AutoCAD Tip - Express DetailCopy - Useful utility to create detail drawings and make blocks

By Dennis Collin

AutoCAD has several ways to copy data to other drawings, including tools like Copy and Paste and Wblock. The Add-in DetailCopy extends this functionality by providing different options of selections. It provides an ability to copy a specific area of the drawing and convert the elements to a block. This can be very useful when creating detailed drawings.

Located within the Add-ins tab, clicking on the command, the user is prompted to select a clipping polyline or utilise a crossing window or polygon selection. The elements are then copied into a block, with a time-date stamp name. Using the standard Rename command the block can be renamed to suit.

It should be noted that dimensions and field-based objects will lose some of their intelligence as they are exploded, but these elements can always be cleaned up, or replaced as appropriate within a suitable environment such as Block Editor.

The DetailCopy Tool is a free add-in and is available for all current AutoCAD versions (2018-2022) and can be downloaded from the App store here:

https://apps.autodesk.com/ACD/en/Detail/Index?id=2644859942786584462&appLang=en&os=Win32_64

(Login Required)