'redefine block' prompt disappeared
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URL: https://www.cadforum.cz/forum_en/forum_posts.asp?TID=13720
Printed Date: 11.May.2026 at 15:50
Topic: 'redefine block' prompt disappeared
Posted By: mrmattbridges
Subject: 'redefine block' prompt disappeared
Date Posted: 22.Jun.2022 at 14:37
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Hello I do a lot of copying and pasting blocks for my work and the 'redefine block' prompt has stopped appearing when I add a block that has allready been used in my drawing. This means that any changes that have been made to the block automaticaly and without warning revert back to match the original version od the block Can someone tell me how to get this prompt back? Many thanks M
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Replies:
Posted By: philippe JOSEPH
Date Posted: 22.Jun.2022 at 16:05
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Hello mrmattbridges, do you copy/paste blocks from an other file ? Then it's normal for an incomming block to be as the one already in the file. Press F2 and read the messages after a copy/paste. If you want to manage blocks on different files you should use the wblocks or xref or copy/paste an exploded block and "re-block" it whith the same name, insertion point, scale, rotation, etc... Please tell us if this helped or not.
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Posted By: Vladimir Michl
Date Posted: 23.Jun.2022 at 18:15
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Your setting of the EXPERT variable is probably too high - reset it to 0. ------------- Vladimir Michl (moderator) ARKANCE - https://arkance.world" rel="nofollow - https://arkance.world - Autodesk Platinum Partner |
Posted By: mrmattbridges
Date Posted: 01.Sep.2022 at 09:21
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hi Philippe Thank you for your reply. Yes, I do a lot of copying and pasting blocks from diferent files and then edit them slightly to suit the new design. On 2017 a warning prompt would appear everytime I inserted a block to ask if I wanted to redefine it, but now on 2018 it just automatically ignores block definitions. I understand that I can get around it by expoding and re saving as a new block, but often I have blocks within blocks and this becomes unworkable - here's the F2 command list. P_1_7693_7084.sv$ ... Command: Command: Command: Command: Command: Command: Command: _pasteclip Duplicate definition of block _ArchTick ignored. Duplicate definition of block A$C31DB4BFE ignored. Duplicate definition of block A$C5F917E32 ignored. Duplicate definition of block _Oblique ignored. Duplicate definition of block panic button plan ignored. Duplicate definition of block colcom 8501 plan ignored. Duplicate definition of block speaker OD6-W4 plan ignored. Duplicate definition of block Gooding Aluminium 25mm channel ignored. Duplicate definition of block HH120400 plan view ignored. Duplicate definition of block finnish sauna plan ignored. Substituting [simplex.shx] for [simplexd.shx]. Specify insertion point: |
Posted By: mrmattbridges
Date Posted: 01.Sep.2022 at 09:24
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Hi Vladimir I checked my EXPERT level and it is set to (0).
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Posted By: mrmattbridges
Date Posted: 01.Sep.2022 at 09:41
This is the command prompt that used to appear everytime I inserted a block that was already in the drawing.  |
Posted By: Kent Cooper
Date Posted: 07.Sep.2022 at 15:38
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I believe it depends on how you put the Block in. If [in Acad2020 that I have here] you use Copy/Paste of a Block insertion from another drawing, or choose it by double-click from the Blocks chart inside another drawing using the Design Center, it uses the current definition of that Block name in the current drawing, ignoring the difference if the one from the other drawing is not the same. If you use an INSERT command and choose a drawing file with the same name as a Block already defined in the current drawing, it asks whether you want to redefine it [= your dialog-box image]. If, in the Design Center, you instead right-click on a Block thumbnail with a name the same as one in the current drawing, it offers you the choice whether to Insert using the current definition without Redefining [what you get by just double-left-clicking on the thumbnail], Insert and Redefine, or Redefine only [without Inserting another]. |
Posted By: mrmattbridges
Date Posted: 07.Sep.2022 at 16:56
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Hi Kent Using the design centre and right clicking is a workaround I've discovered, but I tend to copy and paste from one large drawing that contains many blocks that I commonly use - a bit like a autocad reclamation yard. I would just like to know if it's possible to turn this prompt back on somehow when you copy and paste - not sure why they removed it?
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Posted By: philippe JOSEPH
Date Posted: 08.Sep.2022 at 08:04
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Hello mrmattbridges and Kent, if you copy/paste a block from a file to an other the incoming block will be updated to the existing block in the file. What Kent offered to you is using the WBLOCK system that is creating a file with the exact name of the block and with the 0,0,0 located at the insertion point of the block, then you have an "external library" of your blocks.. Then when you insert the file that will become a block inside the file in wich you are working the incoming file/block will update the existing blocks and you will be offered to update it or not by a message like when you explode a block and redefine it inside your file ( that was used in old AutoCAD versions). An other way would be to use the XREF system but then the files are heavily connected to each other, very sensible to any change of name, location, etc. I wouldn't recommand it if you have a good computer or only if you work with a team...
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Posted By: Kent Cooper
Date Posted: 08.Sep.2022 at 14:05
This is what the Design Center is for. Just navigate in it to that "one large drawing" [it will stay there for the next time] and its Block category, and you can bring Blocks in from it without opening it to copy from. The option of whether to redefine is an added benefit, but I think the avoidance of opening the source drawing is the greater advantage.
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mrmattbridges wrote:Posted By: philippe JOSEPH
Date Posted: 08.Sep.2022 at 15:28
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Kent it's very interesting, that right clic in the AutoCAD Design Center with the option of redefining the block is new to me, thanks. No need of WBLOCK or paste an exploded block + redefine it, etc...
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