Save time and control the drawing size by inserting references to a set of objects that have been combined to form a block.
Sources of Block Definitions
You can insert blocks from these sources:
Blocks defined in the current drawing.
Other drawing files inserted as blocks into the current drawing.
Blocks defined in other drawing files, called block library drawings, which can be inserted into the current drawing.
Blocks created by online vendors and services. These blocks are often associated with specific parts or products.
Insert Blocks
When you insert a block reference, you specify its location, scale, and rotation. Subsequent references to that block definition can be inserted in different locations, scales, and rotation angles. When a block is inserted into a drawing, it is scaled automatically according to the ration of units defined in the drawing to the units defined in the block. For example, if the unit of measurement is meters in the destination drawing and centimeters in the block, the block is inserted at 1/100 scale.
Although a block reference is always inserted on the current layer, the block reference preserves the properties in the block definition. This means, for example, that blocks can have multiple colors even when they are inserted on a layer set to red or some other color.
Several tools are available for inserting blocks, and which tool you decide to use depends on factors such as how many blocks you typically need in a drawing and whether you use a large variety of source drawings.
Ribbon Gallery
Blocks Palette
Tool Palettes
DesignCenter
Drawings in Folders
Try each of these tools to determine which of them is more appropriate to your environment. You can dock the palettes and DesignCenter; then turn on auto-hide for convenience and efficient use of the drawing area.
You can remove block references in a drawing by erasing them, however, you remove unused block definitions from the drawing by purging them with the PURGE command.