Symbol "Make Unique"
Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 10:51 pm
Although there is not "make unique" command for symbols like Sketchup has for its components, I have found a short work-around to creating a symbol in the current drawing only, which is essentially a "make unique" type of command. It all comes from using the "Paste as Symbol" command (Shift+Ctrl+V). If you are trying to make a unique symbols of one that is in the drawing and currently unexploded, you can use either of the following 2 methods:
Alternatively you could...
If you wish, you can Save-As the symbol and keep it on the hard drive as a DSF file for use in other drawings. You could also just use Clipboard Select to copy and paste it to another drawing, where it will be a unique symbol within that drawing alone.
- 1. Go to Edit > Clipboard Select (Ctrl + E)
2. Choosing entity (F1), select the symbol you want to "make unique" and then hit copy (S5 or Ctrl+C)
3. Select an insertion point (if you had that option set).
4. Go to Edit > Paste as Symbol (Shift+Ctrl+V) and insert the symbol where you want it. You will be prompted to give the symbol a name (the default is a long number string which seems to be unique, probably related to the time that you inserted the new symbol).
5. Double-Click on the new symbol (or use the cool new Shift+Right Click if you have Inferencing turned on and have installed the new Beta) to open up the symbol editor.
6. Ctrl+Right click on the original symbol and select Symbol Tools > Explode > to Original Layers.
7. Use the layer manager to delete the current layer (provided it has nothing on it).
8. Edit the symbol to your liking.
9. Close the symbol (File > Close or Ctrl+F4) and select YES to save changes.
10. You now have a unique symbol based in the drawing only.
Alternatively you could...
- 1. Double-Click on the symbol you want to "make unique"(or use the cool new Shift+Right Click if you have Inferencing turned on and have installed the new Beta) to open up the symbol editor.
2. Go to Edit > Clipboard Select (Ctrl + E)
3. Either choose area (F3) and select everything (with Layer Search on), or hit Ctrl+A (with Layer Search on) to select everything, then hit copy (S5 or Ctrl+C)
4. Select an insertion point (if you had that option set).
5. Close the symbol (File > Close or Ctrl+F4) and select NO to save changes.
6. Go to Edit > Paste as Symbol (Shift+Ctrl+V) and insert the symbol where you want it. You will be prompted to give the symbol a name (the default is a long number string which seems to be unique, probably related to the time that you inserted the new symbol).
7. Double-Click on the new symbol (or use the cool new Shift+Right Click if you have Inferencing turned on and have installed the new Beta) to open up the symbol editor.
8. Edit the symbol to your liking.
9. Close the symbol (File > Close or Ctrl+F4) and select YES to save changes.
10. You now have a unique symbol based in the drawing only.
If you wish, you can Save-As the symbol and keep it on the hard drive as a DSF file for use in other drawings. You could also just use Clipboard Select to copy and paste it to another drawing, where it will be a unique symbol within that drawing alone.