Creating Title Blocks with Attributes in ZWCAD

Title blocks are used to convey legal and descriptive information about drawings, such as the names of the company, designer, and owner, revision numbers, the drawing’s file name, and so on. (See figure below.)

Some people prefer to use ordinary text to fill in title blocks, but when the information is repeatedly changed, it may be easier to use attributes instead of text.

For example, when title block is used in other drawings, the file name changes, as well as the revision numbers, the owner’s name, and so on. When the title block is inserted as a block, then to modify the text, you need to explode the block to modify the text. Setting it up with attributes makes modification easier.

To see how this is done, follow these steps:

1. To create attributes, enter the AttDef command.

2. Provide the values for the Tag, Prompt, and Default Value fields. (Note that tag names must be a single word.) You can even specify the font and height separately for each attribute. For this tutorial, use the values provided by the table below:

3. After you enter the data for each attribute, click Define, and then enter data for next attribute.

3. Once all attributes are defined, click Define and Exit.

3. With the attributes defined, it is time to add the attributes to the title block. Use the Block command to create the block. You should select each attribute individually, taking care to select them in the order you want them to appear later when they are edited.

3. Once all of the attributes are selected, use a crossing window to select the entire title block as a whole. Hit Enter, and notice that the Make Block dialog box reappears.

3. Name the block, and then click OK.

As I mentioned above, it is easier to edit a title block that is set up with attributes, instead of text. You don’t have to explode the title block; to edit the attribute text, just double click the block or enter the AttEdit command to modify the values of the attributes.

Because it is a block, it can be used with other drawings; export the title block with the WBlock command, and then in another drawing use the Insert command to add it.