Place Symbols in a Diagram

A frequently used drawing or part of a drawing can be stored in one document and placed in other documents at a scale, position, and orientation that you define. Graphic data used in this way is called a symbol. Symbols increase drawing productivity because they allow you to access existing graphic data quickly and easily. With a symbol, you can place graphic information repeatedly without re-creating it.

When you install SmartSketch, you have access to more than 7,500 industry-specific symbols. For most standard templates, the Symbol Explorer automatically opens and displays a default directory for all the symbols that are appropriate to use with that template. 

Click the Show Me   button on the SmartSketch Learning Center toolbar for a complete demonstration of the tasks in this lesson.

1. In the Symbol Explorer, click the Annotations - Clipart folder.

Note

• The Symbol Explorer provides a simple user interface to drag symbols from a directory to the current document.

Tips

• If you don't see the Symbol Explorer, click the Symbol Explorer button on the Main toolbar.

• Double-click the bar at the top of the Symbol Explorer to display it as a separate window. You can now drag the Symbol Explorer to relocate it or resize it.

• The Symbol Explorer can be docked either on the left- or right-side of the SmartSketch window.

2. Using the left mouse button, drag  the Arrow 30.sym symbol into the document approximately five grid spaces from the left border and approximately eight grid spaces down from the top border.
3. With the Arrow symbol still selected, place the cursor over the top right scale handle and drag the cursor up and to the right until the arrow is about two grid spaces high.

Note

• Black boxes on the outside corners of the range box represent scale handles. You can drag a scale handle to resize the entire symbol uniformly in the X and Y directions.

4. Place the cursor over the right center handle and drag to the right until the arrow symbol expands to five grid spaces.
5. In the Attribute Viewer, select the Right attribute and change it's value to .500 inch.
6. On the Main toolbar, click the Zoom In button. 
7. Click once on the center of the Arrow symbol. Right-click your mouse to reset the command.