How to Use Blocks in SOLIDWORKS Drawings for Faster and More Consistent Drafting?

 Working with Blocks in SOLIDWORKS Drawings

When creating engineering drawings in SOLIDWORKS, speed and accuracy are key. Often, we find ourselves repeatedly adding the same information like a title block, projection symbols, schematic symbols, or standard notes. Doing this manually every time not only wastes effort but also increases the chances of inconsistency or mistakes. 

This is where blocks come into play. A block is a reusable collection of drawing elements such as sketch entities, notes, balloons, symbols, or custom annotations that can be inserted and managed as a single unit. By using blocks, you can standardize your drawings, save time, and maintain consistency across multiple projects. 

Think of blocks like a personal toolbox: once you build them, you can pull them out whenever you need them. Whether it’s a company logo, a frequently used machining note, or a schematic symbol, blocks help make drawing creation more efficient and professional. 

Why Use Blocks in Drawings 

Blocks are especially useful when working on projects where standardization matters. Instead of recreating common annotations from scratch, you can build them once and reuse them. 

• Title blocks ensure all drawings contain consistent company and project details. 

• Projection symbols (first-angle or third-angle) meet international drawing standards without manual sketching. 

• Routing schematic symbols (electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic) save time in repetitive schematic work. 

• Standard notes and reminders such as safety instructions, tolerances, or machining details maintain quality and reduce human error. 

• Custom company-specific symbols allow you to embed unique elements not included in the SOLIDWORKS annotation library. 

In short, blocks are about efficiency, clarity, and consistency. 

Creating a New Block 

Building a block is straightforward: 

1. Select elements – Choose sketch entities, notes, symbols, or annotations.

2. Use the Make Block command – Available from the Blocks toolbar or Tools > Block > Make.

3. Define the insertion point – This makes placement easier later. 

4. Save if needed – Blocks can remain local to the drawing or be saved externally as .sldblk files for reuse.

Pro Tip: If you link notes to system or custom properties (e.g., material, part number, or date), the block will automatically update these properties in every drawing where it’s used. This ensures drawings always reflect the latest design information. 

Inserting Blocks into a Drawing 

Once you have a block, inserting it is quick: 

• From within the drawing – Select a stored block from the Blocks folder in the FeatureManager design tree. 

• From external files – Browse to a .sldblk, .sldsym, .dwg, or .dxf file. 

• From the Design Library – Drag and drop commonly used blocks from a shared location. 

During insertion, you can specify placement options such as scale, rotation, and reference points. You can even place multiple copies in a single step. 

Managing and Editing Blocks 

Blocks aren’t static—you can easily modify them: 

• Move or copy – Drag to move, or hold Ctrl to copy. 

• Edit – Right-click and choose Edit Block to add or remove entities. 

• Explode – Break a block back into its original entities if you need to make major changes. 

• Redefine insertion point – Adjust where the block anchors for easier future placement. 

• Delete – Remove an instance from the drawing, or delete the block entirely from the FeatureManager to remove all instances. 

💡Pro Tip: If you often use scaled versions of the same symbol (like schematic symbols), you can store different sizes in your library so you don’t need to rescale each time. 

Examples of Practical Blocks 

Here are some common cases where blocks prove most useful: 

• Title Blocks – Containing fields for project name, drawing number, revision history, and approval signatures. 

• Projection Symbols – First-angle or third-angle views for compliance with standards. 

• Schematic Symbols – Hydraulic, pneumatic, or electrical routing diagrams. 

• Notes and Callouts – Reusable standard machining or safety instructions. 

• Special Symbols – Unique graphical elements not found in SOLIDWORKS’ built-in annotations. 

By creating a small but powerful library of these, you’ll dramatically cut down drawing prep time.

Conclusion 

Blocks are a simple but powerful feature in SOLIDWORKS drawings. By investing a little time in setting up a library of commonly used notes, symbols, and title blocks, you can create drawings that are faster to build, easier to manage, and always consistent. 

For individual designers, blocks save hours of repetitive work. For teams, they ensure every drawing follows the same standard—helping maintain professionalism and reducing costly mistakes. 

If you haven’t started using blocks yet, begin by creating a few for your most common notes or symbols. Over time, you’ll build a reusable library that transforms the way you create drawings.