3. Overtype dynamic dimension to specify the distance for edit.

4. Press the Esc key to remove block selection.

Accessing Layouts for Restroom Design• Layouts consist of several fixtures and symbols appropriate for

restroom layout.• Content Browser Layouts locations:

– Design Tool Catalog-Imperial\Mechanical\Plumbing Fixtures\Layouts folder

– Design Tool Catalog-Metric\Bathroom\Layouts

– Design Center-Imperial\Design\Mechanical\Plumbing Fixtures\Layouts or Metric\Design\Bathroom\Layouts

• Explode the layout upon insertion to edit the spacing of fixtures• Lavatories are anchored to a layout curve to evenly space the

fixtures.• The anchor nodes of the layout curve are located on G-Grid_Nplt

layer

Selecting a Layout from the Content Browser

Editing the Length of an Exploded Layout

• Fixtures are Spaced Evenly After Edit

Editing the Properties of a Layout Multi-View Block

Mask Block Symbols• Mask blocks are symbols which represent

features placed in the ceiling.

• Mask blocks are often used in reflected ceiling plans or other plan views which display ceiling grids.

• Mask blocks are located in the Mechanical\Air Distribution and Electrical\Lighting\Fluorescent folders of the Design Tool Catalog-Imperial

Selection of Mask Blocks

• If you drag the symbol from Design Center you are prompted to select the layout node to place the mask block.

• If you drag the i-drop from the tool catalog, you must use the Node object snap mode to snap to the ceiling grid.

Attaching Objects to Masking Blocks • (Select a masking block at p1

and choose Attach Objects from the Modify panel.)

• Select AEC entity to be masked: (Select the ceiling grid at p2 to attach the ceiling grid to the masking block.)

• (The Select Display Representation dialog box opens, listing the current display representation as shown below; select OK to dismiss the dialog box and mask the ceiling grid as shown at p3.

Steps to Creating a Self-Contained ProjectPart I

1. Select the Project tab of the Project Navigator.

2. Click the Project Properties button, shown at left to open the Project Properties dialog box.

3. In the Advanced section click in the right margin of Project Tool Palettes Group to display the drop-down list, select Shared workspace catalog.

Steps to Creating a Self-Contained Project Part II

4. Edit the paths as follows: Tool Palette Group = Project Folder\Project name\, Tool Content Root Path = Project Folder\Project name\Standards\Content, Content Browser Library = Project Folder\Project name\Standards\Tool Catalogs\Project Catalog Library.cbl.

5. Click OK to dismiss the Project Properties.

6. Click Content Browser on the Project tab of the Project Navigator to open the Project Catalog Library. Tools from custom tool palettes can be placed in Project Catalog.

Project Catalog Library

Tool Catalog Generator

• Select the Manage tab, choose Generate Tool Catalog from the Customization slide out panel

Steps to Creating Tool Palettes Using the Tool Catalog Generator

1. Choose the Manage tab. Choose the Tool Catalog Generator from the Customization panel.

2. Choose the Add to an existing catalog radio button. Edit the name and path to the current Project Name\Standards\Tool Catalogs\Project Catalog.atc.

3. Specify the source and path to drawings in the Content Source section. Edit the path to the Project Name\ of the current project.

Steps to Enabling Project Standards

1. Select Project Browser from the Quick Access toolbar. Open the project

2. Identify the location and name of drawings considered as standard.3. Select the Manage tab. 4. Choose Configure from the Project Standards panel to open the

Configure AEC Project Standards. Check the Enable project standards for project checkbox.

Steps to Applying Synchronization• Select the Standard Styles tab of the Configure AEC Project Standards dialog box. • Click the Add Drawing button. Specify the standard drawing and styles of the drawing to serve as a standard.• Select the Synchronization tab and choose the synchronization behavior. Select OK to dismiss the dialog box.• Select the Manage tab. Choose Synchronize DWG from the Project Standards panel.