How-to guide · how to array paving blocks to fill an area in autocad

How to array paving blocks to fill an area in AutoCAD

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By Sumana Kumar · Published 22 Sept 2024 · Updated 25 Dec 2024

Filling a paved area with individual paving blocks in AutoCAD is mostly a job for the rectangular array — but the right approach depends on the pattern. A straightforward grid is a single ARRAYRECT; a running-bond (brick-style staggered) pattern needs offset rows; herringbone needs a rotated unit. And for some drawings, a hatch is the smarter choice than drawing thousands of real blocks at all.

This guide covers arraying a paving block to fill an area in a grid and in a staggered bond, trimming the array to an irregular boundary, and the important question of when to use a true array of blocks versus a paving hatch pattern. The goal is a paving layout that reads correctly and doesn't bog your drawing down with tens of thousands of objects.

Knowing which tool fits which situation is the real skill here. A 1:500 site plan and a 1:20 paving detail want completely different approaches to the same paving.

First decide: real blocks or a hatch?

Before you array anything, ask what the drawing needs. For a setting-out detail at large scale — showing the actual paving units, their joints and the bond — you want real blocks, arrayed to the true unit size. For a general arrangement plan where the paving just needs to read as 'paving', a hatch pattern is far lighter: it fills the area with a pattern in one object instead of thousands of block references.

The deciding factor is scale and purpose. A 1:20 paving detail wants real blocks; a 1:200 site plan wants a hatch. Tens of thousands of individual block references will slow a drawing to a crawl, so reach for an array of real units only when you genuinely need them, and use a hatch the rest of the time.

Step 1 — Array a simple grid of pavers

For a stack-bond grid (blocks aligned in straight rows and columns), use ARRAYRECT. Insert one paving block at the corner of the area, set it on a paving layer, then run the rectangular array. Set the column spacing to the block's length (plus the joint width) and the row spacing to the block's width (plus the joint), so each unit sits next to the last with a consistent joint gap.

Set the column and row counts to more than cover the area — you'll trim the overspill later. Watch the spacing direction (positive or negative) so the grid grows into the area, not away from it. The result is a clean grid of real paving units you can then clip to the actual boundary.

Step 2 — Offset alternate rows for a running bond

A running-bond (stretcher-bond) pattern — the brick-style layout where each row is offset half a block from the one above — needs a touch more work. The cleanest method: build two rows. Array one row of blocks across, then array a second row offset by half a block length and one row up, and rectangular-array that two-row pair upward to fill the height.

Alternatively, array the full grid first, then select alternate rows and MOVE them sideways by half a block length to create the stagger. Either way, the half-block offset is what gives the bond its characteristic broken vertical joints. For herringbone, you rotate the paver 90 degrees on alternate units and build the interlocking pattern as a small repeating tile, then array that tile.

Step 3 — Trim the paving to the boundary

An array overshoots the actual paved area, so you clip it to the boundary. Draw the boundary of the paved area as a closed polyline. Then use TRIM with that boundary as the cutting edge to clip the overhanging blocks, or simpler, draw the array oversized and use a boundary to hide or erase the overspill.

For a clean edge, many drafters array slightly beyond the area, then place a closed boundary and use it as a wipeout or trim reference so the paving appears to stop neatly at the edge. Where blocks are cut by the boundary, that is realistic — real paving is cut at edges and obstacles too — so a part-block at the perimeter reads correctly rather than wrong.

Using a paving hatch instead

For most arrangement-scale drawings, skip the array and hatch the area. Run HATCH, pick a paving pattern (AutoCAD ships brick and paving patterns like BRICK, BRSTONE, and others; many offices have custom paving hatches), pick the enclosed area, and set the hatch scale so the pattern reads at the right block size for your drawing scale.

A hatch is a single object that fills the whole area, so it is dramatically lighter than thousands of blocks and updates instantly if the boundary changes (use an associative hatch and it re-flows when you edit the boundary). The trade-off is that a hatch is a representation, not real units you can count — but for a plan that only needs to communicate 'this area is paved in this pattern', that is exactly right.

Setting out paving from the array

When you do array real units, the layout becomes a setting-out tool. The first block's position is the setting-out origin, so place it deliberately — often paving is set out from a key edge, a building line or the centre of the area so cut blocks fall symmetrically at the edges rather than leaving a thin sliver on one side.

Keep the paving on its own layer with its own colour and lineweight, and consider drawing the joint lines as part of the block so the joints array with the units. From the arrayed layout you can dimension the setting-out, count the units for a quantity take-off, and show exactly where cut blocks fall — the kind of information a paving contractor actually works from on site.

Paving array pitfalls

The big one is performance: arraying real paving units across a large area can generate tens of thousands of objects and bring the drawing to its knees. If you find yourself arraying a vast field of tiny blocks, stop and use a hatch instead — the array is for details, not whole car parks.

Other traps: forgetting the joint width in the spacing, so blocks butt with no gap; arraying in the wrong direction so the grid grows off the area; and leaving the array associative when you then need to trim it (you usually EXPLODE before trimming to the boundary). Decide early whether the drawing needs real units or a hatch, and most paving pitfalls never arise.

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Questions

Frequently asked

Should I array real paving blocks or use a hatch?+

Use real arrayed blocks for large-scale setting-out details where you need actual units, joints and cut blocks. Use a paving hatch for arrangement-scale plans where the paving just needs to read as a pattern — it is one lightweight object instead of thousands of blocks.

How do I make a running-bond paving pattern in AutoCAD?+

Array one row of pavers, then array a second row offset sideways by half a block length, and rectangular-array that two-row pair upward. The half-block offset on alternate rows gives the staggered, brick-style running bond with broken vertical joints.

How do I trim an array of pavers to the area boundary?+

Draw the paved area as a closed polyline, array the pavers oversized to overshoot it, then EXPLODE the array and TRIM the overhanging blocks to the boundary — or use the boundary as a wipeout so the paving appears to stop neatly at the edge.

Why is my drawing so slow after arraying paving?+

Arraying real paving units across a large area can create tens of thousands of objects, which slows the drawing dramatically. For big areas use a paving hatch instead — a single object fills the whole area — and reserve real arrayed blocks for detail-scale drawings.

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