To Create a Mask Block Tool

Use this procedure to create a mask block tool and add it to a tool palette. You may want to create your own mask block tools if you are placing multiple mask blocks of a specific style and they all have the same properties.

You can use any of the following methods to create a mask block tool:

• Drag a mask block that has the properties you want to a tool palette.
  Attention: Make sure that the mask block is in a drawing that has been saved and that will be available in the future.
• Drag a mask block definition from the Style Manager to a tool palette, and then customize the properties of the new tool.
• Drag a copy of a tool from another palette to the current palette, and then customize the properties of the new tool.
• Copy an existing tool in the current palette, and then customize the properties of the new tool.
• Drag a tool from a tool palette in the Content Browser to a tool palette, and then customize the properties of the new tool.

1. Open the tool palette on which you want to add a tool.
2. Create the tool:

   If you want to…	Then…
   create a tool from a mask block in the drawing	select the mask block, and drag it to the tool palette.
   create a tool from a mask block definition in the Style Manager	open Style Manager. Locate the mask block definition you want to copy, and drag it to the tool palette. Click OK to close the Style Manager.
   copy a tool in the current tool palette	right-click the tool, and click Copy. Right-click, and click Paste.
   copy a tool from another tool palette	open the other tool palette, right-click the tool, and click Copy. Reopen the palette where you want to add the tool, right-click, and click Paste.
   copy a tool from a tool palette in the Content Browser	open the Content Browser, and locate the tool you want to copy. Position the cursor over the i-drop handle, and drag the tool to the tool palette.

3. Right-click the new tool, and click Properties.
4. Enter a name for the tool.
5. Click the setting for Description, enter a description of the tool, and click OK.

   This description is used as the tooltip on the tool palette, and to describe the tool if it is stored in a tool catalog.

6. Expand Basic, and expand General.
7. Specify properties for the mask block created from the tool:

   If you want to…	Then…
   enter a description of the mask block that you can create using this tool	click Description, enter a description of the tool, and click OK.
   specify a unique layer key for the object type	click Layer Key, select a layer key, and click OK.
   specify a layer override for the tool	click Layer Overrides, clear Do not specify Layer Overrides, specify the override, and click OK.
   specify a definition	click Definition, select a mask block definition, and click OK.
   specify a definition location	click Definition location, select the file containing the mask block definition you want to use, click Open, and click OK.

8. Expand Scale.
9. Specify the scale for the mask block created from the tool:

   If you want to…	Then…
   use your pointing device to designate the scale for the mask block	click Yes for Specify scale on screen.
   specify the scale of the mask block on the Properties palette	click No for Specify scale on screen, and enter the X, Y, and Z scale for the mask block.

10. Expand Location.
11. Specify the rotation for the mask block created from the tool:

    If you want to…	Then…
    use your pointing device to designate the angle for the mask block	click Yes for Specify rotation on screen.
    specify the angle of the mask block on the Properties palette	click No for Specify rotation on screen, and enter the angle for Rotation.

12. Click OK.