You can insert blocks defined in the block table of the current drawing after creating a BlockReference object and then appending it to a BlockTableRecord object with the AppendEntity method. When you create a new BlockReference, you pass the constructor the origin for the block reference to be inserted at and the ObjectID of the BlockTableRecord object the geometry should be inherited from.
You can also insert an entire drawing file into the current drawing by using the ReadDwgFile method to open a drawing file in memory, and then use the Insert method to insert the drawing in memory into the current drawing. When you insert an entire drawing into another drawing, AutoCAD treats the inserted drawing like any other block reference. Subsequent insertions reference the block definition (which contains the geometric description of the block) with different position, scale, and rotation settings.
If you change the original drawing after inserting it, the changes have no effect on the inserted block. If you want the inserted block to reflect the changes you made to the original drawing, you can redefine the block by reinserting the original drawing.
By default, AutoCAD uses the coordinate (0, 0, 0) as the base point when inserting a drawing file. You can change the base point of a drawing by opening the original drawing and using the SetSystemVariable method to specify a different insertion base point for the INSBASE system variable. AutoCAD uses the new base point the next time you insert the drawing.
If the drawing you insert contains PaperSpace objects, those objects are not included in the current drawing's block definition. To use the PaperSpace objects in another drawing, open the original drawing and define the PaperSpace objects as a block. You can insert the drawing into another drawing in either paper space or model space.
A block reference cannot be iterated to find the original objects that compose it. However, you can iterate the original block definition, or you can explode the block reference into its original components.
You can also insert an array of blocks using the MInsertBlock object. This object type does not insert a single block into your drawing, as using the BlockReference object does, but instead inserts an array of the specified block.
For more information on inserting blocks, see “About Inserting Blocks” in the product Help system.
This example defines a block and adds a circle to the block definition. It then inserts the block into the drawing as a block reference.
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Geometry
<CommandMethod("InsertingABlock")> _
Public Sub InsertingABlock()
' Get the current database and start a transaction
Dim acCurDb As Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.Database
acCurDb = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Database
Using acTrans As Transaction = acCurDb.TransactionManager.StartTransaction()
' Open the Block table for read
Dim acBlkTbl As BlockTable
acBlkTbl = acTrans.GetObject(acCurDb.BlockTableId, OpenMode.ForRead)
Dim blkRecId As ObjectId = ObjectId.Null
If Not acBlkTbl.Has("CircleBlock") Then
Using acBlkTblRec As New BlockTableRecord
acBlkTblRec.Name = "CircleBlock"
' Set the insertion point for the block
acBlkTblRec.Origin = New Point3d(0, 0, 0)
' Add a circle to the block
Using acCirc As New Circle
acCirc.Center = New Point3d(0, 0, 0)
acCirc.Radius = 2
acBlkTblRec.AppendEntity(acCirc)
acBlkTbl.UpgradeOpen()
acBlkTbl.Add(acBlkTblRec)
acTrans.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(acBlkTblRec, True)
End Using
blkRecId = acBlkTblRec.Id
End Using
Else
blkRecId = acBlkTbl("CircleBlock")
End If
' Insert the block into the current space
If blkRecId <> ObjectId.Null Then
Using acBlkRef As New BlockReference(New Point3d(0, 0, 0), blkRecId)
Dim acCurSpaceBlkTblRec As BlockTableRecord
acCurSpaceBlkTblRec = acTrans.GetObject(acCurDb.CurrentSpaceId, OpenMode.ForWrite)
acCurSpaceBlkTblRec.AppendEntity(acBlkRef)
acTrans.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(acBlkRef, True)
End Using
End If
' Save the new object to the database
acTrans.Commit()
' Dispose of the transaction
End Using
End Sub
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Geometry;
[CommandMethod("InsertingABlock")]
public void InsertingABlock()
{
// Get the current database and start a transaction
Database acCurDb;
acCurDb = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Database;
using (Transaction acTrans = acCurDb.TransactionManager.StartTransaction())
{
// Open the Block table for read
BlockTable acBlkTbl;
acBlkTbl = acTrans.GetObject(acCurDb.BlockTableId, OpenMode.ForRead) as BlockTable;
ObjectId blkRecId = ObjectId.Null;
if (!acBlkTbl.Has("CircleBlock"))
{
using (BlockTableRecord acBlkTblRec = new BlockTableRecord())
{
acBlkTblRec.Name = "CircleBlock";
// Set the insertion point for the block
acBlkTblRec.Origin = new Point3d(0, 0, 0);
// Add a circle to the block
using (Circle acCirc = new Circle())
{
acCirc.Center = new Point3d(0, 0, 0);
acCirc.Radius = 2;
acBlkTblRec.AppendEntity(acCirc);
acBlkTbl.UpgradeOpen();
acBlkTbl.Add(acBlkTblRec);
acTrans.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(acBlkTblRec, true);
}
blkRecId = acBlkTblRec.Id;
}
}
else
{
blkRecId = acBlkTbl["CircleBlock"];
}
// Insert the block into the current space
if (blkRecId != ObjectId.Null)
{
using (BlockReference acBlkRef = new BlockReference(new Point3d(0, 0, 0), blkRecId))
{
BlockTableRecord acCurSpaceBlkTblRec;
acCurSpaceBlkTblRec = acTrans.GetObject(acCurDb.CurrentSpaceId, OpenMode.ForWrite) as BlockTableRecord;
acCurSpaceBlkTblRec.AppendEntity(acBlkRef);
acTrans.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(acBlkRef, true);
}
}
// Save the new object to the database
acTrans.Commit();
// Dispose of the transaction
}
}
Sub InsertingABlock()
' Define the block
Dim blockObj As AcadBlock
Dim insertionPnt(0 To 2) As Double
insertionPnt(0) = 0
insertionPnt(1) = 0
insertionPnt(2) = 0
Set blockObj = ThisDrawing.Blocks.Add(insertionPnt, "CircleBlock")
' Add a circle to the block
Dim circleObj As AcadCircle
Dim center(0 To 2) As Double
Dim radius As Double
center(0) = 0
center(1) = 0
center(2) = 0
rad = 2
Set circleObj = blockObj.AddCircle(center, rad)
' Insert the block
Dim blockRefObj As AcadBlockReference
insertionPnt(0) = 0
insertionPnt(1) = 0
insertionPnt(2) = 0
Set blockRefObj = ThisDrawing.ModelSpace.InsertBlock(insertionPnt, "CircleBlock", 1, 1, 1, 0)
End Sub