
First, you need to establish a parameter, and then you want to apply an action to it. So, creating dynamic blocks is basically a two-step process. And you should see this block authoring pallet open up, and if you don’t, just click this little icon on the ribbon up here. Now, let’s turn it into a dynamic block, and to do that I’m gonna double click on it and that will bring me into block editing mode. OK, now when I select it you can see the base point there and the whole thing is one single block. So, I’m gonna click “OK” and select this point right here where the foundation wall hits the footing as my base point. We’re gonna call it “Foundation Section”, and notice that I have “Specify on Screen for the Base Point” there checked. This way later on I can delete them, and they won’t be cluttering up my block library because they’re all gonna be folded into this new block of a wall section.Īnyway, let me grab the whole thing now, and turn it into a block, I’ll hit “B” for Block. But if these are gonna become part of a larger block, I don’t need them anymore. These are actually little blocks unto themselves which was a handy thing to have if I’m gonna do things conventionally. This J-bolt up top, and also these little cross-sections of rebar.

But ya know, before we do I want to point something out.

OK, so here’s a section of the wall and let’s turn it into a block. So let me grab a copy of this wall and drag it out there (and we don’t need this piece right here let me get rid of that).

So, we’re gonna start from the ground up with the foundation wall. Or at least there are no dynamic blocks, and you’ll see what I mean by that in a second. It’s a cross-section of a house and right now it’s drawn conventionally, there are no blocks at all in this thing. So, my plan here is to create a series of videos kinda centered around this little house that I have drawn here. So now I use them all the time, and I want you to as well. But after I got the hang of them, I found they really were a snap! And I’m telling ya, they just save me hours and hours of drafting time. Hey guys, Mike Dugan your AutoCAD guru! Welcome to everything you’ve ever wanted to know about dynamic blocks but was afraid to ask! Ya know, when I first started experimenting with these things, I found them a bit, I don’t know… a little scary, a little terrifying, a little intimidating.
