• AutoCAD
  • Revit
  • Civil 3D
  • AutoCAD LT
  • BIM Collaborate Pro
  • Inventor
  • Fusion
  • Fusion extensions
  • Navisworks
  • 3ds Max
  • Maya
  • Arnold
  • Flow Capture
  • Flow Production Tracking
  • View all products
  • View Mobile Apps
  • Architecture, Engineering & Construction
  • Product Design & Manufacturing
  • Media & Entertainment
  • Buying with Autodesk
  • Pay as you go with Flex
  • Special offers
  • Help with buying
  • Industry solutions
  • Educational access
  • Start a trial
  • Download your software
  • Download file viewers
  • Product support
  • System requirements
  • Download your software
  • Updates
  • File viewers
  • Students and educators
  • Installation
  • Account management support
  • Educational support
  • Partner Finder
  • Autodesk consulting
  • Contact support
  • Learning
  • Certification
  • Training
  • Autodesk University
  • Conferences and events
  • Success planning
  • Coaching
  • Autodesk Community
  • Groups
  • Blogs
  • Developer Network
  • Autodesk Customer Value
  • Education
  • 0
  • Suggested Location:
    • United States
    Available Sites:
    • ASEAN (English)
    • Australia
    • België
    • Belgique
    • Brasil
    • Canada (English)
    • Canada (Français)
    • Česko
    • Danmark
    • Deutschland
    • España
    • Europe (English)
    • France
    • Hong Kong (English)
    • India (English)
    • Italia
    • Latinoamérica
    • Magyarország
    • México
    • Middle East (English)
    • Nederland
    • New Zealand
    • Norge
    • Österreich
    • Polska
    • Portugal
    • Singapore (English)
    • Suomi
    • Sverige
    • Schweiz
    • South Africa (English)
    • Suisse
    • Svizzera
    • Türkiye
    • United Kingdom
    • 中国大陆地区
    • 台灣地區
    • 日本
    • 한국­
  • Architecture, Engineering
    & Construction
    architecture engineering and construction collection logo

    Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D

    Top products
    • AutoCAD
    • Revit
    • Civil 3D
    • AutoCAD LT
    • BIM Collaborate Pro
    Product Design
    & Manufacturing
    product design manufacturing collection logo

    Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD

    Top products
    • Inventor
    • AutoCAD
    • Fusion
    • Fusion extensions
    • Navisworks
    Media
    & Entertainment
    media and entertainment collection logo

    Entertainment content creation tools, including 3ds Max and Maya

    Top products
    • 3ds Max
    • Maya
    • Arnold
    • Flow Capture
    • Flow Production Tracking
    View all products
    Start a trial Download your software Download file viewers
    Discover
    • Industry solutions
    • Educational access
    How to buy
    • Buying with Autodesk
    • Pay as you go with Flex
    • Special offers
    • Help with buying
    • Product support
    • System requirements
    • Installation
    • Account management support
    • Educational support
    • Partner Finder
    • Autodesk consulting
    • Contact support
    • Learning
    • Certification
    • Training
    • Autodesk University
    • Conferences and events
    • Success planning
    • Coaching
    • Autodesk Community
    • Groups
    • Blogs
    • Developer Network
    • Autodesk Customer Value
  • Education

    Learning

    Home

    Catalog

    Certification

    Certification overview

    Architecture, Engineering & Construction

    Design & Manufacturing

    Media & Entertainment

    Support & Policies

    My dashboard

    Learning

    Home

    Catalog

    Certification

    My dashboard

    • Previous unit


    • Next unit

    Swap and Update Blocks (3:22 min)

    Transcript

    00:00

    [MUSIC PLAYING]

    00:08

    One of the very powerful commands

    00:09

    we have in AutoCAD Electrical is called Swap and Update Block.

    00:14

    It gives you the ability to do a massive project-wide swap out

    00:17

    of different types of blocks and symbols based off

    00:20

    of what you need for your particular customer

    00:23

    requirements.

    00:24

    So if we go to the Swap and Update Block command located

    00:27

    right in the middle of the Edit components panel,

    00:30

    it will open up a dialog box that gives you a few options.

    00:33

    Let's talk about option A versus option B. Option A

    00:38

    is to swap two totally different blocks.

    00:41

    That's what I will be demonstrating today.

    00:43

    Option B is actually an ability to update all of your blocks.

    00:48

    If you didn't know this in core AutoCAD functionality,

    00:51

    if a block is already inserted into a drawing,

    00:54

    it will mimic that block when you

    00:57

    go to insert a new version of that same block,

    01:00

    not necessarily if you've updated

    01:02

    that version of the block in a different area.

    01:04

    It wants to match what's in the database of the drawing.

    01:08

    One way we can do this if we want a full update of all

    01:11

    of our blocks in our project is to utilize the Update a Block.

    01:15

    So you're substituting a new version

    01:18

    of that exact same block.

    01:20

    The Library Swap is the most powerful example of this.

    01:23

    So if I wanted to change my entire project

    01:25

    from being NFPA to IEC, I can do a full Library Swap.

    01:32

    The blocks have actually been named,

    01:35

    matching each other across libraries to ensure

    01:38

    that that swap can happen.

    01:40

    Obviously, if you've created your own custom symbols,

    01:42

    if you didn't follow that same format across both NFPA

    01:46

    and IEC, then the block is not going to flip.

    01:49

    But for all of the symbols that come with the software,

    01:52

    you can do a full Library Swaps.

    01:54

    You can also do this on a more basic level

    01:56

    if you think about a new updated NFPA library compared

    02:01

    to the existing NFPA library.

    02:03

    Perhaps you have an older version of the software,

    02:05

    and you created a project a couple of years ago.

    02:08

    And you want now the updated version of those symbols.

    02:10

    You can do a Library Swap then as well.

    02:12

    We'll go through the entire project

    02:14

    and update all of the symbols with the new symbol format.

    02:19

    But let's talk about the swapping of one block

    02:21

    for an entirely different type of block.

    02:23

    Now we can do that one at a time--

    02:25

    drawing-wide or project-wide.

    02:27

    In this case, I am just going to do one at a time,

    02:30

    so you can see the swap happen.

    02:32

    I'm going to pick the new block from the Icon menu,

    02:35

    and I'm going to retain all of my other attribute information

    02:38

    in there.

    02:38

    Now, the blocks that I'm going to switch--

    02:42

    the example of this that might be

    02:43

    is I have proximity switches on this drawing.

    02:46

    What I'm going to swap for is a limit switch.

    02:48

    So I'm going to go now to OK.

    02:51

    I'm going to go to the Icon menu.

    02:53

    I am going to find my limit switches.

    02:55

    Choose a normally open one.

    02:57

    And I'm going to swap this proximity switch for a limit

    02:60

    switch.

    03:05

    It scans the project, makes the update,

    03:07

    and it even updates the family code on it

    03:09

    but keeps it in its same format, placing any attribute

    03:12

    information, will be kept in the same spot.

    03:15

    Now please take a moment to do the Swap

    03:17

    and Update Block exercise.

    Video transcript

    00:00

    [MUSIC PLAYING]

    00:08

    One of the very powerful commands

    00:09

    we have in AutoCAD Electrical is called Swap and Update Block.

    00:14

    It gives you the ability to do a massive project-wide swap out

    00:17

    of different types of blocks and symbols based off

    00:20

    of what you need for your particular customer

    00:23

    requirements.

    00:24

    So if we go to the Swap and Update Block command located

    00:27

    right in the middle of the Edit components panel,

    00:30

    it will open up a dialog box that gives you a few options.

    00:33

    Let's talk about option A versus option B. Option A

    00:38

    is to swap two totally different blocks.

    00:41

    That's what I will be demonstrating today.

    00:43

    Option B is actually an ability to update all of your blocks.

    00:48

    If you didn't know this in core AutoCAD functionality,

    00:51

    if a block is already inserted into a drawing,

    00:54

    it will mimic that block when you

    00:57

    go to insert a new version of that same block,

    01:00

    not necessarily if you've updated

    01:02

    that version of the block in a different area.

    01:04

    It wants to match what's in the database of the drawing.

    01:08

    One way we can do this if we want a full update of all

    01:11

    of our blocks in our project is to utilize the Update a Block.

    01:15

    So you're substituting a new version

    01:18

    of that exact same block.

    01:20

    The Library Swap is the most powerful example of this.

    01:23

    So if I wanted to change my entire project

    01:25

    from being NFPA to IEC, I can do a full Library Swap.

    01:32

    The blocks have actually been named,

    01:35

    matching each other across libraries to ensure

    01:38

    that that swap can happen.

    01:40

    Obviously, if you've created your own custom symbols,

    01:42

    if you didn't follow that same format across both NFPA

    01:46

    and IEC, then the block is not going to flip.

    01:49

    But for all of the symbols that come with the software,

    01:52

    you can do a full Library Swaps.

    01:54

    You can also do this on a more basic level

    01:56

    if you think about a new updated NFPA library compared

    02:01

    to the existing NFPA library.

    02:03

    Perhaps you have an older version of the software,

    02:05

    and you created a project a couple of years ago.

    02:08

    And you want now the updated version of those symbols.

    02:10

    You can do a Library Swap then as well.

    02:12

    We'll go through the entire project

    02:14

    and update all of the symbols with the new symbol format.

    02:19

    But let's talk about the swapping of one block

    02:21

    for an entirely different type of block.

    02:23

    Now we can do that one at a time--

    02:25

    drawing-wide or project-wide.

    02:27

    In this case, I am just going to do one at a time,

    02:30

    so you can see the swap happen.

    02:32

    I'm going to pick the new block from the Icon menu,

    02:35

    and I'm going to retain all of my other attribute information

    02:38

    in there.

    02:38

    Now, the blocks that I'm going to switch--

    02:42

    the example of this that might be

    02:43

    is I have proximity switches on this drawing.

    02:46

    What I'm going to swap for is a limit switch.

    02:48

    So I'm going to go now to OK.

    02:51

    I'm going to go to the Icon menu.

    02:53

    I am going to find my limit switches.

    02:55

    Choose a normally open one.

    02:57

    And I'm going to swap this proximity switch for a limit

    02:60

    switch.

    03:05

    It scans the project, makes the update,

    03:07

    and it even updates the family code on it

    03:09

    but keeps it in its same format, placing any attribute

    03:12

    information, will be kept in the same spot.

    03:15

    Now please take a moment to do the Swap

    03:17

    and Update Block exercise.

    Project: Swap and Update Blocks

     
     

     

    Completion Time:  15 Minutes

     

    Prerequisites

    ·        Completion of the Swapping and Updating Blocks Lesson

     

    Objective:  In this exercise, you change the symbol library setting from NFPA to IEC. Then you swap a limit switch from the NFPA library with a proximity switch from the IEC library.

     

    Instructions

     

    1:  If the Project Manager is not displayed, on the Project tab, Project Tools panel, click Manager.

     

     

    2:  If Schematic_Editing_NFPA is the active project, skip to step 6. If it is open but not active, in the Project Manager, do the following:

    ■ Right-click Schematic_Editing_NFPA.

    ■ Click Activate.

    ■ Skip to step 6.

     

    3:  In the Project Manager, click Open Project.

     

    4:  Browse to where you installed the exercise files. Select the Schematic_Editing_NFPA.wdp project.

     

    5:  In the Project Manager Projects list, click the expansion node next to Schematic_Editing_NFPA to expand the drawing list.

     

    6:  Double-click Schematic_Editing_NFPA_04.dwg to open the drawing.

     

    7:  Zoom in to the upper area of rungs 406-410.

     

     

    8:  Swap a Block:

    On the Schematic tab, Edit Components panel, click Swap/Update Block.

     

     

    9:  In the Swap Block dialog box, click Swap a Block - One at a Time

     

     

    10:  Click Pick New Block from Icon Menu. Click OK.

     

    11:  In the Insert Component dialog box, click Miscellaneous Switches.

     

     

    In the NFPA: Other Switch Types dialog box, click Proximity Switch NO.

     

     

    13:  Click the LS407 limit switch on rung 407.

     

     

    14:  Click OK to QSave the drawing, if necessary.

     

    The machine layout drawing is opened, the component information is updated, and you return to Schematic_Editing_NFPA_04.dwg.

     

     

    Was this information helpful?

    Autodesk

    Company overview
    Careers
    Investor relations
    Autodesk Trust Center
    Newsroom
    Global Belonging
    LA28 Games

    Autodesk Foundation
    Sustainability
    Contact us
    Students and educators
    Affiliate program
    Autodesk Research
    Design & Make with Autodesk

    How to buy

    View all products
    Buying with Autodesk
    Renewal options
    Find a partner
    Sales and refunds
    Choose your subscription plan
    Pay as you go with Flex

    Support

    Manage your account
    Download and install software
    Autodesk Product Status
    Autodesk Community
    Education support
    Contact support

    Privacy | Do not sell or share my personal information | Cookie preferences | Report noncompliance | Terms of use | Legal | © 2025 Autodesk Inc. All rights reserved

    Sign in to start learning

    Sign in for unlimited free access to all learning content.

    Save your progress

    Take assessments

    Receive personalized recommendations

    Go to overview