Operation Manual

Working with symbols | 243
Creating, editing, and deleting symbols
Local symbols can be created in three ways: by creating one on a blank drawing page, by converting an existing object or objects to a
symbol, or by making a linked symbol a local one by breaking its link.
You can edit a local symbol; any changes you make affect all instances in a drawing. Linked symbols cannot be edited within the drawing,
but can be edited directly in the library file where they are stored. You can tell whether a symbol is local or linked by looking in the preview
area of theSymbol manager docker.
If a nested symbol contains a local definition, you can edit the local symbol within the drawing. External symbols in nested symbols can also
be edited, but you must first convert the external symbols to local. For information about converting symbols from external to local, see “To
make a linked symbol local” on page 243.
You can also delete a symbol from the drawing and remove all instances.
To convert an object to a symbol
1 Select an object or multiple objects.
2
Click Object Symbol New symbol.
3 Type a name for the symbol.
Symbols cannot span layers. If you convert objects on different layers to a symbol, the objects are combined on the topmost object’s
layer. For more information about layers, see “Working with layers” on page 261.
You can also convert an existing object or objects to a symbol by dragging the object or objects to the Symbol manager docker. The
symbol name is automatically added.
To make a linked symbol local
1 Select a symbol.
2
Click Object Symbol Break link.
If other instances of the symbol are in the drawing, the links to all instances are broken.
If the external definition of the symbol instance contains styles, those styles are added to the document. If the styles in the symbol
instance differ from those in its external definition, you are prompted to rename the style or merge the two styles. You can check for
conflicting styles in the Links and bookmarks docker. An exclamation mark appears next to objects that need to be updated.
You can also make a linked symbol local by right-clicking the symbol and choosing Break link.
To edit a local symbol
1 In the Symbol manager docker, click the active document, and choose a symbol from the Symbols list.
If you want to name or rename the symbol, double-click the symbol’s name box, and type a name.
2
Click the Edit symbol button .
3 Modify the objects on the drawing page.
4 Click the Finish editing object tab in the lower-left corner of the drawing window.