Mimic Object (Formerly Known as Match Properties) for Details
Quick video
- Detail Mimic Object Overview
- Incompatibility with the Stipple Hatch Pattern
- Turning Circles into Blocks
Our Mimic Object tool for details (formerly known as Match Properties) allows you to select a block or hatch and apply its symbol, and all other data assigned to it, to another block or hatch in your drawing.
Mimic Object provides a great way to switch out one smart block for another, or to convert:
- A generic block or hatch into a smart block
- An existing smart block or hatch into a different smart block or hatch
Mimic Object also works on generic blocks (i.e., blocks that do not have data assigned to them).
Detail Mimic Object Overview
Open Detail Mimic Object:
F/X Details ribbon, Mimic Object flyout
Type FX_DetailMimicObject in the Command line
F/X Details menu, Mimic Object option
The cursor will turn into a pickbox, and you'll be prompted to Select source object. Click the block or hatch whose properties you'd like to apply to other existing blocks or hatches in your drawing, then press Enter.
In our example, we'll use the pickbox to select one of the three identical tables shown to the right, in order to apply its properties to the other type of table at the bottom of the image.
Press Enter once you've selected the object you want to copy.
The Command line will now prompt you to Select destination object. Click a block or hatch to assign it with the properties and symbol of the Source Object you selected above.
In our example, we'll select the other type of table.
The data attached to the first table we selected, including its symbol, are now applied to the second table we selected.
You can continue to select additional blocks or hatches in your drawing or detail to continue assigning them with the properties of the Source Object.
Incompatibility With the Stipple Hatch Pattern
Our Stipple hatch pattern for groundcovers is incompatible with our Mimic Object tool because each stipple hatch is actually a series of several hatches at different scales. If you plan to use this tool on a hatch, use a pattern other than Stipple.
Turning Circles into Blocks
We've added the ability to transform circles in your drawing into blocks, including our Detail Builder Blocks, using Mimic Object. For example, you may have drawn several circles using the native AutoCAD Circle tool in the locations where you want to place a specific component of a detail. Mimic Object makes it easy to switch out the circles for the component of your choice.
In this example, we'll turn the four circles pictured to the right into the wood block placed next to them.
Open the Mimic Object tool and select the item you want to put in the place of the circles.
You'll be asked whether you want to apply the properties of the selected item to all circles that share a layer with the circle you selected.
Click Yes to replace all circles on the layer with the selected item, or click No to only apply the change to the circle you selected.
If you click No, you can continue to select additional circles individually as long as the tool is still active.
All circles you selected will be transformed into the item.
In this example, we clicked Yes to apply the properties of the selected wood block to all circles on the layer.
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