Do you use blocks in drawings? How often?

At former employers I rarely used blocks in drawings, I can think of only one in the 6 years prior to my current employer. At this company, a job I took to convert them from acad to sw, they use tons of blocks sometimes 10 or more on one drawing. And they use them for the wrong purposes, typically they like to use a block to replicate a drawing view (for example in place of a section view) that needs to be placed on multiple drawings, rather than create that view on each drawing sheet they like to draw a block and insert that block into every drawing. I tried to convince them that was bad because that block is not parametic (they are still having a hard time understanding parametric, being acad users).
So I have two questions:
1. Do you use blocks in drawings, if so how often (All the time? Rarely? Never?) 2. How do you create the blocks? Everytime I try to create a block the block gets scaled up but the scale factor gets reduced to something like .04 and then when trying to add dimensions or notes to the block the arrowheads and dimension values are all scaled way too big. The process I am trying to use is to create the view in sw then export to a dwg then import into sw (so what was the component edges are now sketch segments) and then make that a block. But it is not working very well.
I have to admit I am a little embarrassed that I cannot figure this out, having used sw for 8 years and being certified but like I said prior to this job I had made one block in the past 6 years.
Thanks,
Sam

We use a few blocks on basically all of our drawings. The key to blocks and SW is to create your block in a drawing that is at 1:1 scale, and save it out as a block. The way things don't go out of whack as you have seen.
The blocks we use are such like a particular paint note, North, how many required, travel direction, "Detail of item...", etc. The scenario you are fighting is certainly an ACAD leftover.
WT
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I used to use blocks for drawing notes, but now just use a version of Lenny's CommonNotes macro for that. http://www.lennyworks.com/solidworks/default.asp?ID
Matt Lorono http://sw.fcsuper.com

Ok, I feel that my stance on this is correct. They are trying to use blocks in a way not intended, to create drawing views that should instead be created using normal drawing views (projected, sections, details, etc...). Basically it is a speed issue, they are very accustomed to do a single drawing, using lots of standard blocks to represent drawing views, and calling it the "master" then copying that drawing, tweaking a few dims and creating a second drawing in less than 30 mins. They make highly repetitive products and the ability to "clone drawings" (as they call it) is highly efficient for them.
So now on to my next post, layers.....
Thanks,
Sam

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Sam,
Yes, in fact they are doing it the hard way in more than one way. You can copy a solidworks drawing view as quickly as any other object in solidWorks, and it would allow you to keep associativity.
Matt Lorono http://sw.fcsuper.com

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We use blocks here quite a bit, (and to me) correctly. We use blocks primarily with tables. For example, a gear data table. The table is set up to with text boxes that receive data from the model (i.e.: $PRPSHEET:"PITCH ANGLE") We use an excel sheet to design the gear and import the tooth geometry and gear data straight into the part file when we're creating the model. When we generate the drawing, the block is automatically filled with the relevant data. I suppose you could create a drawing template with that info on it, but as gear data changes with the type of gear (bevel, spur, worm, etc) you'd need a bunch of templates. This way, we use one template, and just drag the appropriate gear block in. Again, this is just one way we use blocks. We also have a couple of 2-D drawing objects saved as blocks that we use with assembly instruction sheets for the Assy dept. For example, we have a Dial Indicator that we would drop in when a measurement needs to be taken. As far as making blocks, as I don't use dims in them, I can't answer that part of it. However, after I make whatever it is that I want of a block and make sure all items I want included are highlighted. Then right click and choose "make block". On the tree, expand the insertion point dialog and move the insertion points to where you want them. There will be a "block" folder in your tree now. The catch is that at this point, it is only associated with this print. To add the block, you can just drag and drop it from that folder out on the print. If you want to use it on other prints, right click it in the tree and choose "Save Block". Give it a name and you can save it to the Solidworks Library. (Create an appropriate folder called blocks or something) This way, you can use the Design library on the right to drag and drop the blocks into any drawing. One tip that I did find useful was that I almost never try to edit blocks as something tends to get screwed up. If I need to make a change to a block, I'll right click it an explode the block, make the changes and re-save it over the old one.
Anyway, I know I didn't answer everything, but I hope it helps a little...
Scott

Sam,
We primarily use blocks for two things on drawings.
1. Repetitive notes with and without text attributes. We have a note for similar to that feeds off the custom properties in the document in the drawing. We have blocks for revision signoff and general notes.
2. Some symbols or illustrative sketches.
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