Blocks of species symbols are used extensively in landscape CAD drawings. Each block in gCADPlus will have a defined base point and when making a block, that point should be placed at a convenient position – in the center of a plant symbol, at the edge of a paver etc. Here we provide advice on how to do just that.
 Manipulating symbols and other grouped entities in a landscape drawing is made much easier if the symbol has an appropriate base point. It is not uncommon for blocks to be made with incorrectly located base points and that often makes rotation difficult. We show how to redefine a block and reset the base point thus making editing a drawing more efficient.
How to redefine the base point of a landscape block. We take a planting symbol that has a base point well away from its center and re-set it such that the symbol is anchored at an appropriate position. When inserted, the new block is visible and can be located with confidence.
Once the base point is correctly positioned, operations such as rotate and move are made much easier.
We have made the base point of the majority of species symbols in the gCADPlus library with coordinate 0,0 located in the middle of the symbol. The blue handle shown on the two symbols below can be used to move or rotate the symbol.
This movie shows how to edit a symbol tagged to Buxus sempervirens for more intense color and vibrancy ‘on the fly’.