[solved] Understanding differences in blocks, templates and how they appear in different block "spaces"

Tips and tricks you want to share with other users. Tutorials, user submitted documentation, etc.

Moderator: andrew

Post Reply
simpsonrr
Junior Member
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Jan 16, 2021 8:24 pm
Location: IL, USA

[solved] Understanding differences in blocks, templates and how they appear in different block "spaces"

Post by simpsonrr » Sat Jan 23, 2021 4:40 pm

I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate a drawing frame template I got from this website, into an existing drawing that I already had started. I'm a little confused about if I can place a template as a block, that is what I tried. But I'm missing something here as I can look at the frame and drawing separately in the block list. Model space shows my drawing, and block_1 shows the frame template. but I can't see them at the same time even though all layers are visible. I can also see that when you do a print preview that the frame obviously needs to be scaled and moved to center so drawing shows correctly centered. I am attaching my file for you to look at and give me some help with Model space and paper space, or point me to other tutorials that will get me on the right track.
Sandbath Flange 3-8 Rx v2.dxf
(208.48 KiB) Downloaded 882 times

User avatar
Husky
Moderator/Drawing Help/Testing
Posts: 4931
Joined: Wed May 11, 2011 9:25 am
Location: USA

Re: Understanding differences in blocks, templates and how they appear in different block "spaces"

Post by Husky » Sat Jan 23, 2021 9:57 pm

Hi,

looks like you have already everything what you need. Basically you need to insert the blocks from the Block List into the Model_Space. Keep in mind: If you intent to print with a scale of 1:10 then you have to compensate the Paper_Frame etc with a counter-scale factor of 10.

What is your intended print scale? Looks like something like 1" = 3" but that would be an unusual scale ...
Work smart, not hard: QCad Pro
Win10/64, QcadPro, QcadCam version: Current.
If a thread is considered as "solved" please change the title of the first post to "[solved] Title..."

simpsonrr
Junior Member
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Jan 16, 2021 8:24 pm
Location: IL, USA

Re: Understanding differences in blocks, templates and how they appear in different block "spaces"

Post by simpsonrr » Sat Jan 23, 2021 11:26 pm

It doesn't have a scale. I scaled to fit letter size paper since my printer doesn't do legal or ledger paper. It's pretty straight forward, shouldn't need to scale drawing. If I had a B size printer, I would of printed it to full scale.
Are templates and blocks the same, basically just a group made into a dwg file, but kept in different folders and placed from different menu's and can be placed in any drawing? I don't know if you looked at the drawing in different model_spaces, somehow part of the revision block shows up but the rest of the drawing frame doesn't. If you do a Print Preview, it is there but grayed out and doesn't print. I'm missing something but don't know what.

User avatar
Husky
Moderator/Drawing Help/Testing
Posts: 4931
Joined: Wed May 11, 2011 9:25 am
Location: USA

Re: Understanding differences in blocks, templates and how they appear in different block "spaces"

Post by Husky » Sun Jan 24, 2021 12:31 am

Ok, let say we have to scale it 1:2.5 to fit on a letter sized paper ...

To make it easy: Delete in Model_Space the already inserted "Title block",
Block List --> insert Block_1 with a scale of 2.5,
place it in Model_Space,
launch Print Preview,
switch color mode to Black/White,
set the scale to 1:2.5,
use the Auto Center Button in the option bar,
print it to paper or pdf.

Print setup.gif
Print setup.gif (1.48 MiB) Viewed 20567 times

simpsonrr wrote:
Sat Jan 23, 2021 11:26 pm
Are templates and blocks the same, basically just a group made into a dwg file, but kept in different folders and placed from different menu's and can be placed in any drawing?
Yes and no:
No. Templates and Blocks are not the same.
Yes, they are stored in different places.
A block stored in an actual drawing is a group of entities which can be used in that actual drawing.
A block stored in the Library is a group of entities which can be used in differed drawings.
A template could exist out of entities, out of blocks or a combination of entities and blocks. It can also have preassigned Layer with all Attributes. Examples can be fount below Menu / File / New from Template
Work smart, not hard: QCad Pro
Win10/64, QcadPro, QcadCam version: Current.
If a thread is considered as "solved" please change the title of the first post to "[solved] Title..."

simpsonrr
Junior Member
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Jan 16, 2021 8:24 pm
Location: IL, USA

Re: Understanding differences in blocks, templates and how they appear in different block "spaces"

Post by simpsonrr » Sun Jan 24, 2021 4:44 pm

Thank you, this helps. I appreciate the extra time you put in answering questions like this.

Post Reply

Return to “QCAD Tips and Tutorials”