Most designers invest a lot of their precious time searching for appropriate blocks for their Autocad drawings over the internet.
We can list out some of the websites where you can get most of the frequently required CAD Blocks for your drawings:
But there are few limitations while using these websites:
- We have to create an account on these websites to download the files.
- There is a lot of data and searching the best block amongst them for our design is tedious.
- After downloading the file, we will find that the data is inappropriate or the file is having a different unit system when we open the file.
- The downloaded file is write-protected or there is a version mismatch.
Most of the blocks available for free are very basic vector shapes and they surely do not serve our purpose if we are preparing detailed furniture plans, lighting plans, electrical, sanitary, and plumbing drawings.
Google Sketchup is a smart solution to overcome this limitation.
We can download Sketchup models and later export them into 2D CAD drawings.
Here is a step by step explanation for this:
Open Google Chrome or any browser and search for Sketchup models. I am searching for a bed SketchUp model as shown in Fig. below or you can directly browse 3Dwarehouse.sketchup.com.
- Sketchup models are very detailed, we can select any model as per our requirement
- Expand the download button and select a suitable Sketchup Version to download the file.
- Open the downloaded Sketchup File and click on Choose Template to select the appropriate units for your project.
We recommend selecting Architectural Design – Feet and Inches or Architectural Design- Millimeters.
- Click on Camera Menu and Select Parallel Projection as shown in Fig.
- Select a suitable view from the view toolbar. I choose the top view for PLAN as shown in fig.
- Select File » Export » 2D Graphic
- Save your CAD file with the suitable name at your desired location.
- Open the saved file. Check measurements. Modify it, if required.
- Create BLOCK.
Type B and press Enter. Block Definition Dialog Box appears. Select options as highlighted in Fig. below.
- Press OK.
Left-click your mouse to specify a suitable base point for the block. (Please ensure that the base point should lie on the object). Then select the entire object by dragging your mouse and make a window selection. Press Enter. Block is created.
Now if you left-click on an object, the entire object is selected.
In case if you further want to modify your block or make any changes in it, select the Block, right-click, and choose Edit Block in-place. Press OK. Make changes. Then click on Edit Reference in the top right corner and choose Save Changes as shown in fig. below. Press OK.
- Save your CAD File. All done! OK! Enjoy!!