This tip is one that I wish I new a while back. You can add just the block definition to a drawing without placing the block in the drawing. This may not seem all that useful but if you have ever tried making a template and wished that the template had the needed blocks already in it so that you don’t have to locate them on a computer or on a network, this is very helpful. In my previous job, I didn’t have a network to work off of, but I would have used this tip because I could load these definitions into a drawing before I forgot what they were or where they were.

Here’s how:

• I <enter> to start the INSERT command
• Click the “browse” button to find the block on a computer or network.
• Select the block that is to be inserted and click “ok”
• Instead of clicking, to place the block in the drawing, hit the ESC (escape) button to escape out of placing the block.

Now if you di the INSERT command once again, you will notice that the block that you just brought in (but didn’t place) is available to you in the drawing.