AutoCAD 2011 for Mac User's Guide September 2010
© 2010 Autodesk, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Except as otherwise permitted by Autodesk, Inc., this publication, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form, by any method, for any purpose. Certain materials included in this publication are reprinted with the permission of the copyright holder. Trademarks The following are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and other countries: 3DEC (design/logo), 3December, 3December.
Contents Get Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chapter 1 Find the Information You Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Access and Search the Product Help . . . . Learn the Product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View the Product Readme . . . . . . . . . Join the Customer Involvement Program . Chapter 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 .4 .5 .
Switch Between Dialog Boxes and the Command Line . . . . . . 20 View and Edit Within the Command History . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Work with Shortcut Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Chapter 4 Control the Drawing Area Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Interface Themes and Background Color . Cursors in the Drawing Area . . . . . . . Selection Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The UCS Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewport Label Menus . . . . . . . . . .
Transfer Information between Open Drawings . Save a Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Find a Drawing File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Specify Search Paths and File Locations . . . . . . . . Chapter 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 . 67 . 72 . 73 Repair, Restore, or Recover Drawing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Repair a Damaged Drawing File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Create and Restore Backup Files . . . .
Organize Drawings and Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Chapter 13 Create Single-View Drawings (Model Space) . . . . . . . . . . 129 Quick Start for Model Space Drafting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Draw, Scale, and Annotate in Model Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Chapter 14 Create Multiple-View Drawing Layouts (Paper Space) . . . . . 137 Quick Start for Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Understand the Layout Process . . . . . . . . . . .
Change the Linetype of an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . Control Linetype Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Display Linetypes on Short Segments and Polylines . . . Control Lineweights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of Lineweights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Display Lineweights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Set the Current Lineweight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Change the Lineweight of an Object . . . . . . . . . . .
Use a Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 Use the Command Prompt Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 Chapter 17 Draw Geometric Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 Draw Linear Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Polylines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Rectangles and Polygons . . . . . Draw Multiline Objects . . . . . . . . . Draw Freehand Sketches . . . . . . . . . Draw Curved Objects . . . . .
Modify Splines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359 Modify Helixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363 Modify Multilines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364 Chapter 19 Add Constraints to Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 Overview of Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Constrain Objects Geometrically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of Geometric Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify a Block Definition . . . . . . . . . Modify the Data in Block Attributes . . . . Modify a Block Attribute Definition . . . . Disassemble a Block Reference (Explode) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431 . 433 . 434 . 437 Work with 3D Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439 Chapter 22 Create 3D Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441 Overview of 3D Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Grips to Modify Solids and Surfaces . . . . . . . Use 3D Subobject Grips . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cycle Through and Filter Subobjects . . . . . . Use Grips to Edit 3D Solids and Surfaces . . . . Modify 3D Subobjects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Move, Rotate, and Scale 3D Subobjects . . . . . Modify Faces on 3D Objects . . . . . . . . . . . Modify Edges on 3D Objects . . . . . . . . . . . Modify Vertices on 3D Objects . . . . . . . . . Work with Complex 3D Solids and Surfaces . . . . .
Scale Annotations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of Scaling Annotations . . . . Set Annotation Scale . . . . . . . . . . . Create Annotative Objects . . . . . . . . Display Annotative Objects . . . . . . . Add and Modify Scale Representations . Set Orientation for Annotations . . . . . . . . Chapter 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 656 . 657 . 658 . 660 . 670 . 671 . 673 . . .
Set Text Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Set Text Obliquing Angle . . . . . . . . . . Set Horizontal or Vertical Text Orientation . Change Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of Changing Text . . . . . . . . . Change Single-Line Text . . . . . . . . . . . Change Multiline Text . . . . . . . . . . . . Find and Replace Text . . . . . . . . . . . . Check Spelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Projected Tolerance Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 840 Composite Tolerances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 841 Plot and Publish Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 843 Chapter 30 Specify Settings for Plotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 845 Save Plot Settings as Named Page Setups . . Reuse Named Page Setups . . . . . . . . . . Specify Page Setup Settings . . . . . . . . . Select a Printer or Plotter for a Layout . Select a Paper Size for a Layout . . . .
Overview of Referenced Drawings (Xrefs) . . . . . . . . . . Attach and Detach Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . . . . Attach Drawing References (Xrefs) . . . . . . . . . . Nest and Overlay Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . . Set Paths to Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . Detach Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . Update and Archive Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . . . . Update Referenced Drawing Attachments . . . . . . Archive Drawings That Contain Referenced Drawings (Bind) . . . . . . .
Collaborate with Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 941 Chapter 34 Use the Internet for Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 943 Get Started with Internet Access . . . . . . . . . . . . Work with Drawing Files over the Internet . . . . . . Open and Save Drawing Files from the Internet Share Drawing Files Internationally . . . . . . . Access Buzzsaw for Project Collaboration . . . . Work with Xrefs over the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Balance Mesh Density for Smooth Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . 998 Set Up the Renderer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1001 Control the Rendering Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1001 Basics of Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1002 Render Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1002 Save and Redisplay Rendered Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1003 Save a Rendered Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Get Information 1
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Find the Information You Need 1 There are various ways to find information about how to use this program, and multiple resources are available. This program is a powerful application with tools that help you work with a high level of efficiency and productivity. You install this software with the Installation wizard that starts automatically when you insert the product media.
Navigate Help Each page of the help system is divided into four main areas: ■ Header - Contains the navigation links to the Home page along with links that represent the path to the current topic. Along with navigation links, the Search text box is also located in the header. ■ Left Side - Along the left side of a page is the table of contents that allow you to navigate in the current guide. You can also find links sections on the current page as well as related topics in the documentation set.
Autodesk Official Training Courseware Autodesk Official Training Courseware (AOTC) is technical training material developed by ----- Autodesk. You can purchase AOTC from your local reseller or distributor, or you can order it online from the Autodesk Store. e-Learning Autodesk e-Learning for Autodesk Subscription ----- customers features interactive lessons organized into product catalogs.
Join the Customer Involvement Program You are invited to help guide the direction of Autodesk design software. If you participate in the Customer Involvement Program (CIP), specific information about how you use AutoCAD for Mac is forwarded to Autodesk. This information includes what features you use the most, problems that you encounter, and other information helpful to the future direction of the product. See the following links for more information.
Get Information from Drawings 2 You can retrieve general information from a drawing including identifying information and the number of objects that it contains. There are types of information stored in a drawing that are not specific to objects within the drawing, but provide useful information to help you understand the behavior of the drawing, the settings of system variables, the number of objects, descriptive information, and so on.
■ Compare Dimension Styles and Variables on page 774 Quick Reference Commands DWGPROPS Sets and displays the file properties of the current drawing. SETVAR Lists or changes the values of system variables. STATUS Displays drawing statistics, modes, and extents. TIME Displays the date and time statistics of a drawing. System Variables CDATE Stores the current date and time in decimal format. DATE Stores the current date and time in Modified Julian Date format.
The User Interface 9
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Start a Command 3 Use the menu bar, Tool Sets palette, and Command Line to access many frequently used commands. Parts of the User Interface The default user interface displays palettes and bars around the drawing area. Also, several controls are displayed within the drawing area. The Search field displays at the top of the application menu. Search results can include menu commands, basic tooltips, and command prompt text strings. You can enter a search term in any language.
■ Cmd-3 turns the Command Line on and off ■ Cmd-4 turns the Layers palette on and off ■ Cmd-5 turns the Properties Inspector on and off ■ Cmd-6 turns the Status bar on and off ■ Cmd-7 turns the References Manager palette on and off ■ Cmd-8 turns the Materials Browser palette on and off ■ Cmd-9 is not assigned ■ Cmd-0 turns all palettes and bars on and off You can dock palettes by dragging them to the edge of your screen until a blue line appears, and then dropping them into place.
Many, but not all commands are accessible from the menu bar. Less commonly used commands can be entered in the Command Line. All available commands are listed in the Help system under Command Reference. Quick Reference Commands CUI Manages the customized user interface elements in the product. The Tool Sets Palette The Tool Sets palette provides efficient access to AutoCAD commands. The Search field displays at the top of the application menu.
Tool Flyouts Some of the tools on the Tool Sets palette have a flyout indicator. Click and hold the flyout to display several options for that command. Tool Groups The tools on the Tool Sets palette are organized into tool groups. Click the arrow to display the entire tool group, which includes additional commands. To make the tool group stay visible, click the lock icon at the bottom of the tool group.
Tool Sets Click the Tool Sets button to display a list of alternate sets of commands based on your current tasks. For example, clicking the Annotation tool set replaces the commands in the Tool Sets palette with commands associated with dimensioning. Cmd-1 turns the Tool Sets palette on and off. TIP Use the CUI editor to customize any tool set, or create your own tool sets. Quick Reference Commands CUI Manages the customized user interface elements in the product.
Using the keyboard, you can enter the following in the Command Line: ■ A command or command abbreviation called a command alias ■ The capitalized letters of an option for a command ■ A setting called a system variable that controls how the program operates by default Many advanced users prefer this method for speed. Also, the Command Line displays prompts and error messages. Cmd-3 turns the Command Line on and off. Quick Reference Commands COMMANDLINE Displays the Command Line window.
Enter Commands on the Command Line You can enter a command by using the keyboard. Some commands also have abbreviated names called command aliases. To enter a command by using the keyboard, type the full command name or its command alias in the input area of the Command Line, and then press Enter or Spacebar. The Command Line includes several controls. For example, instead of entering circle to start the CIRCLE command, you can enter c. Command aliases are defined in the acad.pgp file.
Repeat and Cancel Commands You can repeat the previous command by pressing Enter or Spacebar. To repeat a recently used command, right-click in the Command Line or click the drop-down arrow to the left of the command input area. This action displays a shortcut menu with a list of recently used commands. You can also repeat a recently used command by cycling through the commands with Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys, and then pressing Enter. To cancel any command in progress, press ESC.
■ Control the operation of a command. For example, the HPASSOC syatem variable controls whether hatch patterns are associative by default. ■ Retrieve stored information about the current drawing and about the program configuration. For example, CDATE is a read-only system variable that stores the current date in decimal format. You can display the values of read-only system variables, but you cannot change them. Usually system variables are accessible from dialog boxes.
Switch Between Dialog Boxes and the Command Line You can display prompts on the command line instead of using a dialog box, or switch back again. This option is useful primarily when using scripts. Some functions are available both in the Command Line and in a dialog box. In many cases, you can enter a hyphen before a command to suppress the dialog box and display prompts in the Command Line instead. For example, entering layer on the command line displays the Layer Properties Manager.
System Variables ATTDIA Controls whether the INSERT command uses a dialog box for attribute value entry. EXPERT Controls whether certain prompts are issued. FILEDIA Suppresses display of file navigation dialog boxes. View and Edit Within the Command History You can copy text from the Command History to repeat commands. You can expand and collapse the Command History in the Command Line using the indicated control.
COMMANDLINEHIDE Hides the Command Line window. COPYHIST Hides the Command Line window. LOGFILEOFF Closes the command history log file opened by LOGFILEON. LOGFILEON Writes the contents of the command history to a file. System Variables LOGFILEMODE Specifies whether the contents of the command history are written to a log file. LOGFILENAME Specifies the path and name of the command history log file for the current drawing.
■ Display a dialog box, such as Drafting Settings or Preferences ■ Undo the last command entered In the Application Preferences dialog box (the OPTIONS command), you can customize right-click behavior to be time sensitive, so that a quick right-click acts the same as pressing Enter, and a longer right-click displays a shortcut menu. Quick Reference Commands CUI Manages the customized user interface elements in the product. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings.
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Control the Drawing Area Interface 4 The drawing area includes several tools and controls for viewing and drawing operations. You can adjust the display of these interface elements. Interface Themes and Background Color Many options are provided for customizing the look and feel of the product, including the color of the icons and the background color of the drawing area. The default color of the icons and palettes are dark gray. If you prefer, you can change this theme to a light color.
To change the background color of the drawing area in Model space 1 On the menu bar, click AutoCAD, and then Preferences. 2 In the Application Preferences dialog box, left column, click Look & Feel. 3 Under Interface Theme, click in the Model box, and then click a color, or click Select Color. The default dark gray background color has an RGB value of 33,40,48. 4 If you clicked Select Color, the Color Palette dialog box is displayed.
You can change the size of the crosshairs and pickbox cursors in the Application Preferences dialog box by clicking Cursor & Selection (the OPTIONS command). Quick Reference Commands OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. System Variables CURSORSIZE Determines the size of the crosshairs as a percentage of the screen size. PICKBOX Sets the object selection target height, in pixels. Selection Style Selecting objects conforms to a selection style that is common to most Mac applications.
Quick Reference Commands OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. System Variables PICKADD Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or add to it. PICKDRAG Controls the method of drawing a selection window. The UCS Icon The drawing area displays an icon representing the XY axis of a rectangular coordinate system called the User Coordinate System, or UCS. You can move or rotate the UCS with the UCS command.
You can change the appearance of the UCS icon with the UCSICON command, Properties option. With this command, you can also control whether the UCS icon is visible. See also: ■ Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS) on page 210 ■ Specify Workplanes in 3D (UCS) on page 214 ■ Control the Display of the User Coordinate System Icon on page 221 Quick Reference Commands PLAN Displays an orthographic view of the XY plane of a specified user coordinate system. UCS Manages user coordinate systems.
By default, text is displayed that shows the current viewport settings. For example, the text might be [+][Top][2D Wireframe] You can click within each of the three bracketed areas. ■ Click + to display more options ■ Click Top to choose between several standard and custom views ■ Click 2D Wireframe to choose one of several visual styles.
Alternatively, you can use the 3DORBITcommand to drag 3D views, and right-click for additional 3D viewing options. See also: ■ Use 3D Navigation Tools on page 108 Quick Reference Commands NAVVCUBE Indicates the current viewing direction. Dragging or clicking the ViewCube tool rotates the scene. The Coordinates Display The coordinates display is located in the lower-right corner of the active viewport and displays the current location of the crosshair cursor in the drawing area.
Along with the coordinates displayed in the active viewport, you can also get the current location of the crosshair cursor in a tooltip near the cursor when dynamic input is turned on. For more information about dynamic input, see Use Dynamic Input on page 223. See also: ■ Use Dynamic Input on page 223 ■ Overview of Coordinate Entry on page 199 Quick Reference Commands OPTIONS Customizes the program settings.
See also: ■ Quick Start for Layouts on page 137 Quick Reference Commands MSPACE In a layout, switches from paper space to model space in a layout viewport. MVIEW Creates and controls layout viewports. PSPACE In a layout, switches from model space in a viewport to paper space.
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Control Status, Layers, Properties, and Content 5 Use the Status bar, Layers palette, Properties Inspector, and Content palette to change which drafting aids are enabled, modify the layers in the current drawing, the properties of the current drawing or selected objects, and insert blocks from custom content libraries. The Status Bar The Status bar includes buttons that turn on and off various features.
One of the most important controls on the status bar, highlighted in the illustration, changes the drawing area between model space and paper space layouts. Click the disclosure triangle at the far right end of the status bar to display the second row of controls, which include settings and operations for 3D. Cmd-6 turns the status bar on and off. To control the display of buttons on the status bar 1 Right-click any empty area of the status bar. 2 In the status bar menu, click Display, and then any flyout.
Display All Layers and Layer Properties The layers and layer properties in a drawing can be displayed as a matrix, similar to a spreadsheet. Each row contains a layer and each column represents a layer property. You can click the Display Settings button at the bottom of the Layers palette to control which layer properties are displayed or hidden. When undocked in this format, the Layers palette can display all layer information simulatneously at the cost of taking up space on the screen.
To create a new layer 1 If necessary, click the disclosure triangle to expand the Layers palette. 2 At the bottom-left corner of the palette, click the + button. 3 Enter the name of the new layer in the highlighted text area, and then press Enter. To change the current layer 1 On the Layers palette, click the layer drop-down. 2 Click the layer that you want to make the current layer. There are several alternative methods.
You can perform the following actions: ■ Specify the current default properties assigned to all new objects ■ View and change the properties of one or more selected objects ■ Specify the default properties of the current Layer The key to controlling the information that appears in the Properties Inspector is choosing either the Object/Current button, or the Layer Properties button in the top-left corner of the palette.
Layer Properties Button The Properties Inspector provides an efficient way of displaying the properties and settings associated with the current layer, or a layer that you select in the Layers palette. Cmd-5 turns the Properties Inspector on and off. See also: ■ Overview of Object Properties on page 161 Quick Reference Commands PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. The Content Palette The Content palette allows you to access and manage content libraries.
■ Search for a block in a library WARNING If a drawing being referenced by Favorites or a custom library is moved, the reference is maintained but the associated block cannot be inserted into a drawing. See also: ■ Insert Blocks on page 407 Quick Reference Commands CONTENT Opens the Content palette. CONTENTCLOSE Closes the Content palette. System Variables CONTENTSTATE Indicates whether the Content palette is open or closed.
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Customize the Drawing Environment 6 You can change many window and drawing environment settings in the Application Preferences dialog box. For example, you can change how often a drawing is automatically saved to a temporary file, and you can link the program to folders containing files you use frequently. Set Interface Options You can adjust the application interface and drawing area to match the way you work.
■ Background Colors (Application Preferences dialog box, Look & Feel tab). You specify the background colors used in the Model and named layouts. ■ UCS Icon and ViewCube (Application Preferences dialog box, Look & Feel tab). You can specify the display options for the UCS icon and ViewCube in model space. ■ UCS Icon Style, Size, and Color (UCS Icon dialog box). You can control the appearance of the UCS icon in model space and paper space. ■ Clean Screen.
System Variables CLEANSCREENSTATE Indicates whether the clean screen state is on or off. CURSORSIZE Determines the size of the crosshairs as a percentage of the screen size. DRAGMODE Controls the way dragged objects are displayed. EXTNAMES Sets the parameters for named object names (such as linetypes and layers) stored in definition tables. GRIPCOLOR Controls the color of unselected grips. GRIPHOT Controls the color of selected grips. GRIPS Controls the display of grips on selected objects.
ISAVEPERCENT Determines the amount of wasted space tolerated in a drawing file. LAYOUTREGENCTL Specifies how the display list is updated in the Model tab and layout tabs. LOCALE Displays a code that indicates the current locale. LOCALROOTPREFIX Stores the full path to the root folder where local customizable files were installed. LOGFILEMODE Specifies whether the contents of the command history are written to a log file.
PICKBOX Sets the object selection target height, in pixels. PICKDRAG Controls the method of drawing a selection window. PICKFIRST Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you issue a command. PICKSTYLE Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection.
TOOLTIPMERGE Combines drafting tooltips into a single tooltip. VISRETAIN Controls the properties of xref-dependent layers. XLOADCTL Turns xref demand-loading on and off, and controls whether it opens the referenced drawing or a copy. Specify the Behavior of Palettes Palettes, such as Tool Set, ststus bar, and Reference Manager can be docked, displayed as icons, or floated. Settings for these and other options are often changed on a shortcut menu, available by right-clicking the title bar of the palette.
Quick Reference Commands HIDEPALETTES Hides all currently displayed palettes, including the command window. PALETTEICONON Collapses all open palettes, except command line and status bar, to a small bar displayed along the left or right side of the screen. PALETTEICONOFF Restores the display of all palettes collapsed by PALETTEICONON. RESETPALETTES Resets all palettes to their default placement settings. SHOWPALETTES Restores the display of hidden palettes.
Command line switches are parameters you can use to create custom shell scripts to start AutoCAD for Mac in a specific. Valid switches are listed in the following table. -b Script name Designates a script to run after you start the program (b stands for batch process). Scripts can be used to set up drawing parameters in a new drawing file. An SCR file type is assumed. -nologo No AutoCAD for Mac logo screen Starts the program without first displaying the logo screen.
Start and Save Drawings 51
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Start a Drawing 7 All drawings start from either a default drawing template file or a custom drawing template file that you create. Drawing template files store default settings, styles, and additional data. Overview of Starting a New Drawing Before you start to draw, you need to decide what system of drawing units that you will use in the drawing, and then choose a drawing template file appropriate for those drawing units.
Quick Reference Commands NEW Creates a new drawing. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. SAVEAS Saves a copy of the current drawing under a new file name. System Variables MEASUREMENT Controls whether the current drawing uses imperial or metric hatch pattern and linetype files. Specify Units and Unit Formats Before you start to draw, you decide on the units of measurement to be used in the drawing, and set the format, precision, and other conventions to be used in coordinates and distances.
Convert Drawing Units If you start a drawing in one system of measurement (imperial or metric) and then want to switch to the other system, use SCALE to scale the model geometry by the appropriate conversion factor to obtain correct distances and dimensions. For example, to convert a drawing created in inches to centimeters, you scale the model geometry by a factor of 2.54. To convert from centimeters to inches, the scale factor is 1/2.54 or about 0.3937.
MEASUREINIT Controls whether a drawing you start from scratch uses imperial or metric default settings. MEASUREMENT Controls whether the current drawing uses imperial or metric hatch pattern and linetype files. UNITMODE Controls the display format for units. Set the Unit Format Conventions You can set the format and the number of decimal places to be used when you enter and display linear and angular units.
8 inches long with a bearing of 45 degrees north, 20 minutes, 6 seconds east, enter @72'8"
MEASUREINIT Controls whether a drawing you start from scratch uses imperial or metric default settings. MEASUREMENT Controls whether the current drawing uses imperial or metric hatch pattern and linetype files. UNITMODE Controls the display format for units. Use a Drawing Template File A drawing template file provides consistency in the drawings that you create by maintaining your standard styles and settings.
■ Dimension styles on page 773 ■ Multileader styles on page 728 ■ Linetypes on page 180 ■ Lineweights on page 186 ■ Layouts on page 139 ■ Page setups on page 848 By default, drawing template files are stored in the template folder, where they are easily accessible. You can use the Application Preferences dialog box to set a default for both the template folder and the drawing template file. Quick Reference Commands NEW Creates a new drawing. OPEN Opens an existing drawing file.
Use Finder Finder can be used to location drawing files. For example, you can search for all files created on a certain date, or for files you modified yesterday. Display Properties in Fields You can assign any of the drawing properties to a field in a text object. For more information about fields, see Use Fields in Text on page 732. Quick Reference System Variables CDATE Stores the current date and time in decimal format. DATE Stores the current date and time in Modified Julian Date format.
Open or Save a Drawing 8 You can use several methods to find and open drawings, even damaged drawings. You can save and backup drawings automatically. Open a Drawing You open drawings to work on them just as you do with other applications. In addition, you can choose from several alternative methods. To open a drawing, you can ■ Use Open on the File menu to display the Select File dialog box.
■ The INDEXCTL system variable must be set to a non-zero value. When these conditions are met, you can create or modify visible objects, pan or zoom, turn off or freeze layers, and any other operation that does not require displaying objects not visible when the drawing was last saved. NOTE The Quick View feature will not be fully functional during loading under these conditions.
Work with Large Objects AutoCAD 2010 supports object size limits greater than those available in previous releases. With increased object size limits you can create larger and more complex models. Using increased object size limits can result in compatibility issues with legacy drawing file formats (AutoCAD 2007 and earlier). When working with drawings that you might need to exchange with others using AutoCAD 2009 and earlier, set the LARGEOBJECTSUPPORT system variable to 0.
OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. WHOHAS Displays ownership information for opened drawing files. DWGCHECK Checks drawings for potential problems when opening them. FILEDIA Suppresses display of file navigation dialog boxes. INDEXCTL Controls whether layer and spatial indexes are created and saved in drawing files. LARGEOBJECTSUPPORT Controls large object size limit support when you open and save drawings. REMEMBERFOLDERS Controls the default path displayed in standard file selection dialog boxes.
a list of available options. For more information, see Switch Between Open Drawings on page 65 ■ Layouts in an open drawing. Displays the Model layout and named layouts in the current drawing or the selected drawing when there is more than one drawing open. Double-click a layout thumbnail to switch to the corresponding layout and drawing file, or right-click a layout thumbnail to display a list of available options.
Quick Reference QUICKVIEW Displays a list of all open drawings, and the layouts contained in the current drawing or the selected drawing when more than one drawing is open. UPDATETHUMBSNOW Manually updates thumbnail previews for named views, drawings, and layouts. UPDATETHUMBNAIL Controls updating of the thumbnail previews for views and layouts. Switch Between Layouts in the Current Drawing Switch between the model space and layouts in the current drawing.
UPDATETHUMBSNOW Manually updates thumbnail previews for named views, drawings, and layouts. CTAB Returns the name of the current layout in the drawing. UPDATETHUMBNAIL Controls updating of the thumbnail previews for views and layouts. Transfer Information between Open Drawings You can easily transfer information between drawings that are open in a single session. When you open multiple drawings in a single session, you can ■ Reference other drawings. ■ Copy and paste between drawings.
drawing file format. This format is optimized for file compression and for use on a network. The character limit for a DWG file name (including its path) is 256 characters. NOTE If the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0, the Command prompt version displays instead of a file navigation dialog box. Save Part of a Drawing File If you want to create a new drawing file from part of an existing drawing, you use the WBLOCK command.
When this option is not selected, a single model space representation is displayed on the Model layout. More annotation objects may be displayed on the Model layout depending on the ANNOALLVISIBLE setting. Also, more objects may be displayed in paper space viewports at different sizes than in AutoCAD 2008 and later releases. Reduce the Time Required to Save a Drawing File You can reduce the time required to save a drawing file if you specify incremental saves rather than full saves.
Maintain Compatibility with Large Object Limits Drawings saved to a legacy drawing file format (AutoCAD 2007 or earlier) do not support objects greater than 256MB. With the AutoCAD 2010 drawing file format, these limitations have been removed allowing you to save objects that are greater in size. When saving to a legacy drawing file format (AutoCAD 2007 or earlier), the drawing cannot contain large objects; there might be compatibility issues with trying to open the drawing.
Quick Reference BLOCK Creates a block definition from selected objects. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. QSAVE Saves the current drawing using the specified default file format. QUIT Exits the program. SAVE Saves the drawing under the current file name or a specified name. SAVEAS Saves a copy of the current drawing under a new file name. WBLOCK Writes objects or a block to a new drawing file. DWGCHECK Checks drawings for potential problems when opening them.
ISAVEPERCENT Determines the amount of wasted space tolerated in a drawing file. LARGEOBJECTSUPPORT Controls large object size limit support when you open and save drawings. RASTERPREVIEW Controls whether BMP preview images are saved with the drawing. SAVEFIDELITY Controls whether the drawing is saved with visual fidelity. SAVEFILE Stores the current automatic save file name. SAVEFILEPATH Specifies the path to the directory for all automatic save files for the current session.
Quick Reference OPEN Opens an existing drawing file. Specify Search Paths and File Locations You can set the search path to drawing support files such as text fonts, drawings, linetypes, and hatch patterns. You also can specify the location of temporary files, which is important when working in a network environment.
Quick Reference OPTIONS Customizes the program settings.
Repair, Restore, or Recover Drawing Files 9 If a drawing file is damaged or if your program terminates unexpectedly, you can recover some or all of the data by using commands to find and correct errors, or by reverting to a backup file. Repair a Damaged Drawing File If a drawing file is damaged, you can recover some or all of the data by using commands to find and correct errors. Repair and Recovery When an error occurs, diagnostic information is recorded in the acadlt.
Example: Auditing Files Auditing a file generates a description of problems with a drawing file and recommendations for correcting them. As you start the audit, you specify whether you want the program to try to fix the problems it encounters.
RECOVERAUTO Controls the display of recovery notifications before or after opening a damaged drawing file. REPORTERROR Controls whether an error report can be sent to Autodesk if the program closes unexpectedly. Create and Restore Backup Files Backup files help ensure the safety of your drawing data. If a problem occurs, you can restore a drawing backup file. Computer hardware problems, power failures or surges, user mistakes, or software problems can cause errors in a drawing.
These temporary files are automatically deleted when a drawing closes normally. In the event of a program failure or a power failure, these files are not deleted. To recover a previous version of your drawing from the automatically saved file, rename the file using a .dwg extension in place of the .sv$ extension before you close the program. See also: ■ Recover from a System Failure Quick Reference Commands OPTIONS Customizes the program settings.
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Change Views 10 You can magnify the details in your drawing for a closer view or shift the view to a different part of the drawing. If you save views by name, you can restore them later. Pan or Zoom a View You can pan to reposition the view in the drawing area or zoom to change magnification. With the Realtime option of PAN, you pan dynamically by moving your pointing device.
Zoom to Magnify a Specified Rectangular Area You can quickly zoom on a rectangular area of your drawing by specifying two diagonal corners of the area you are interested in. The lower-left corner of the area you specify becomes the lower-left corner of the new display. The shape of the zoom area you specify does not correspond exactly to the new view, which must fit the shape of the viewport. Zoom in Real Time With the Realtime option, you zoom dynamically by moving your pointing device up or down.
See also: ■ Scale Views in Layout Viewports on page 147 Quick Reference Commands PAN Moves the view planar to the screen. UNDO Reverses the effect of commands. VIEWRES Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport. ZOOM Increases or decreases the magnification of the view in the current viewport. System Variables EXTMAX Stores the upper-right point of the drawing extents.
EXTMIN Stores the lower-left point of the drawing extents. MBUTTONPAN Controls the behavior of the third button or wheel on the pointing device. RTDISPLAY Controls the display of raster images and OLE objects during Realtime ZOOM or PAN. ZOOMFACTOR Controls how much the magnification changes when the mouse wheel moves forward or backward. Save and Restore Views When you save specific views by name, you can restore them for layout and plotting or when you need to refer to specific details.
■ Visual style Restore a Named View You can use named views to do the following: ■ Restore a view that you use frequently while working in model space. ■ Restore a view on a layout that is zoomed into an area of interest on the layout. ■ With multiple model or layout viewports, restore a different view in each one. Quick Reference Commands VIEW Saves and restores named model space views, layout views, and preset views. VPORTS Creates multiple viewports in model space or paper space.
The following illustration shows the same model in both a parallel projection and perspective projection. Both are based on the same viewing direction. Quick Reference Commands 3DORBIT Rotates the view in 3D space, but constrained to horizontal and vertical orbit only. DVIEW Defines parallel projection or perspective views by using a camera and target. System Variables BACKZ Stores the back clipping plane offset from the target plane for the current viewport, in drawing units.
VIEWMODE Stores the View mode for the current viewport. VIEWTWIST Stores the view rotation angle for the current viewport measured relative to the WCS. WORLDVIEW Determines whether input to the DVIEW and VPOINT commands is relative to the WCS (default) or the current UCS. Define a Perspective Projection (DVIEW) Perspective projections require a distance between a theoretical camera and a target point. Small distances produce severe perspective effects; large distances produce milder effects.
LENSLENGTH Stores the length of the lens (in millimeters) used in perspective viewing. PERSPECTIVE Specifies whether the current viewport displays a perspective view. PERSPECTIVECLIP Determines the location of eyepoint clipping. TARGET Stores the location (as a UCS coordinate) of the target point for the current viewport. VIEWDIR Stores the viewing direction in the current viewport, expressed in UCS coordinates. VIEWMODE Stores the View mode for the current viewport.
Viewing in 3D is available only in model space. If you are working in paper space, you cannot use 3D viewing commands such as VPOINT, DVIEW, or PLAN to define paper space views. The view in paper space is always a plan view. Quick Reference Commands DVIEW Defines parallel projection or perspective views by using a camera and target. PLAN Displays an orthographic view of the XY plane of a specified user coordinate system. VPOINT Sets the viewing direction for a 3D visualization of the drawing.
options: SW (southwest) Isometric, SE (southeast) Isometric, NE (northeast) Isometric, and NW (northwest) Isometric. To understand how the isometric views work, imagine you are looking down at the top of a box. If you move toward the lower-left corner of the box, you are viewing the box from the SW Isometric View. If you move toward the upper-right corner of the box, you are viewing it from NE Isometric View.
Quick Reference Commands VIEW Saves and restores named model space views, layout views, and preset views. VPOINT Sets the viewing direction for a 3D visualization of the drawing. System Variables WORLDVIEW Determines whether input to the DVIEW and VPOINT commands is relative to the WCS (default) or the current UCS. Change to a View of the XY Plane You can change the current viewpoint to a plan view of the current UCS, a previously saved UCS, or the WCS.
Quick Reference Commands DVIEW Defines parallel projection or perspective views by using a camera and target. PLAN Displays an orthographic view of the XY plane of a specified user coordinate system. System Variables BACKZ Stores the back clipping plane offset from the target plane for the current viewport, in drawing units. FRONTZ Stores the front clipping plane offset from the target plane for the current viewport, in drawing units.
Control the effect of a visual style by changing its properties. When you apply a visual style or change its settings, the associated viewport is automatically updated to reflect those changes. The Properties Inspector displays all visual styles available in the drawing under the Visual Styles section. The following predefined visual styles are supplied with the product: ■ 2D Wireframe. Displays objects using lines and curves to represent the boundaries.
In shaded visual styles, faces are lit by two distant light sources that follow the viewpoint as you move around the model. This default lighting is designed to illuminate all faces in the model so that they are visually discernable. Default lighting is available only when other lights, including the sun, are off. Select a visual style and change its settings at any time. The changes are reflected in the viewports to which the visual style is applied.
System Variables VSLIGHTINGQUALITY Sets the lighting quality in the current viewport. Customize a Visual Style You can create your own visual styles by changing the face and edge settings and using shadows and backgrounds. Shade and Color Faces Shading and color effects control the display of faces in a model. Face Styles The face style defines the shading on a face. Realistic (below left) is meant to produce the effect of realism.
The None face style produces no shading, and displays only edges. Customize edge settings to control whether facet edges or isolines are displayed. Lighting Quality Lighting quality determines the smoothness of shaded objects. Faceted lighting computes a single color for each face. Individual faces appear flat. Smooth lighting smoothes the edges between polygon faces by computing the colors as a gradient between the faces’ vertices. This gives objects a smooth appearance.
computed for individual pixels, giving a smoother appearance. If not, the Smooth setting is used instead. Highlights The size of an object’s highlights affect the perception of shininess. A smaller, more intense highlight makes objects appear shinier. The highlight intensity that is set in a visual style does not apply to objects with attached materials. Opacity The opacity property controls the transparency of objects.
Face Color Modes Display face colors in the normal way, or specify a face color mode. Monochrome displays faces in the varying shades of a specified color. Tint shades faces by changing the hue and saturation values based on a specified color. Desaturate softens colors. Quick Reference Commands VSCURRENT Sets the visual style in the current viewport.
VSSAVE Saves a visual style. System Variables VSFACECOLORMODE Controls how the color of faces is calculated. VSFACEHIGHLIGHT Controls the display of specular highlights on faces without materials in the current viewport. VSFACEOPACITY Turns on and off a preset level of transparency for 3D objects. VSFACESTYLE Controls how faces are displayed in the current viewport. VSLIGHTINGQUALITY Sets the lighting quality in the current viewport.
Shadows Shaded objects in a viewport can display shadows. Ground shadows are shadows that objects cast on the ground. Mapped object shadows are shadows cast by objects onto other objects. The lighting in the viewport must be from user-created lights or the sun for mapped object shadows to be displayed. Where shadows overlap, they appear darker. NOTE To display mapped object shadows, hardware acceleration is required. When Enhanced 3D Performance is off, mapped object shadows cannot be displayed.
Quick Reference Commands VIEW Saves and restores named model space views, layout views, and preset views. VSCURRENT Sets the visual style in the current viewport. VSSAVE Saves a visual style. System Variables CSHADOW Sets the shadow display property for a 3D object. LIGHTINGUNITS Controls whether generic or photometric lights are used, and specifies the lighting units for the drawing. SHADOWPLANELOCATION Controls the location of an invisible ground plane used to display shadows.
Edge modifiers such as line extension and jitter, produce the appearance of a model that is still in the conceptual phase. Jitter makes lines appear as though they were sketched with a pencil. Line extension produces another kind of hand-drawn effect. NOTE Plot styles are not available for objects with the Jitter edge modifier applied. Control the display of occluded lines in 2D View Occluded lines are hidden lines made visible by changing its linetype and color.
IMPORTANT After you have changed the settings for occluded lines, use the HIDE command to regenerate the drawing and display the changes. Quick Reference Commands VSCURRENT Sets the visual style in the current viewport. VSSAVE Saves a visual style. System Variables FACETRES Adjusts the smoothness of shaded and rendered objects and objects with hidden lines removed. INTERSECTIONCOLOR Controls the color of polylines at the intersection of 3D surfaces when the visual style is set to 2D Wireframe.
VSEDGES Controls the types of edges that are displayed in the viewport. VSEDGESMOOTH Specifies the angle at which crease edges are displayed. VSHALOGAP Sets the halo gap in the visual style applied to the current viewport. VSINTERSECTIONEDGES Controls the display of intersection edges in the visual style applied to the current viewport. VSINTERSECTIONCOLOR Specifies the color of intersection polylines in the visual style applied to the current viewport.
VSSILHEDGES Controls display of silhouette edges of solid objects in the visual style applied to the current viewport. VSSILHWIDTH Specifies the width in pixels of silhouette edges in the current viewport. Control Performance 3D graphics display and memory allocation can slow performance on your system. Performance and memory tuning are different approaches to delivering the best performance possible.
Memory Tuning Performance can also be improved by adding memory to your system. This is especially true when working on larger models. The system requirements for AutoCAD require at least 2 GB of physical memory (RAM) for working in 2D. For creating and working with 3D models, at least 4 GB of RAM is required. The size and complexity of a model often defines how efficiently an application runs.
Use Viewing Tools 11 When working in 3D, you'll often want to display different views so that you can see and verify the 3D effects in your drawing. Specify 3D Views You can control the 3D navigation display, projection, and visualization tools. Overview of 3D Views You can create an interactive view of your drawing in the current viewport. Using the 3D viewing and navigation tools, you can navigate through a drawing. You can orbit, zoom, and swivel around a 3D model.
3DORBITCTR Sets the center of rotation in 3D Orbit view. 3DPAN When a drawing is in a Perspective view, starts the interactive 3D view and enables you to drag the view horizontally and vertically. 3DSWIVEL Changes the target of the view in the direction that you drag. 3DZOOM Zooms in and out in a perspective view. VIEW Saves and restores named model space views, layout views, and preset views. System Variables CAMERADISPLAY Turns the display of camera objects on or off.
■ Swivel. Simulates panning with a camera in the direction that you drag. The target of the view changes. You can swivel the view along the XY plane or along the Z axis. (3DSWIVEL) ■ Zoom. Simulates moving the camera closer to an object or farther away. Zooming in magnifies the image. (3DZOOM) ■ Pan. Starts the interactive 3D view and enables you to drag the view horizontally and vertically.
PERSPECTIVECLIP Determines the location of eyepoint clipping. Create a 3D Dynamic View (DVIEW) You can change a view without interrupting your current operation using a feature that combines panning and zooming. With dynamic viewing, you can display the effects of changing your viewpoint as you make the changes. Using this method, you can also simplify your view temporarily by choosing only the objects that you need to determine the view.
Quick Reference Commands DVIEW Defines parallel projection or perspective views by using a camera and target. PLAN Displays an orthographic view of the XY plane of a specified user coordinate system. System Variables VIEWDIR Stores the viewing direction in the current viewport, expressed in UCS coordinates. VIEWTWIST Stores the view rotation angle for the current viewport measured relative to the WCS.
or click the ViewCube, switch to one of the available preset views, roll the current view, or change to the Home view of the model. Edge Corner Face Control the Appearance of ViewCube The ViewCube tool is displayed in one of two states: inactive and active. When the ViewCube tool is inactive, it appears partially transparent by default so that it does not obscure the view of the model. When active, it is opaque and may obscure the view of the objects in the current view of the model.
the cardinal direction letters or the compass ring to interactively rotate the model around the pivot point. Quick Reference Commands NAVVCUBE Indicates the current viewing direction. Dragging or clicking the ViewCube tool rotates the scene. System Variables NAVVCUBEDISPLAY Controls the display of the ViewCube tool in the current visual style and the current viewport. NAVVCUBELOCATION Identifies the corner in a viewport where the ViewCube tool is displayed.
The ViewCube menu has the following options: ■ Home. Restores the Home view saved with the model. This view is in synchronization with the Go Home view option in the SteeringWheels menu. ■ Parallel. Switches the current view to parallel projection. ■ Perspective. Switches the current view to perspective projection. ■ Perspective with Ortho Faces. Switches the current view to perspective projection unless the current view aligns with a face view defined on the ViewCube tool.
Reorient the View of a Model with ViewCube The ViewCube tool offers many intuitive ways to reorient the view of a model. Reorient the Current View You can reorient the current view of a model by clicking predefined areas on the ViewCube tool or dragging the ViewCube tool. The ViewCube tool provides twenty-six defined parts to click and change the current view of a model. The twenty-six defined parts are categorized into three groups: corner, edge, and face.
The ViewCube tool reorients the object’s view around a pivot point. ■ When the object is unselected, drag the ViewCube tool to reorient the object’s view around the pivot point displayed at the center of the view. ■ When the object is selected, drag the ViewCube tool to reorient the object’s view around the pivot point displayed at the center of the selected object.
Quick Reference Commands NAVVCUBE Indicates the current viewing direction. Dragging or clicking the ViewCube tool rotates the scene. Set the View Projection Mode View projection produces realistic visual effects of a model. The ViewCube tool supports two view projection modes (Perspective and Orthographic) and a combination of both these modes (Perspective with Ortho faces). Orthographic projection is also referred to as parallel projection.
When you change the view for a model, the view is updated using the previous projection mode unless the current projection mode for the ViewCube tool is Perspective with Ortho Faces. The Perspective with Ortho Faces mode forces all views to be displayed in perspective projection unless the model is being viewed from one of the face views: top, bottom, front, back, left, or right. Quick Reference Commands NAVVCUBE Indicates the current viewing direction.
Quick Reference Commands NAVVCUBE Indicates the current viewing direction. Dragging or clicking the ViewCube tool rotates the scene. Examine Individual Objects with ViewCube You can examine individual objects of a model using the ViewCube tool. With the ViewCube tool, you can define the center of a view based on one or more selected objects. Select an object or objects and use the ViewCube tool to reorient the model. The model rotates around the center of the view.
the model based on the North and Up directions of the model. The settings for controlling the orientation of the ViewCube tool are in the ViewCube Settings dialog box. Quick Reference Commands NAVVCUBE Indicates the current viewing direction. Dragging or clicking the ViewCube tool rotates the scene. UCS Manages user coordinate systems. System Variables NAVVCUBEORIENT Controls whether the ViewCube tool reflects the current UCS or WCS.
Display Multiple Views in Model Space 12 To see several views at the same time, you can split the drawing area of the Model layout into separate viewing areas called model space viewports. You can save arrangements of model space viewports for reuse at any time. Set Model Space Viewports On the Model layout, you can split the drawing area into one or more adjacent rectangular views known as model space viewports. Viewports are areas that display different views of your model.
You can also create viewports on a named (paper space) layout. You use those viewports, called layout viewports, to arrange the views of your drawing on a sheet. You can move and resize layout viewports. By using layout viewports, you have more control over the display; for example, you can freeze certain layers in one layout viewport without affecting the others. For more information about layouts and layout viewports, see Create Multiple-View Drawing Layouts (Paper Space) on page 137.
You can easily modify model space viewports by splitting and joining them. If you want to join two viewports, they must share a common edge of the same length. Quick Reference Commands MODEL Switches from a named (paper space) layout to the Model layout. VPORTS Creates multiple viewports in model space or paper space. System Variables MAXACTVP Sets the maximum number of viewports that can be active at one time in a layout. CTAB Returns the name of the current layout in the drawing.
Select and Use the Current Viewport When you use multiple viewports, one of them is the current viewport, which accepts cursor input and view commands. When a viewport is current, the cursor is displayed as crosshairs rather than an arrow, and the viewport boundary is highlighted. You can change the current viewport at any time except when a View command is in progress. To make a viewport the current viewport, you click inside it or press Ctrl-R to cycle through the existing viewports.
VIEWSIZE Stores the height of the view displayed in the current viewport, measured in drawing units. Save and Restore Model Layout Viewport Arrangements Arrangements of model viewports can be saved and restored by name. You do not have to set up viewports and views every time you need them. With VPORTS, viewport arrangements can be saved and later restored by name.
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Organize Drawings and Layouts 127
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Create Single-View Drawings (Model Space) 13 If you are going to create a two dimensional drawing that has one view, you can create the drawing and its annotation entirely in model space. This is the traditional method for creating drawings with AutoCAD for Mac®. With this method, you create the building, mechanical part, or geographic area that you want to represent at full scale (1:1), but you create the text, dimensions, and the title block of the drawing at a scale to match the intended plot scale.
With this method, you always draw geometric objects at full scale (1:1) and text, dimensions, and other annotation at a scale that will appear at the correct size when you output the drawing. For information about using annotative objects and scaling annotations automatically, see Scale Annotations on page 656. See also: ■ Create Multiple-View Drawing Layouts (Paper Space) on page 137 Quick Reference Commands MODEL Switches from a named (paper space) layout to the Model layout.
Draw, Scale, and Annotate in Model Space If you draw and plot from model space, you must determine and apply a scale factor to annotate objects before you plot. You can draw and plot entirely from model space. This method is useful primarily for two-dimensional drawings that have a single view. With this method, you use the following process: ■ Determine the unit of measurement (drawing units) for the drawing. ■ Specify the display style for the drawing unit.
Set the Scale for Annotations and Blocks Before you draw, you should set the scale for dimensions, annotations, and blocks in your drawings. Scaling these elements beforehand ensures that they are at the correct size when you plot the final drawing. You should enter the scale for the following objects: ■ Text. Set the text height as you create text or by setting a fixed text height in the text style (STYLE). ■ Dimensions.
Sample Scale Ratios The sample architectural scale ratios in the table can be used to calculate text sizes in model space. Scale Scale factor To plot text size at Set drawing text size to 1 cm = 1 m 100 3 mm 30 cm 1/8" = 1'-0" 96 1/8" 12" 3/16" = 1'-0" 64 1/8" 8" 1/4" = 1'-0" 48 1/8" 6" 3/8" = 1'-0" 32 1/8" 4" 1/2" = 1'-0" 24 1/8" 3" 3/4" = 1'-0" 16 1/8" 2" 1" = 1'-0" 12 1/8" 1.5" 1 1/2" = 1'-0" 8 1/8" 1.
INSERT Inserts a block or drawing into the current drawing. LINETYPE Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. UNITS Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision. System Variables CELTSCALE Sets the current object linetype scaling factor. DIMSCALE Sets the overall scale factor applied to dimensioning variables that specify sizes, distances, or offsets. HPSCALE Sets the hatch pattern scale factor.
LTSCALE LUNITS Sets linear units. TEXTSIZE Sets the default height for new text objects drawn with the current text style.
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Create Multiple-View Drawing Layouts (Paper Space) 14 Paper space is a sheet layout environment where you can specify the size of your sheet, add a title block, display multiple views of your model, and create dimensions and notes for your drawing. Quick Start for Layouts There are two distinct working environments, or “spaces,” in which you can create objects in a drawing. These are represented by the Model and named layouts.
Quick Reference LAYOUT Creates and modifies drawing layouts. MODEL Switches from a named (paper space) layout to the Model layout. MSPACE In a layout, switches from paper space to model space in a layout viewport. MVIEW Creates and controls layout viewports. PAGESETUP Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout. PSETUPIN Imports a user-defined page setup into a new drawing layout. PSPACE In a layout, switches from model space in a viewport to paper space.
Understand the Layout Process When you use a named layout to prepare your drawing for output, you follow a series of steps in a process. You design the subject of your drawing on the Model layout (in model space) and prepare it for output on a named layout (in paper space). There is one Model layout and one or more named layouts in a drawing. A drawing always has at least one named layout. Before you can use a layout, it must be initialized.
Quick Reference LAYOUT Creates and modifies drawing layouts. MODEL Switches from a named (paper space) layout to the Model layout. MSPACE In a layout, switches from paper space to model space in a layout viewport. MVIEW Creates and controls layout viewports. PAGESETUP Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. PSETUPIN Imports a user-defined page setup into a new drawing layout.
MAXACTVP Sets the maximum number of viewports that can be active at one time in a layout. TILEMODE Makes the Model tab or the last layout tab current. Work with Model Space and Paper Space There are several benefits to switching between model space and paper space to perform certain tasks. Use model space for creating and editing your model. Use paper space for composing your drawing sheet and defining views. Work on the Model Layout The Model layout accesses a limitless drawing area called model space.
MAXACTVP Sets the maximum number of viewports that can be active at one time in a layout. TILEMODE Makes the Model tab or the last layout tab current. Work on a Named Layout Named layouts access an area called paper space. In paper space, you place your title block, create layout viewports to display views, dimension your drawing, and add notes. In paper space, one unit represents the actual distance on a sheet of paper.
MODEL Switches from a named (paper space) layout to the Model layout. MSPACE In a layout, switches from paper space to model space in a layout viewport. MVIEW Creates and controls layout viewports. PAGESETUP Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. PSETUPIN Imports a user-defined page setup into a new drawing layout. PSPACE In a layout, switches from model space in a viewport to paper space.
PLOTROTMODE Controls the orientation of plots. TILEMODE Makes the Model tab or the last layout tab current. Access Model Space from a Layout Viewport You can access model space from a layout viewport to edit objects, to freeze and thaw layers, and to adjust the view. After creating viewport objects, you can access model space from a layout viewport to perform the following tasks: ■ Create and modify objects in model space inside the layout viewport.
active viewports in the layout remain visible while you work. You can freeze and thaw layers in the current viewport in the Layers palette, and you can pan the view. To return to paper space, double-click an empty area on the layout outside a viewport. The changes you made are displayed in the viewport. If you set the scale in the layout viewport before you access model space, you can lock the scale to prevent changes. When the scale is locked, you cannot use ZOOM while you work in model space.
Create Nonrectangular Layout Viewports You can create a new viewport with nonrectangular boundaries by converting an object drawn in paper space into a layout viewport. You can use the MVIEW command to create nonrectangular viewports. ■ With the Object option, you can select a closed object, such as a circle or closed polyline created in paper space, to convert into a layout viewport.
A nonrectangular viewport consists of two objects: the viewport itself and the clipping boundary. You can make changes to the viewport, the clipping boundary, or both. NOTE In the Properties Inspector, the default selection for a nonrectangular viewport is Viewport. This is because you are more likely to change the properties of the viewport than of the clipping boundary.
You can change the view scale of the viewport using ■ The Properties Inspector ■ The XP option of the ZOOM command ■ The Viewports Scale on the status bar NOTE You can modify the list of scales that are displayed in all view and print scale lists with SCALELISTEDIT. When you work in a layout, the scale factor of a view in a layout viewport represents a ratio between the actual size of the model displayed in the viewport and the size of the layout.
layout or when plotted. The annotation scale controls the size of the annotative objects relative to the model geometry in the drawing. You can specify the default list of scales available for layout viewports, page layouts, and printing in Default Scale List dialog box. For more information about annotation scaling, see Scale Annotations on page 656. Quick Reference SCALELISTEDIT Controls the list of scales available for layout viewports, page layouts, and plotting.
for new viewports and for new layers. As a result, you can view different objects in each layout viewport. You can freeze or thaw layers in current and future layout viewports without affecting other viewports. Frozen layers are invisible. They are not regenerated or plotted. In the illustration, the layer showing terrain has been frozen in one viewport. Thawing the layer restores visibility. The easiest way to freeze or thaw layers in the current viewport is to use the Layers palette.
Quick Reference LAYER Manages layers and layer properties. VPLAYER Sets layer visibility within viewports. Screen Objects in Layout Viewports Screening refers to applying less ink to an object when it is plotted. The object appears dimmer on the screen and output to paper. Screening can be used to help differentiate objects in a drawing without changing the objects' color properties.
Displaying a large number of active layout viewports can affect your system's performance as the content of each layout viewport regenerates. You can save time by turning some layout viewports off or by limiting the number of active viewports. The following illustration shows the effects of turning off two layout viewports. New layout viewports are turned on by default. If you turn off the layout viewports you aren't using, you can copy layout viewports without waiting for each one to regenerate.
Scale Linetypes in Layout Viewports You can scale linetypes in paper space either based on the drawing units of the space in which the object was created or based on the paper space units. You can set thePSLTSCALE system variable to maintain the same linetype scaling for objects displayed at different zoom factors in a layout and in a layout viewport. For example, with PSLTSCALE set to 1 (default), set the current linetype to dashed, and then draw a line in a paper space layout.
Align Views in Layout Viewports You can arrange the elements of your drawing by aligning the view in one layout viewport with the view in another viewport. For angled, horizontal, and vertical alignments, you can move each layout viewport relative to distances defined by the model-space geometry displayed.
MVSETUP Sets up the specifications of a drawing. UCS Manages user coordinate systems. UCSICON Controls the visibility and placement of the UCS icon. UCSMAN Manages defined user coordinate systems. UCSICON Controls the visibility and placement of the UCS icon. UCSVP Determines whether the UCS in viewports remains fixed or changes to reflect the UCS of the current viewport. Rotate Views in Layout Viewports You can rotate an entire view within a layout viewport with the VPROTATEASSOC system variable.
Another way is to use the Align and then Rotate View options in the MVSETUP command. NOTE The ROTATE command rotates individual objects only and should not be used to try to rotate a view. Quick Reference MVSETUP Sets up the specifications of a drawing. PLAN Displays an orthographic view of the XY plane of a specified user coordinate system. UCS Manages user coordinate systems. UCSICON Controls the visibility and placement of the UCS icon. UCSMAN Manages defined user coordinate systems.
Reuse Layouts and Layout Settings When you create a layout, you can choose to apply the information from an existing template. A layout template is a layout imported from a DWG or DWT file. When you create a layout, you can choose to apply the information from an existing template. The program has sample layout templates to use when you design a new layout environment. The paper space objects and page setup in the existing template are used in the new layout.
Quick Reference LAYOUT Creates and modifies drawing layouts. PAGESETUP Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout. PURGE Removes unused items, such as block definitions and layers, from the drawing. TDCREATE Stores the local time and date the drawing was created. TDUCREATE Stores the universal time and date that the drawing was created. TDUPDATE Stores the local time and date of the last update/save.
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Control the Properties of Objects 15 You can organize objects in your drawing and control how they are displayed and plotted by changing their properties, which include layer, linetype, color, lineweight, transparency, and plot style. Work with Object Properties You can change the object properties in your drawing by using the Properties Inspector palette. Overview of Object Properties Every object you draw has properties.
See also: ■ Control the Color and Linetype Properties in Blocks on page 416 Quick Reference CHPROP Changes the properties of an object. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. PROPERTIESCLOSE Closes the Properties Inspector palette. CECOLOR Sets the color of new objects. CELTYPE Sets the linetype of new objects. CELWEIGHT Sets the lineweight of new objects. CETRANSPARENCY Sets the transparency level for new objects. CLAYER Sets the current layer.
Display and Change the Properties of Objects You can display and change the current properties for any object in your drawing. Use the Properties Inspector Palette The Properties Inspector palette lists the current settings for properties of the selected object or set of objects. You can modify any property that can be changed by specifying a new value. ■ When more than one object is selected, the Properties Inspector palette displays only those properties common to all objects in the selection set.
Quick Reference DSETTINGS Sets grid and snap, polar and object snap tracking, object snap modes, and Dynamic Input. ID Displays the UCS coordinate values of a specified location. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. PROPERTIESCLOSE Closes the Properties Inspector palette. CETRANSPARENCY Sets the transparency level for new objects. DBLCLKEDIT Controls the double click editing behavior in the drawing area.
The types of properties that can be copied include, but are not limited to, color, layer, linetype, linetype scale, lineweight, plot style, transparency, viewport property overrides, and 3D thickness. By default, all applicable properties are automatically copied from the first object you selected to the other objects. If you don't want a specific property or properties to be copied, use the Settings option to suppress the copying of that property.
By creating layers, you can associate similar types of objects by assigning them to the same layer. For example, you can put construction lines, text, dimensions, and title blocks on separate layers.
Use Layers to Manage Complexity You can use layers to control the visibility of objects and to assign properties to objects. Layers can be locked to prevent objects from being modified. You can reduce the visual complexity of a drawing and improve display performance by controlling how objects are displayed or plotted. For example, you can use layers to control the properties and visibility of similar objects, such as electrical parts or dimensions.
Assign a Default Color and Linetype to a Layer Each layer has associated properties such as color, linetype, and transparency that are assumed by all objects on that layer when the setting is ByLayer. For example, if the Properties Inspector palette set to BYLAYER when no object is selected, the color of new objects is determined by the color setting for the layer in the Layers palette.
The LAYLOCKFADECTL system variable controls the fading applied to locked layers. Locked layers that are faded are plotted normally. When you lock a layer that contains transparent objects, the visibiltiy of those objects is further reduced by the specified locked layer fading value. NOTE Grips are not displayed on objects that are on locked layers. Quick Reference LAYER Manages layers and layer properties. LAYFRZ Freezes the layer of selected objects.
NOTE The number of layers that you can create in a drawing and the number of objects that you can create on each layer are practically unlimited. Choose Layer Names Carefully A layer name can include up to 255 characters (double-byte or alphanumeric): letters, numbers, spaces, and several special characters. Layer names cannot include the following characters: <>/\“:;?*|=‘ In many cases, the layer names you choose are dictated by corporate, industry, or client standards.
Quick Reference LAYER Manages layers and layer properties. PURGE Removes unused items, such as block definitions and layers, from the drawing. CLAYER Sets the current layer. Change Layer Settings and Layer Properties You can change the name of a layer and any of its properties, including color and linetype, and you can reassign objects from one layer to another.
When you use Layer Previous, it undoes the most recent layer change or set of changes made. Every change you make to layer settings is tracked and can be undone with Layer Previous. You can use LAYERPMODE to suspend layer property tracking when you don't need it, such as when you run large scripts. There is a modest performance gain in turning off Layer Previous tracking. Layer Previous does not undo the following changes: ■ Renamed layers.
CLAYER Sets the current layer. Override Layer Properties in Viewports You can display objects differently by setting property overrides for color, linetype, lineweight, transparency, and plot style and apply them to individual layout viewports. Using property overrides is an efficient way for displaying objects with different property settings in individual viewports without changing their ByLayer or ByBlock properties. For example, objects can be made to display more prominently by changing their color.
■ VP Lineweight ■ VP Transparency ■ VP Plot Style (available only in named-plot style drawings) If you do not want to display or plot property overrides, set the VPLAYEROVERRIDESMODE system variable to 0. Objects will display and plot with their global layer properties. NOTE Property overrides can still be set even when VPLAYEROVERRIDESMODE is set to 0. Property overrides that are on xref layers are not retained when the VISRETAIN system variable is set to 0.
■ All property overrides from all layers in the selected viewport or for all selected viewports NOTE Another method for removing property overrides is to use the shortcut menu when you right-click the border of the selected viewport or viewports. You can remove viewport overrides for all layers for that viewport. Quick Reference CHPROP Changes the properties of an object. LAYER Manages layers and layer properties. LAYERP Undoes the last change or set of changes made to layer settings.
Work with Colors Color helps to group objects visually. You can assign colors to objects by layer or individually. Set the Current Color You can use color to help you identify objects visually. You can assign the color of an object either by layer or by specifying its color explicitly, independent of layer. Assigning colors by layer makes it easy to identify each layer within your drawing. Assigning colors explicitly provides additional distinctions between objects on the same layer.
Color Books This program includes several standard Pantone color books. You can also import other color books such as the DIC color guide or RAL color sets. Importing user-defined color books can further expand your available color selections. NOTE Pantone has provided new color definitions for Architectural & Interiors Cotton and Architectural & Interiors Paper color books. If you used these color books in releases prior to AutoCAD 2006, you may notice subtle changes in the colors.
You have three choices for changing the color of an object: ■ Reassign the object to another layer with a different color. If an object's color is set to BYLAYER, and you reassign the object to a different layer, it acquires its color from the new layer. ■ Change the color assigned to the layer that the object is on. If an object's color is set to BYLAYER, it acquires the color of its layer.
Use Color Books When assigning colors to objects, you can choose colors from color books that are loaded on your system. You can choose from a wide range of custom colors when using color books. Color books include third-party or user-defined files that contain named color swatches. These colors can be used to enhance presentation drawings as well as to optimize the variety of color used in your drawings.
COLOR Sets the color for new objects. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. CECOLOR Sets the color of new objects. Work with Linetypes You can use linetypes to distinguish objects from one another visually and make your drawing easier to read. Overview of Linetypes A linetype is a repeating pattern of dashes, dots, and blank spaces displayed in a line or a curve. You assign linetypes to objects either by layer or by specifying the linetype explicitly, independent of layers.
For more information about controlling text in linetypes, see Text in Custom Linetypes. See also: ■ “Custom Linetypes” in the Customization Guide Quick Reference LINETYPE Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes. REVERSE Reverses the vertices of selected lines, polylines, splines, and helixes, which is useful for linetypes with included text, or wide polylines with differing beginning and ending widths.
Quick Reference LINETYPE Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes. PURGE Removes unused items, such as block definitions and layers, from the drawing. RENAME Changes the names assigned to items such as layers and dimension styles. MEASUREINIT Controls whether a drawing you start from scratch uses imperial or metric default settings. MEASUREMENT Controls whether the current drawing uses imperial or metric hatch pattern and linetype files.
Quick Reference LINETYPE Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes. CELTYPE Sets the linetype of new objects. Change the Linetype of an Object You can change the linetype of an object by reassigning it to another layer, by changing the linetype of the layer the object is on, or by specifying a linetype for the object explicitly. You have three choices for changing the linetype of an object: ■ Reassign the object to another layer with a different linetype.
See also: ■ Override Layer Properties in Viewports on page 173 Quick Reference CHANGE Changes the properties of existing objects. CHPROP Changes the properties of an object. LAYER Manages layers and layer properties. LINETYPE Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. Control Linetype Scale You can use the same linetype at different scales by changing the linetype scale factor either globally or individually for each object.
The CELTSCALE value is multiplied by the LTSCALE value to get the displayed linetype scale. You can easily change linetype scales in your drawing either individually or globally. In a layout, you can adjust the scaling of linetypes in different viewports with PSLTSCALE. Quick Reference LINETYPE Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes. CELTSCALE Sets the current object linetype scaling factor. LTSCALE PSLTSCALE Controls the linetype scaling of objects displayed in paper space viewports.
Quick Reference PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. PLINEGEN Sets how linetype patterns generate around the vertices of a 2D polyline. Control Lineweights You can control the thickness of an object’s lines in both the drawing display and plotting. Overview of Lineweights Lineweights are width values that are assigned to graphical objects as well as some types of text.
with a real-world width of 0.5 inches, do not use a lineweight; instead, use a polyline with a width of 0.5 inches to represent the object. Lineweight Scale in Drawings Objects with a lineweight are plotted with the exact width of the assigned lineweight value. The standard settings for these values include BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, and Default. They are displayed in either inches or millimeters, with millimeters being the default. All layers are initially set to 0.
Display Lineweights Lineweights can be turned on and off in a drawing, and are displayed differently in model space than in a paper space layout. ■ In model space, a 0-value lineweight is displayed as one pixel, and other lineweights use a pixel width proportional to their real-unit value. ■ In a paper space layout, lineweights are displayed in the exact plotting width. Regeneration time increases with lineweights that are represented by more than one pixel.
Quick Reference LAYER Manages layers and layer properties. LWEIGHT Sets the current lineweight, lineweight display options, and lineweight units. PEDIT Edits polylines and 3D polygon meshes. PLINE Creates a 2D polyline. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. LWDEFAULT Sets the value for the default lineweight. LWDISPLAY Controls whether the lineweights of objects are displayed. LWUNITS Controls whether lineweight units are displayed in inches or millimeters. PLINEWID Stores the default polyline width.
If the current lineweight is set to BYLAYER, objects are created with the lineweight assigned to the current layer. If the current lineweight is set to BYBLOCK, objects are created using the default lineweight setting until the objects are grouped into a block. When the block is inserted into the drawing, it acquires the current lineweight setting. If you do not want the current lineweight to be the lineweight assigned to the current layer, you can specify a different lineweight explicitly.
Change the Lineweight of an Object You can change the lineweight of an object by reassigning it to another layer, by changing the lineweight of the layer the object is on, or by specifying a lineweight for the object explicitly. You have three choices for changing the lineweight of an object: ■ Reassign the object to another layer with a different lineweight. If an object's lineweight is set to BYLAYER, and you reassign the object to a different layer, it acquires its lineweight from the new layer.
PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. LWDEFAULT Sets the value for the default lineweight. LWDISPLAY Controls whether the lineweights of objects are displayed. LWUNITS Controls whether lineweight units are displayed in inches or millimeters. PLINEWID Stores the default polyline width. Control the Display Properties of Certain Objects You can control how overlapping objects and certain other objects are displayed and plotted.
Use Quick Text When you turn on Quick Text mode in drawings that contain a lot of text using complex fonts, only a rectangular frame defining the text is displayed or plotted. Turn Off Lineweights Any lineweight width that is represented by more than one pixel may slow down performance. If you want to improve display performance, turn lineweights off. You can turn lineweights on and off by choosing the Show/Hide Lineweight button on the status bar.
Quick Reference DSETTINGS Sets grid and snap, polar and object snap tracking, object snap modes, and Dynamic Input. FILL Controls the filling of objects such as hatches, 2D solids, and wide polylines. LWEIGHT Sets the current lineweight, lineweight display options, and lineweight units. QTEXT Controls the display and plotting of text and attribute objects. REGEN Regenerates the entire drawing from the current viewport.
Transparency can be set to ByLayer, ByBlock, or to a specific value. no transparent objects selected objects 75% transparent IMPORTANT For perfomance reasons, plotting transparency is disabled by default. To plot transparent objects, check the Plot Transparency option in either the Print dialog box or Page Setup dialog box. Quick Reference CHPROP Changes the properties of an object. CHANGE Changes the properties of existing objects. LAYER Manages layers and layer properties.
TRANSPARENCYDISPLAY Controls whether the object transparency is displayed. Control How Overlapping Objects Are Displayed You can control which overlapping objects appear to be on top. Generally, overlapping objects such as text, wide polylines, and solid-filled polygons are displayed in the order they are created: newly created objects in front of existing objects. You can use DRAWORDER to change the draw order (which is the display and plotting order) of any objects.
SELECT Places selected objects in the Previous selection set. TEXTTOFRONT Brings text and dimensions in front of all other objects in the drawing. WBLOCK Writes objects or a block to a new drawing file. DRAWORDERCTL Controls the default display behavior of overlapping objects when they are created or edited. HPDRAWORDER Controls the draw order of hatches and fills. SORTENTS Controls object sorting in support of draw order for several operations.
OBJECTISOLATIONMODE Controls whether hidden objects remain hidden between drawing sessions.
Use Precision Tools 16 You can use a variety of precision drawing tools to help you produce accurate drawings quickly and without performing tedious calculations. Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems (UCS) For precise coordinate input, you can use several coordinate system entry methods. You can also use a movable coordinate system, the user coordinate system (UCS), for convenient coordinate entry and to establish workplanes.
Another method of entering a relative coordinate is by moving the cursor to specify a direction and then entering a distance directly. This method is called direct distance entry. You can enter coordinates in scientific, decimal, engineering, architectural, or fractional notation. You can enter angles in grads, radians, surveyor's units, or degrees, minutes, and seconds. The UNITS command controls unit format.
Enter Cartesian Coordinates You can use absolute or relative Cartesian (rectangular) coordinates to locate points when creating objects. To use Cartesian coordinates to specify a point, enter an X value and a Y value separated by a comma (X,Y). The X value is the positive or negative distance, in units, along the horizontal axis. The Y value is the positive or negative distance, in units, along the vertical axis.
The following example draws the sides of a triangle. The first side is a line starting at the absolute coordinates -2,1 and ending at a point 5 units in the X direction and 0 units in the Y direction. The second side is a line starting at the endpoint of the first line and ending at a point 0 units in the X direction and 3 units in the Y direction. The final line segment uses relative coordinates to return to the starting point.
To use polar coordinates to specify a point, enter a distance and an angle separated by an angle bracket (<). By default, angles increase in the counterclockwise direction and decrease in the clockwise direction. To specify a clockwise direction, enter a negative value for the angle. For example, entering 1<315 locates the same point as entering 1<-45. You can change the angle conventions for the current drawing with UNITS.
Relative coordinates are based on the last point entered. Use relative coordinates when you know the location of a point in relation to the previous point. To specify relative coordinates, precede the coordinate values with an @ sign. For example, entering @1<45 specifies a point at a distance of 1 unit from the last point specified at an angle of 45 degrees from the X axis. The following example shows two lines drawn with relative polar coordinates.
Quick Reference UNITS Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision. Enter 3D Coordinates Cartesian, cylindrical, or spherical coordinates locate points when you are creating objects in 3D. Enter 3D Cartesian Coordinates 3D Cartesian coordinates specify a precise location by using three coordinate values: X, Y, and Z. Entering 3D Cartesian coordinate values (X,Y,Z) is similar to entering 2D coordinate values (X,Y).
Use Default Z Values When you enter coordinates in the format X,Y, the Z value is copied from the last point you entered. As a result, you can enter one location in the X,Y,Z format and then enter subsequent locations using the X,Y format with the Z value remaining constant. For example, if you enter the following coordinates for a line From point: 0,0,5 To point: 3,4 both endpoints of the line will have a Z value of 5. When you begin or open any drawing, the initial default value of Z is greater than 0.
SNAP Restricts cursor movement to specified intervals. UCS Manages user coordinate systems. UCSICON Controls the visibility and placement of the UCS icon. UNITS Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision. ELEVATION Stores the current elevation of new objects relative to the current UCS. Enter Cylindrical Coordinates 3D cylindrical coordinates describe a precise location by a distance from the UCS origin in the XY plane, an angle from the X axis in the XY plane, and a Z value.
When you need to define a point based on a previous point rather than the UCS origin, you can enter relative cylindrical coordinate values with the @ prefix. For example, @4<45,5 specifies a point 4 units in the XY plane from the last point entered, at an angle of 45 degrees from the positive X direction, and extending 5 units in the positive Z direction.
Spherical coordinate entry in 3D is similar to polar coordinate entry in 2D. You locate a point by specifying its distance from the origin of the current UCS, its angle from the X axis (in the XY plane), and its angle from the XY plane, each angle preceded by an open angle bracket (<) as in the following format: X<[angle from X axis]<[angle from XY plane] NOTE For the following examples, it is assumed that dynamic input is turned off or that the coordinates are entered on the command line.
Quick Reference UNITS Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision. Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS) You can relocate and rotate the user coordinate system for convenient coordinate entry, grid display, grid snap, Ortho mode, and other drawing tools. Understand the World and User Coordinate Systems There are two coordinate systems: a fixed system called the world coordinate system (WCS) and a movable system called the user coordinate system (UCS).
You can relocate the user coordinate system with methods such as the following: ■ Move the UCS by defining a new origin point. ■ Align the UCS with an existing object. ■ Rotate the UCS by specifying a new origin point and a point on the new X axis. ■ Rotate the current UCS a specified angle around the Z axis. ■ Revert to the previous UCS. ■ Restore the UCS to be coincident with the WCS. Each of these methods have a corresponding option in the UCS command.
To restore the previous UCS 1 Click View tab ➤ Coordinates panel ➤ Named UCS. 2 In the UCS dialog box, Named UCSs tab, select Previous. 3 Click Set Current. 4 Click OK. To save a UCS 1 Click View tab ➤ Coordinates panel ➤ Named UCS. The new UCS is displayed in the UCS list as UNNAMED. 2 In the UCS dialog box, Named UCSs tab, select UNNAMED and enter a new name. (You can also select UNNAMED, and right-click. Click Rename.) 3 Click OK.
4 Click OK. To delete a named UCS 1 Click View tab ➤ Coordinates panel ➤ Named UCS. 2 In the UCS dialog box, Named UCSs tab, select the UCS you want to delete. 3 Press Delete. You cannot delete the current UCS or a UCS with the default name UNNAMED. Quick Reference UCS Manages user coordinate systems. UCSICON Controls the visibility and placement of the UCS icon. UCSMAN Manages defined user coordinate systems.
UCSORTHO Determines whether the related orthographic UCS setting is restored automatically when an orthographic view is restored. UCSXDIR Stores the X direction of the current UCS for the current viewport in the current space. UCSYDIR Stores the Y direction of the current UCS for the current viewport in the current space. Specify Workplanes in 3D (UCS) Control of the user coordinate system is essential for effective 3D modeling.
Place the back of your right hand near the screen and point your thumb in the direction of the positive X axis. Extend your index and middle fingers as illustrated, pointing your index finger in the direction of the positive Y axis. Your middle finger indicates the direction of the positive Z axis. By rotating your hand, you see how the X, Y, and Z axes rotate as you change the UCS. You can also use the right-hand rule for determining the default positive direction of rotation about an axis in 3D space.
Control the User Coordinate System in 3D Several methods are available for manipulating the user coordinate system in 3D. You can also save and restore user coordinate system orientations. You define a user coordinate system (UCS) to change the location of the 0,0,0 origin point, the location and rotation of the XY plane, and the orientation of the XY plane or Z axis. You can locate and orient a UCS anywhere in 3D space, and you can define, save, and recall as many saved UCS locations as you require.
NOTE Generally, it is recommended that you leave the elevation set to zero and control the XY plane of the current UCS with the UCS command. Change the UCS in Paper Space You can define a new UCS in paper space just as you can in model space; however, the UCS in paper space is restricted to 2D manipulation. Although you can enter 3D coordinates in paper space, you cannot use 3D viewing commands such as PLAN and VPOINT.
When in a draw command, you align the UCS by moving your pointer over an edge of a face rather than having to use the UCS command. After you finish the command, the UCS returns to its previous location and orientation. For example, you can use the dynamic UCS to create a rectangle on an angled face of a solid model as shown in the illustration. In the illustration on the left, the UCS is not aligned with the angled face.
■ Solids. Primitives and POLYSOLID ■ Editing. Rotate, mirror, align ■ Other. UCS, area, grip tool manipulation TIP You can easily align the UCS with a plane on a solid model by turning on the dynamic UCS feature and then using the UCS command to locate the origin on that plane. If Grid and Snap mode are turned on, they align temporarily to the dynamic UCS. The limits of the grid display are set automatically.
with the viewport and is restored when the viewport is made current again. When UCSVP is set to 0 in a viewport, its UCS is always the same as the UCS in the current viewport. For example, you might set up three viewports: a top view, front view, and isometric view. If you set the UCSVP system variable to 0 in the isometric viewport, you can use the Top UCS in both the top viewport and the isometric viewport. When you make the top viewport current, the isometric viewport's UCS reflects the UCS top viewport.
In previous releases, the UCS was a global setting for all viewports in either model or paper space. If you want to restore the behavior of earlier releases, you can set the value of the UCSVP system variable to 0 in all active viewports. Quick Reference UCS Manages user coordinate systems. UCSVP Determines whether the UCS in viewports remains fixed or changes to reflect the UCS of the current viewport.
You can use the UCSICON command to switch between the 2D UCS icon and the 3D UCS icon. You can also use the command to change the size, color, and icon line width of the 3D UCS icon. The UCS broken pencil icon replaces the 2D UCS icon when the viewing direction is in a plane parallel to the UCS XY plane. The broken pencil icon indicates that the edge of the XY plane is almost perpendicular to your viewing direction. This icon warns you not to use your pointing device to specify coordinates.
Use Dynamic Input Dynamic Input provides a command interface near the cursor to help you keep your focus in the drafting area. When dynamic input is on, tooltips display information near the cursor that is dynamically updated as the cursor moves. When a command is active, the tooltips provide a place for user entry. After you type a value in an input field and press Tab, the field then displays a lock icon, and the cursor is constrained by the value that you entered.
Use the pointer input settings to change the default format for coordinates and to control when pointer input tooltips are displayed. Dimensional Input When dimensional input is on, the tooltips display distance and angle values when a Command prompts for a second point. The values in the dimensional tooltips change as you move the cursor. Press Tab to move to the value you want to change. Dimensional input is available for ARC, CIRCLE, ELLIPSE, LINE, and PLINE.
Use the dimensional input settings to display only the information you want to see. When you use grips to stretch objects or when you create new objects, dimensional input displays only acute angles, that is, all angles are displayed as 180 degrees or less. Thus, an angle of 270 degrees is displayed as 90 degrees regardless of the ANGDIR system variable setting (set in the Drawing Units dialog box).
DYNMODE Turns Dynamic Input features on and off. DYNPICOORDS Controls whether pointer input uses relative or absolute format for coordinates. DYNPIFORMAT Controls whether pointer input uses polar or Cartesian format for coordinates. DYNPIVIS Controls when pointer input is displayed. DYNPROMPT Controls display of prompts in Dynamic Input tooltips. DYNTOOLTIPS Controls which tooltips are affected by tooltip appearance settings. TEMPOVERRIDES Turns temporary override keys on and off.
For a list of object snaps, see OSNAP. Specify an Object Snap To specify an object snap at a prompt for a point, you can ■ When prompted for a point, right-click and choose an object snap from the Snap Overrides sub-menu ■ Enter the name of an object snap at the Command prompt ■ On the status bar, right-click the object snap button When you specify an object snap at a prompt for a point, the object snap stays in effect only for the next point that you specify.
Use Object Snaps in 3D By default, the Z-value of an object snap location is determined by the object's location in space. However, if you work with object snaps on the plan view of a building or the top view of a part, a constant Z-value is more useful. If you turn on the OSNAPZ system variable, all object snaps are projected onto the XY plane of the current UCS or, if ELEV is set to a non-zero value, onto a plane parallel to XY plane at the specified elevation.
OSOPTIONS Automatically suppresses object snaps on hatch objects and geometry with negative Z values when using a dynamic UCS. MTP (Command Modifier) Locates the midpoint between two points. The Object Snap Menu Specify an object snap quickly and conveniently from a shortcut menu. The object snap menu is displayed at your cursor location when you right-click while being prompted for a point and click Snap Overrides.
The AutoSnap markers and tooltips are turned on by default. You can change AutoSnap marker size on the Cursor & Selection tab in the Application Preferences dialog box. Use AutoSnap to Confirm or Change an Object Snap If you have set more than one running object snap, you can press Tab to cycle through all the object snap points available for a particular object. Quick Reference APERTURE Sets the display size for the object snap target box, in pixels. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings.
The keys in the following illustration are the default keys, but you can change key assignments and add your own as needed.
■ “Use Orthogonal Locking (Ortho Mode)” ■ “Use Polar Tracking and PolarSnap” ■ “Use Dynamic Input” Quick Reference CUI Manages the customized user interface elements in the product. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. OSNAP Sets running object snap modes. OSMODE Sets running object snaps TEMPOVERRIDES Turns temporary override keys on and off. Restrict Cursor Movement Several tools are available that you can use to restrict or lock the movement of your cursor.
invisible rectangular grid. Snap is useful for specifying precise points with the arrow keys or the pointing device. Grid mode and Snap mode are independent but are often turned on at the same time. Control the Display Style and Area of the Grid You can display the grid either as a rectangular pattern of dots or as rectangular pattern of lines. The grid displays lines for all visual styles. The grid displays dots only when the current visual style is set to 2D Wireframe.
dialog box. To turn off the display of major grid lines, set the frequency of major grid lines to 1. NOTE If the grid is displayed as lines, the grid limits are displayed also as darker lines. Do not confuse these boundaries with major grid lines. NOTE When the grid is displayed as lines and SNAPANG is set to a value other than 0, the grid will not display. SNAPANG does not affect the display of the dotted grid.
Change Grid and Snap Spacing As you work, you can turn Grid and Snap mode on and off, and you can change the grid and snap spacing. You can turn Snap mode on and off temporarily by using an override key. Snap spacing does not have to match grid spacing. For example, you might set a wide grid spacing to be used as a reference but maintain a closer snap spacing for accuracy in specifying points.
GRID Displays a grid pattern in the current viewport. LIMITS Sets and controls the limits of the grid display in the current Model or named layout. SHADEMODE Starts the VSCURRENT command. SNAP Restricts cursor movement to specified intervals. GRIDDISPLAY Controls the display behavior and display limits of the grid. GRIDMODE Specifies whether the grid is turned on or off. GRIDMAJOR Controls the frequency of major grid lines compared to minor grid lines.
SNAPBASE Sets the snap and grid origin point for the current viewport relative to the current UCS. SNAPMODE Turns the Snap mode on and off. SNAPTYPE Sets the type of snap for the current viewport. SNAPUNIT Sets the snap spacing for the current viewport. TEMPOVERRIDES Turns temporary override keys on and off. Use Orthogonal Locking (Ortho Mode) You can restrict cursor movement to horizontal and vertical for convenience and precision when creating and modifying objects.
NOTE Ortho mode and polar tracking cannot be on at the same time. Turning on Ortho turns off polar tracking. See also: ■ Override Object Snap Settings on page 230 Quick Reference ORTHO Constrains cursor movement to the horizontal or vertical direction. ORTHOMODE Constrains cursor movement to the perpendicular. TEMPOVERRIDES Turns temporary override keys on and off. Use Polar Tracking and PolarSnap Polar tracking restricts cursor movement to specified angles.
As you move your cursor, alignment paths and tooltips are displayed when you move the cursor near polar angles. The default angle measurement is 90 degrees. Use the alignment path and tooltip to draw your object. You can use polar tracking with Intersection and Apparent Intersection object snaps to find where a polar alignment path intersects another object. NOTE Ortho mode and polar tracking cannot be on at the same time. Turning on polar tracking turns off Ortho mode.
the first point specified to lengths of 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, and so on. As you move your cursor, a tooltip indicates the nearest PolarSnap increment. To restrict point entry to polar distances, both polar tracking and Snap mode (set to PolarSnap) must be on. You can turn off all snapping and tracking temporarily by using an override key. See also: ■ Override Object Snap Settings on page 230 Quick Reference DSETTINGS Sets grid and snap, polar and object snap tracking, object snap modes, and Dynamic Input.
TEMPOVERRIDES Turns temporary override keys on and off. TRACKPATH Controls the display of polar and object snap tracking alignment paths. Lock an Angle for One Point (Angle) You can specify an angle override that locks the cursor for the next point entered. To specify an angle override, enter a left angle bracket (<) followed by an angle whenever a command asks you to specify a point. The Command prompt sequence below shows a 30-degree override entered during a LINE command.
To specify a filter at the Command prompt, enter a period and one or more of the letters X, Y, and Z. The next entry is limited to a specific coordinate value. Example: Use of Coordinate Filters in 2D In the following illustration, the hole in the holding plate was centered in the rectangle by extracting the X,Y coordinates from the midpoints of the plate's horizontal and vertical line segments.
of select object (3) To use coordinate filters to specify a point in 2D 1 At the prompt for a point, enter a coordinate filter (.x or .y). For example, enter .x to specify the X value first. 2 To extract the first coordinate value, specify a point. For example, if you entered .x in step 1, the X value is extracted from this point. 3 To extract the next coordinate value, specify a different point. The new point location combines the coordinate values extracted from the points you specified in steps 2 and 3.
NOTE Instead of specifying a point in steps 2 or 3, you can enter a numeric value. Quick Reference Coordinate Filters (Command Modifier) Combines X, Y, and Z values from different points to specify a single point. Track to Points on Objects (Object Snap Tracking) You can draw objects at specific angles or in specific relationship to other objects along specified directions called alignment paths. ™ AutoTrack helps you draw objects at specific angles or in specific relationships to other objects.
Change Object Snap Tracking Settings By default, object snap tracking is set to orthogonal. Alignment paths are displayed at 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees from acquired object points. However, you can use polar tracking angles instead. For object snap tracking, object points are automatically acquired. Change Alignment Path Display You can change how AutoTrack displays alignment paths, and you can change how object points are acquired for object snap tracking.
NOTE The direct distance entry method is not available while you are using the temporary override key for object snap tracking. Quick Reference DSETTINGS Sets grid and snap, polar and object snap tracking, object snap modes, and Dynamic Input. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. AUTOSNAP Controls the display of the AutoSnap marker, tooltip, and magnet. POLARMODE Controls settings for polar and object snap tracking. TRACKPATH Controls the display of polar and object snap tracking alignment paths.
Quick Reference TRACKING (Command Modifier) Locates a point from a series of temporary points. Specify Distances When specifying a point, you can enter distances, offsets, and measured intervals. Enter Direct Distances You can specify a point by moving the cursor to indicate a direction and then entering the distance.
Quick Reference LINE Creates straight line segments. Direct Distance Entry (Command Modifier) Locates the next point at a specified distance in the direction of your cursor. Offset from Temporary Reference Points You can establish a temporary reference point as a base point for offsetting subsequent points. The From command modifier establishes a temporary reference point as a base point for offsetting subsequent points. The From method does not constrain the cursor to orthogonal movement.
You can measure or divide lines, arcs, splines, circles, ellipses, and polylines. With both methods, you can identify the intervals by inserting either a point or a block. By specifying points, you can use the Node object snap to align other objects at intervals on the measured or divided object. By specifying blocks, you can create precise geometric constructions or insert custom markers. The blocks can rotate at each insertion point.
PDSIZE Sets the display size for point objects. Specify Measured Intervals on Objects You can mark off equal lengths from one end of a selected object. You can use MEASURE to mark an object at specified intervals. You can mark the intervals with either points or blocks. The last segment of a measured object may be shorter than the interval you specify. The starting point for measurements or divisions varies with the object type.
Divide an Object into Equal Segments You can divide a selected object into a specified number of equal lengths. You can create points or insert blocks on an object at a specific number of equal intervals. This operation does not actually break an object into individual objects; it only identifies the location of the divisions so that you can use them as geometric reference points. The starting point for measurements or divisions varies with the object type.
PDMODE Controls how point objects are displayed. PDSIZE Sets the display size for point objects. Extract Geometric Information from Objects The inquiry and calculation commands can provide information about objects in your drawing and do useful calculations. Obtain Distances, Angles, and Point Locations You can obtain information about the relation between two specified points or multiple points; for example, the distance between points or their angle in the XY plane.
Quick Reference DIST Measures the distance and angle between two points. ID Displays the UCS coordinate values of a specified location. MEASUREGEOM Measures the distance, radius, angle, area, and volume of selected objects or sequence of points. DISTANCE Stores the distance computed by the DIST command. Obtain Area and Mass Properties Information You can obtain the area, perimeter, and mass properties defined by selected objects or a sequence of points.
Define an Area You can measure an arbitrary closed region defined by the points you specify. The points must lie on a plane parallel to the XY plane of the current UCS. Calculate the Area, Perimeter, or Circumference of an Object You can calculate the enclosed area and perimeter or circumference of circles, ellipses, polylines, polygons, regions, and AutoCAD 3D solids. The information displayed depends on the type of object selected: ■ Circles. Area and circumference display.
Example: How Various Areas Are Calculated Combined Areas Calculate Combined Areas You can calculate the total area of multiple areas by specifying points or by selecting objects. For example, you can measure the total area of selected rooms in a floor plan. Subtract Areas from Combined Areas You can subtract more than one area from a combined area as you calculate. For example, if you have calculated the area of a floor plan, you can subtract the area of a room.
of each hole is subtracted. The area and perimeter or circumference of each object displays, with a running total after each step. The Command prompt sequence is Command: area Specify first corner point or [Object/Add/Subtract]: a Specify first corner point or [Object/Subtract]: o (ADD mode) Select objects: Select the polyline (1) Area = 0.34, Perimeter = 2.71 Total area = 0.
■ Overview of Object Properties on page 161 Quick Reference AREA Stores the last area computed by the AREA command. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. MASSPROP Calculates the mass properties of regions or 3D solids. MEASUREGEOM Measures the distance, radius, angle, area, and volume of selected objects or sequence of points. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. UNITS Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision.
The CAL command runs the 3D calculator utility to evaluate vector expressions (combining points, vectors, and numbers) and real and integer expressions. The calculator performs standard mathematical functions. It also contains a set of specialized functions for calculations involving points, vectors, and AutoCAD for Mac geometry.
The following example uses CAL as a construction tool. It locates a center point for a new circle, and then calculates one fifth of the radius of an existing circle.
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Draw Geometric Objects 17 You can create a range of objects, from simple lines and circles to spline curves, and ellipses. In general, you draw objects by specifying points with the pointing device or by entering coordinate values at the Command prompt. Draw Linear Objects A line, the most basic object, can be one segment or a series of connected segments. Draw Lines You can close a sequence of line segments so that the first and last segments are joined.
Use polyline objects instead of line objects if you want the segments to be connected as a single object. See also: ■ Enter Coordinates to Specify Points ■ Use Object Snaps on page 226 ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap on page 232 ■ Draw Polylines on page 262 ■ Offset an Object on page 333 ■ Break and Join Objects on page 351 ■ Infer Geometric Constraints on page 384 Quick Reference Commands LINE Creates straight line segments. RAY Creates a line that starts at a point and continues to infinity.
Polylines are ideal for applications including the following: ■ Contour lines for topographic, isobaric, and other scientific applications ■ Wiring diagrams and printed cicuit board layouts ■ Process and piping diagrams ■ Extrusion profiles and extrusion paths for 3D solid modeling Polylines can be created with several commands including PLINE, RECTANG, POLYGON, DONUT, BOUNDARY, and REVCLOUD. All of these commands result in a LWPOLYLINE (lightweight polyline) object type.
Create Polylines from the Boundaries of Objects You can create a polyline from the boundaries of objects that form a closed area with BOUNDARY. A polyline created using this method is a separate object, distinct from the objects used to create it. To expedite the boundary selection process in large or complex drawings, you can specify a group of boundary candidates, called a boundary set. You create this set by selecting the objects you want to use define the boundary.
PEDIT Edits polylines and 3D polygon meshes. PLINE Creates a 2D polyline. POLYGON Creates an equilateral closed polyline. RECTANG Creates a rectangular polyline. System Variables FILLMODE Specifies whether hatches and fills, 2D solids, and wide polylines are filled in. HPBOUND Controls the object type created by HATCH and BOUNDARY. PLINECONVERTMODE Specifies the fit method used in converting splines to polylines. PLINEGEN Sets how linetype patterns generate around the vertices of a 2D polyline.
Draw Rectangles Use RECTANG to create closed polylines in a rectangular shape. Draw Regular Polygons Use POLYGON to create closed polylines with between 3 and 1,024 equal-length sides. The following illustrations show polygons created using three methods. In each case, two points are specified. See also: ■ Draw Polylines on page 262 ■ Infer Geometric Constraints on page 384 Quick Reference Commands BOUNDARY Creates a region or a polyline from an enclosed area.
System Variables FILLMODE Specifies whether hatches and fills, 2D solids, and wide polylines are filled in. HPBOUND Controls the object type created by HATCH and BOUNDARY. PLINEWID Stores the default polyline width. POLYSIDES Sets the default number of sides for the POLYGON command. SNAPANG Sets the snap and grid rotation angle for the current viewport relative to the current UCS. Draw Multiline Objects Multilines are composed of parallel lines, called elements.
■ The visibility of the lines, called joints, that appear at each vertex ■ The type of end caps that are used ■ The background fill color of the multiline Elements with a positive offset appear on one side of the middle of the multiline; elements with a negative offset appear on the other side of the middle of the multiline. See also: ■ Modify Multilines on page 364 Quick Reference Commands OFFSET Creates concentric circles, parallel lines, and parallel curves. MLINE Creates multiple parallel lines.
Draw Freehand Sketches Sketching is useful for creating irregular boundaries or for tracing with a digitizer. Draw freehand sketches with the SKETCH command. Freehand sketches comprise many line segments that are converted into a line, polyline, or spline. For Splines, you can determine how closely the spline’s curve fits to the freehand sketch. For any sketch type, set the minimum length (increment) of the line segments.
SKTOLERANCE Draw Curved Objects Curved objects are arcs, circles, polyline arcs, donuts, ellipses, and splines. Draw Arcs To create an arc, you can specify various combinations of center, endpoint, start point, radius, angle, chord length, and direction values. You can create arcs in several ways. With the exception of the first method, arcs are drawn counterclockwise from the start point to the endpoint. Draw Arcs by Specifying Three Points You can create an arc by specifying three points.
Draw Arcs by Specifying Start, Center, Angle You can create an arc using a start point, center, and an included angle. The distance between the start point and the center determines the radius. The other end of the arc is determined by specifying an included angle that uses the center of the arc as the vertex. The resulting arc is always created counterclockwise from the start point. Using different options, you can specify either the start point first or the center point first.
between the start point and the endpoint of the arc. The resulting arc is always created counterclockwise from the start point. Using different options, you can specify either the start point first or the center point first. The length of the chord of the arc determines the included angle. Draw Arcs by Specifying Start, End, Angle You can create an arc using a start point, endpoint, and an included angle. The included angle between the endpoints of the arc determines the center and the radius of the arc.
Draw Contiguous Tangent Arcs and Lines Immediately after you create an arc, you can start a line that is tangent to the arc at an endpoint by starting the LINE command and pressing Enter at the Specify First Point prompt. You need to specify only the line length. Immediately after you create a line or an arc, you can start an arc that is tangent at an endpoint by starting the ARC command and pressing Enter at the Specify Start Point prompt. You need to specify only the endpoint of the new arc.
VIEWRES Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport. System Variables ANGDIR Sets the direction of positive angles. LASTANGLE Stores the end angle of the last arc entered relative to the XY plane of the current UCS for the current space. WHIPARC Controls whether the display of circles and arcs is smooth. Draw Circles To create circles, you can specify various combinations of center, radius, diameter, points on the circumference, and points on other objects.
To create a circle tangent at three points, set running object snaps (OSNAP) to Tangent and use the three-point method to create the circle. See also: ■ Use Object Snaps on page 226 ■ Draw Isometric Circles on page 953 Quick Reference Commands CIRCLE Creates a circle. OFFSET Creates concentric circles, parallel lines, and parallel curves. System Variables CIRCLERAD Sets the default circle radius. WHIPARC Controls whether the display of circles and arcs is smooth.
Multisegmented lines provide editing capabilities unavailable for single lines. For example, you can adjust their width and curvature. After you've created a polyline, you can edit it with PEDIT or use EXPLODE to convert it to individual line and arc segments.
is off. The Halfwidth option sets width by specifying the distance from the center of the wide polyline to an outside edge. Taper When you use the Width option, you are prompted for both a starting and an ending width. By entering different values, you can taper the polyline. The starting and ending points of wide polyline segments are in the center of the line. Intersections of adjacent wide segments are usually beveled.
Quick Reference Commands 3DPOLY Creates a 3D polyline. BOUNDARY Creates a region or a polyline from an enclosed area. OFFSET Creates concentric circles, parallel lines, and parallel curves. PEDIT Edits polylines and 3D polygon meshes. PLINE Creates a 2D polyline. VIEWRES Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport. System Variables FILLMODE Specifies whether hatches and fills, 2D solids, and wide polylines are filled in. HPBOUND Controls the object type created by HATCH and BOUNDARY.
Draw Donuts Donuts are filled rings or solid-filled circles that actually are closed polylines with width. To create a donut, you specify its inside and outside diameters and its center. You can continue creating multiple copies with the same diameter by specifying different center points. To create solid-filled circles, specify an inside diameter of 0. Quick Reference Commands DONUT Creates a filled circle or a wide ring. FILL Controls the filling of objects such as hatches, 2D solids, and wide polylines.
Draw Ellipses The shape of an ellipse is determined by two axes that define its length and width. The longer axis is called the major axis, and the shorter one is the minor axis. The illustrations below show two different ellipses created by specifying axis and distance. The third point specifies only a distance and does not necessarily designate the axis endpoint. If you are drawing on isometric planes to simulate 3D, you can use ellipses to represent isometric circles viewed from an oblique angle.
Quick Reference Commands ELLIPSE Creates an ellipse or an elliptical arc. System Variables ANGDIR Sets the direction of positive angles. PELLIPSE Controls the ellipse type created with ELLIPSE. Draw Splines A spline is a smooth curve that passes through or near a set of points that influence the shape of the curve. The SPLINE command creates curves called Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS), which we will refer to as splines for simplicity.
Splines are also used for creating solids and surfaces for 3D modeling. For more information, see Create Solids and Surfaces from Lines and Curves on page 446. Understand Control Vertices and Fit Points You can create or edit splines using either control vertices (CVs), or fit points. The spline on the left displays control vertices along a control polygon, and the spline on the right displays fit points. The options available in the SPLINE command depend on which method is used to create the spline.
Once the spline is created, many people prefer changing the shape of the spline using control vertices because of the fine control this method provides. With this method, you can also specify lower or higher degree polynomials, including degree 1 (linear), degree 2 (quadratic), degree 3 (cubic), and so on up to degree 10.
You can close a spline so that the start point and end point are coincident and tangent (C1 continuity). NOTE Because periodic curves are not currently supported, closed splines and 3D surfaces created from closed splines may kink when reshaped. A legacy method for creating approximations of B-splines involves creating a polyline, and then using the Spline option of the PEDIT command to generate a spline-fit polyline.
PEDIT Edits polylines and 3D polygon meshes. PLINE Creates a 2D polyline. SPLINE Creates a smooth B-spline curve that passes through or near a set of points that controls the shape of the curve. SPLINEDIT Modifies the parameters of a spline or converts a spline-fit polyline to a spline. System Variables PLINECONVERTMODE Specifies the fit method used in converting splines to polylines. Draw Helixes A helix is an open 2D or 3D spiral. You can use a helix as a path with the SWEEP command.
If you specify different values for the top radius and the base radius, then a conical helix is created. If you specify a height value of 0, then a flat, 2D spiral is created. NOTE A helix is a spline approximation of a real helix. Length values may not be completely accurate. However, when you use a helix as a sweep path, the resulting values will be accurate regardless of the approximation.
Quick Reference Commands DDPTYPE Specifies the display style and size of point objects. POINT Creates a point object. System Variables PDMODE Controls how point objects are displayed. PDSIZE Sets the display size for point objects. Draw Construction Lines (and Rays) Lines that extend to infinity in one or both directions, known as rays and construction lines, respectively, can be used as references for creating other objects.
You can also create construction lines in several other ways. ■ Horizontal and Vertical. Create construction lines that pass through a point you specify and are parallel to the X or Y axis of the current UCS. ■ Angle. Creates a construction line in one of two ways.
XLINE Creates a line of infinite length. Create and Combine Areas (Regions) Regions are 2D enclosed areas that have physical properties such as centroids or centers of mass. You can combine existing regions into a single, complex region. Regions can be used for ■ Extracting design information, such as areas and centroids, using MASSPROP ■ Applying hatching and shading ■ Combining simple objects into more complex ones with Boolean operations. You can create regions from objects that form closed loops.
Objects combined using SUBTRACT: Objects combined using INTERSECT: Invalid Boundaries When a boundary cannot be determined, it might be because the specified internal point is not within a fully enclosed area. With the BOUNDARY command, red circles are displayed around unconnected endpoints of the boundary to identify gaps in the boundary. The red circles remain displayed even after you exit the command. They are removed when you specify a closed boundary, or by using REDRAW, REGEN, or REGENALL.
Quick Reference Commands BOUNDARY Creates a region or a polyline from an enclosed area. INTERSECT Creates a 3D solid, surface, or 2D region from overlapping solids, surfaces, or regions. MASSPROP Calculates the mass properties of regions or 3D solids. REGION Converts an object that encloses an area into a region object. SUBTRACT Combines selected 3D solids or 2D regions by subtraction. UNION Combines selected 3D solids, surfaces, or 2D regions by addition.
You can set the minimum and maximum default values for the arc lengths of a revision cloud. When you draw a revision cloud, you can vary the size of the arcs by using pick points for the smaller arc segments. You can also edit the individual arc lengths and chord lengths of a revision cloud by adjusting the pick points. REVCLOUD stores the last used arc length as a multiple of the DIMSCALE system variable to provide consistency among drawings with different scale factors.
Change Existing Objects 18 You can select objects, view and edit object properties, and perform general and object-specific editing operations. Select Objects You have a wide range of options when you need to select objects for editing operations. Select Objects Individually At the Select Objects prompt, you can select one or more objects individually. Use the Pickbox Cursor When the square pickbox cursor is in position to select an object, the object is highlighted. Click to select the object.
If selection preview is turned on, you can cycle through the objects by rolling over the object on top to highlight it, and pressing and holding Shift and then pressing Spacebar continuously. When the required object is highlighted, left-click to select it. If selection preview is turned off, hold down Shift+Spacebar and click to cycle through these objects, one after the other, until the one you want is selected. Press Esc to turn off cycling.
PICKAUTO Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt. PICKBOX Sets the object selection target height, in pixels. PICKDRAG Controls the method of drawing a selection window. PICKFIRST Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you issue a command. Select Multiple Objects At the Select Objects prompt, you can select many objects at the same time. Specify a Rectangular Selection Area Specify opposite corners to define a rectangular area.
With a window selection, usually the entire object must be contained in the rectangular selection area. However, if an object with a noncontinuous (dashed) linetype is only partially visible in the viewport and all the visible vectors of the linetype can be enclosed within the selection window, the entire object is selected. Specify an Irregularly Shaped Selection Area Specify points to define an irregularly shaped area.
Use Other Selection Options You can see all selection options by entering ? at the Select Objects prompt. For a description of each of the selection options, see SELECT. Remove Selection from Multiple Objects You can enter r (Remove) at the Select Objects prompt and use any selection option to remove objects from the selection set. If you are using the Remove option and want to return to adding objects to the selection set, enter a (Add).
PICKAUTO Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt. PICKBOX Sets the object selection target height, in pixels. PICKDRAG Controls the method of drawing a selection window. PICKFIRST Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you issue a command. PREVIEWEFFECT Specifies the visual effect used for previewing selection of objects.
LAYISO Hides or locks all layers except those of the selected objects. LAYLCK Locks the layer of a selected object. LAYULK Unlocks the layer of a selected object. LAYLOCKFADECTL Controls the amount of fading for objects on locked layers. Select Objects by Properties Use object properties or object types to include objects in a selection set, or to exclude them.
Quick Reference PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. SELECT Places selected objects in the Previous selection set. SELECTSIMILAR Adds similar objects to the selection set based on selected objects. PICKADD Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or add to it. PICKAUTO Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt. PICKBOX Sets the object selection target height, in pixels. PICKDRAG Controls the method of drawing a selection window.
You can also choose ■ Whether objects to be selected are previewed during selection ■ Whether selected objects are highlighted ■ How you define selection areas and how you create selection sets Select the Command First When you use an editing command, a Select Objects prompt is displayed and the crosshairs is replaced with a pickbox. You can respond to the Select Objects prompt in various ways: ■ Select objects one at a time. ■ Click an empty area.
These selection previewing effects are turned on by default. You can turn them off with the SELECTIONPREVIEW system variable. When the PICKBOX system variable is set to 0, selection previewing of objects is not available. Control the Appearance of Selected Objects By default, selected objects are displayed with dashed lines. You can increase program performance by setting the HIGHLIGHT system variable to 0. Turning off selection highlighting does not affect grips on selected objects.
HIGHLIGHT Controls object highlighting; does not affect objects selected with grips. PICKADD Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or add to it. PICKAUTO Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt. PICKBOX Sets the object selection target height, in pixels. PICKDRAG Controls the method of drawing a selection window. PICKFIRST Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you issue a command.
Group Objects A group is a saved set of objects that you can select and edit together or separately as needed. Groups provide an easy way to combine drawing elements that you need to manipulate as a unit. See also: ■ Work with Blocks on page 405 Overview of Groups A group is a saved set of objects that you can select and edit together or separately as needed. Groups provide an easy way to combine drawing elements that you need to manipulate as a unit. You can create them quickly and with a default name.
When you create a group, you can give the group a name and description. If you copy a group, the copy is given the default name Ax and is considered unnamed. If you choose a member of a group that can be selected for inclusion in a new group, all members of the former group are included in the new group. The objects in your drawing can be members of more than one group, and groups themselves can be nested in other groups. You can ungroup a nested group to restore the original group configuration.
Quick Reference GROUP Creates and manages saved sets of objects called groups. PICKSTYLE Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection. Edit Groups You can modify groups in a number of ways, including changing their membership, modifying their properties, revising the names and descriptions of groups, and removing them from the drawing. Edit Objects as a Group When group selection is turned on, you can move, copy, rotate, and modify groups just as you can modify individual objects.
Remove Groups You can delete a group definition by using the “Explode” option. This operation is not the same as exploding a block, hatch, or dimension. Objects that belonged to the exploded group remain in the drawing. As a result, the group is disbanded but the members are not changed in any other way. Quick Reference GROUP Creates and manages saved sets of objects called groups. PICKSTYLE Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection.
Reverse the Effect of Undo You can reverse the effect of a single U or UNDO command by using REDO immediately after using U or UNDO. You can also redo several actions at once with the Redo list on the Standard toolbar. Erase Objects You can erase any object that you draw. If you accidentally erase the wrong object, you can use the UNDO command or the OOPS command to restore it. For more information, see Erase Objects on page 309.
UNDOCTL Indicates the state of the Auto, Control, and Group options of the UNDO command. UNDOMARKS Stores the number of marks placed in the UNDO control stream by the Mark option. Erase Objects There are many ways to delete objects from your drawing and clean up the display. Remove Unused Definitions, Styles, and Objects You can remove unused named and unnamed objects with PURGE. Some of the unnamed objects you can purge include block definitions, dimension styles, layers, linetypes, and text styles.
OOPS Restores erased objects. PURGE Removes unused items, such as block definitions and layers, from the drawing. REDRAW Refreshes the display in the current viewport. REDRAWALL Refreshes the display in all viewports. REGEN Regenerates the entire drawing from the current viewport. UNDO Reverses the effect of commands.
Quick Reference COPYBASE Copies selected objects to the Clipboard along with a specified base point. COPYCLIP Copies selected objects to the Clipboard. CUTCLIP Copies selected objects to the Clipboard and removes them from the drawing. PASTECLIP Pastes objects from the Clipboard into the current drawing. Modify Objects You can modify the size, shape, and location of objects.
Methods Descriptions Grips Control grip behavior with the following methods: ■ Grip Modes. Click a grip and rightclick to select one of the Grip modes (Stretch, Move, Rotate, Scale, or Mirror). ■ Multi-functional grip-editing options. Select a polyline, spline, or nonassociative polyline hatch object and hover over a grip to access additional options for reshaping the object.
DRAGMODE Controls the way dragged objects are displayed. PICKADD Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or add to it. PICKFIRST Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you issue a command. Edit Objects with Grips Grips are displayed at strategic points on selected objects. Manipulate grips to modify objects. Use Grip Modes Grip modes control how an object behaves when manipulated with grips.
Stretch with Grips You can stretch an object by moving selected grips to new locations. Grips on text, block references, midpoints of lines, centers of circles, and point objects move the object rather than stretching it. This is an excellent method for moving block references and adjusting dimensions. NOTE When a 2D object lies on a plane other than the current UCS, the object is stretched on the plane on which it was created, not on the plane of the current UCS.
these objects can take a long time. The GRIPOBJLIMIT system variable suppresses the display of grips when the initial selection set includes more than the specified number of objects. If you add objects to the current selection set, the limit does not apply. NOTE Grips are not displayed on objects that are on locked layers. Work with Quadrant Grips For quadrant grips on circles and ellipses, distance is measured from the center point, not the selected grip.
GRIPHOVER Controls the fill color of an unselected grip when the cursor pauses over it. GRIPOBJLIMIT Suppresses the display of grips when the selection set includes more than the specified number of objects. GRIPS Controls the display of grips on selected objects. GRIPSIZE Sets the size of the grip box in pixels. GRIPTIPS Controls the display of grip tips and Ctrl-cycling tooltips.
Control the access methods to multi-functional grips with the GRIPMULTIFUNCTIONAL system variable. Quick Reference OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. GRIPBLOCK Controls the display of grips in blocks. GRIPCOLOR Controls the color of unselected grips. GRIPCONTOUR Controls the color of the grip contour. GRIPHOT Controls the color of selected grips. GRIPHOVER Controls the fill color of an unselected grip when the cursor pauses over it.
Make Multiple Copies with Grips You can create multiple copies of objects as you modify them with any of the grip modes. For example, by using the Copy option, you can rotate the selected objects, leaving copies at each location you specify with the pointing device. You can also make multiple copies by holding down Ctrl as you select the first point. For example, with the Stretch grip mode, you can stretch an object, such as a line, and then copy it to any point in the drawing area.
Similarly, you can place multiple copies at angular intervals around a base grip with a rotation snap. The rotation snap is defined as the angle between an object and the next copy when you are using Rotate grip mode. Hold down Ctrl to use the rotation snap. Quick Reference OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. GRIPBLOCK Controls the display of grips in blocks. GRIPCOLOR Controls the color of unselected grips. GRIPCONTOUR Controls the color of the grip contour.
GRIPS Controls the display of grips on selected objects. GRIPSIZE Sets the size of the grip box in pixels. Control Grips in Blocks You can specify whether a block displays a single grip or multiple grips. You can specify whether a selected block reference displays a single grip at its insertion point or displays multiple grips associated with the objects grouped within the block. See also: ■ Use Grip Modes on page 313 Quick Reference OPTIONS Customizes the program settings.
GRIPHOT Controls the color of selected grips. GRIPS Controls the display of grips on selected objects. GRIPSIZE Sets the size of the grip box in pixels. Move or Rotate Objects You can move objects to a different location, or change the orientation of objects by rotating them by an angle or to other objects. Move Objects You can move objects at a specified distance and direction from the originals. Use coordinates, grid snap, object snaps, and other tools to move objects with precision.
A practical example is moving a door in a wall. The door in the illustration is entirely within a crossing selection, while the wall lines are only partly within the crossing selection area. The result is that only the endpoints that lie within the crossing selection move. See also: ■ Edit Objects with Grips on page 313 Quick Reference CHSPACE Moves objects between model space and paper space. MOVE Moves objects a specified distance in a specified direction.
To determine the angle of rotation, you can enter an angle value, drag using the cursor, or specify a reference angle to align to an absolute angle. Rotate an Object by a Specified Angle Enter a rotation angle value from 0 to 360 degrees. You can also enter values in radians, grads, or surveyor bearings. Entering a positive angle value rotates the objects counterclockwise or clockwise, depending on the base angle direction setting in the Drawing Units dialog box.
Rotate an Object in 3D To rotate 3D objects, you can use either ROTATE or ROTATE3D. ■ With ROTATE, you can rotate objects around a specified base point. The axis of rotation passes through the base point and is parallel to the Z axis of the current UCS. ■ With ROTATE3D, you can specify the axis of rotation using either two points; an object; the X, Y, or Z axis; or the Z direction of the current view.
In 3D, use the 3DALIGN command to specify up to three points to define the source plane followed by up to three points to define the destination plane. ■ The first source point on an object, called the base point, is always moved to the first destination point. ■ Specifying a second point for either the source or the destination results in the selected objects being rotated. ■ A third point for either the source or the destination results in further rotation of the selected objects.
Copy Objects See also: ■ Edit Objects with Grips on page 313 ■ Enter Direct Distances on page 247 ■ Create an Array of Objects on page 327 You can create duplicates of objects at a specified distance and direction from the originals. Use coordinates, grid snap, object snaps, and other tools to copy objects with precision. You can also use grips to move and copy objects quickly.
To copy objects a specified distance, you can also use direct distance entry with Ortho mode and polar tracking. Create Multiple Copies By default, COPYprompts you to create multiple copies from the specified selection set and base point. Position copies at specified displacements, or arrange a set number of copies in a linear array. Quick Reference ADDSELECTED Creates a new object based on the object type and general properties of a selected object.
Create Rectangular Arrays A rectangular array is built along a baseline defined by the current snap rotation angle. This angle is zero by default, so the rows and columns of a rectangular array are orthogonal with respect to the X and Y axes. The default angle 0 direction setting can be changed in UNITS. Create Polar Arrays When you create a polar array, the array is drawn counterclockwise or clockwise, depending on whether you enter a positive or a negative value for the angle to fill.
Array in 3D With 3DARRAY, you can create a rectangular array or a polar array of objects in 3D. In addition to specifying the number of columns (X direction) and rows (Y direction), you also specify the number of levels (Z direction). Limit the Size of Arrays If you specify a very large number of rows and columns for an array, it may take a long time to create the copies. By default, the number of array elements that can be generated by one command is limited to approximately 100,000.
■ Click the Pick Row Offset or Pick Column Offset button to use the pointing device to specify the horizontal and vertical spacing. The example box displays the result. 7 To change the rotation angle of the array, enter the new angle next to Angle of Array. 8 The default angle 0 direction setting can also be changed in UNITS. 9 Click OK to create the array. To create a polar array 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Array. 2 In the Array dialog box, select Polar Array.
■ Click the Pick Angle to Fill button and the Pick Angle Between Items button. Use the pointing device to specify the angle to fill and the angle between items. The example box displays the result. 9 You can set any of the following options: ■ To rotate the objects as they are arrayed, select Rotate Items As Copied. The example area displays the result.
To create a 3D polar array of objects 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ 3D Array. 2 Select the object to array (1). 3 Specify Polar. 4 Enter the number of items to array. 5 Specify the angle that the arrayed objects are to fill. 6 Press Enter to rotate the objects as they are arrayed, or enter n to retain their orientation. 7 Specify the start point and endpoint of the axis about which the objects are to be rotated (2 and 3).
ARRAY Creates multiple copies of objects in a pattern. DSETTINGS Sets grid and snap, polar and object snap tracking, object snap modes, and Dynamic Input. UCS Manages user coordinate systems. UNITS Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision. GETENV Shows values of specified system registry variables. SETENV Sets values of specified registry variables. ANGBASE Sets the base angle to 0 with respect to the current UCS. ANGDIR Sets the direction of positive angles.
A highly effective drawing technique is to offset objects and then trim or extend their ends. You can offset ■ Lines ■ Arcs ■ Circles ■ Ellipses and elliptical arcs (resulting in an oval-shaped spline) ■ 2D polylines ■ Construction lines (xlines) and rays ■ Splines Special Cases for Offset Polylines and Splines 2D polylines are offset as individual line segments, resulting in either intersections or gaps between segments.
Quick Reference OFFSET Creates concentric circles, parallel lines, and parallel curves. OFFSETDIST Sets the default offset distance. OFFSETGAPTYPE Controls how potential gaps between segments are treated when polylines are offset. Mirror Objects You can flip objects about a specified axis to create a symmetrical mirror image. Mirroring is useful for creating symmetrical objects because you can quickly draw half the object and then mirror it instead of drawing the entire object.
MIRRTEXT affects text that is created with the TEXT, ATTDEF, or MTEXT commands; attribute definitions; and variable attributes. Text and constant attributes that are part of an inserted block are reversed when the block is mirrored regardless of the value of MIRRTEXT. MIRRHATCH affects hatch objects created with the GRADIENT or HATCH commands. Use the MIRRHATCH system variable control whether hatch pattern direction is mirrored or retained.
MIRRHATCH Controls how MIRROR reflects hatch patterns. MIRRTEXT Controls how MIRROR reflects text. Change the Size and Shape of Objects There are several methods for adjusting the lengths of existing objects relative to other objects, both symmetrically and asymmetrically. Trim or Extend Objects You can shorten or lengthen objects to meet the edges of other objects. This means you can first create an object such as a line and then later adjust it to fit exactly between other objects.
An object can be one of the cutting edges and one of the objects being trimmed. For example, in the illustrated light fixture, the circle is a cutting edge for the construction lines and is also being trimmed. When you trim several objects, the different selection methods can help you choose the current cutting edges and objects to trim. In the following example, the cutting edges are selected using crossing selection.
You can trim objects to their nearest intersection with other objects. Instead of selecting cutting edges, you press Enter. Then, when you select the objects to trim, the nearest displayed objects act as cutting edges. In this example, the walls are trimmed so that they intersect smoothly. You can extend objects without leaving the TRIM command. Press and hold Shift and select the objects to be extended. Extend Objects Extending operates the same way as trimming.
Trim and Extend Spline-Fit Polylines Trimming a spline-fit polyline removes the curve-fit information and changes the spline-fit segments into ordinary polyline segments. Extending a spline-fit polyline adds a new vertex to the control frame for the polyline. Trim or Extend in 3D You can trim or extend an object to any other object in 3D space, regardless of whether the objects are on the same plane or parallel to the cutting or boundary edges.
JOIN Joins the endpoints of lines, 2D and 3D polylines, arcs, elliptical arcs, helixes, and splines to create single object. LENGTHEN Changes the length of objects and the included angle of arcs. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. TRIM Trims objects to meet the edges of other objects. EDGEMODE Controls how the TRIM and EXTEND commands determine cutting and boundary edges. PROJMODE Sets the current Projection mode for trimming or extending.
The results are similar to extending and trimming. You can ■ Drag an object endpoint dynamically ■ Specify a new length or angle as a percentage of the total length or angle ■ Specify an incremental length or angle measured from an endpoint ■ Specify the object's total absolute length or included angle Stretch Objects With STRETCH, you relocate the endpoints of objects that lie across or within a crossing selection window. ■ Objects that are partially enclosed by a crossing window are stretched.
NOTE When you use the SCALE command with objects, the position or location of the object is scaled relative to the base point of the scale operation, but the size of the object is not changed. Scale Objects Using a Reference Distance You can also scale by reference. Scaling by reference uses an existing distance as a basis for the new size. To scale by reference, specify the current distance and then the new desired size. For example, if one side of an object is 4.
SCALE Enlarges or reduces selected objects, keeping the proportions of the object the same after scaling. SPLINEDIT Modifies the parameters of a spline or converts a spline-fit polyline to a spline. STRETCH Stretches objects crossed by a selection window or polygon. PLINECONVERTMODE Specifies the fit method used in converting splines to polylines. Fillet, Chamfer, Break, or Join Objects You can change objects to meet in rounded or flattened corners. You can also create or close gaps in objects.
■ Rays ■ Splines ■ Xlines ■ 3D solids FILLET can be used to round all corners on a polyline using a single command. NOTE Filleting a hatch boundary that was defined from line segments removes hatch associativity. If the hatch boundary was defined from a polyline, associativity is maintained. If both objects being filleted are on the same layer, the fillet arc is created on that layer. Otherwise, the fillet arc is created on the current layer.
Control the Location of the Fillet Depending on the locations you specify, more than one possible fillet can exist between the selected objects. Compare the selection locations and resulting fillets in the illustrations. Fillet Line and Polyline Combinations To fillet lines with polylines, each line or its extension must intersect one of the polyline line segments. If the Trim option is on, the filleted objects and the fillet arc join to form a single new polyline.
If two polyline line segments converge as they approach an arc segment that separates them, FILLET removes the arc segment and replaces it with a fillet arc. If you set the fillet radius to 0, no fillet arcs are inserted. If two polyline line segments are separated by one arc segment, FILLET removes that arc and extends the lines until they intersect. Fillet Parallel Lines You can fillet parallel lines, xlines, and rays.
Quick Reference FILLET Rounds and fillets the edges of objects. FILLETRAD Stores the current fillet radius for 2D objects. TRIMMODE Controls whether selected edges for chamfers and fillets are trimmed. Create Chamfers A chamfer connects two objects to meet in a flattened or beveled corner. A chamfer connects two objects with an angled line. It is usually used to represent a beveled edge on a corner.
Use the Multiple option to chamfer more than one set of objects without leaving the command. Chamfer by Specifying Distances The chamfer distance is the amount each object is trimmed or extended to meet the chamfer line or to intersect the other. If both chamfer distances are 0, chamfering trims or extends the two objects until they intersect but does not create a chamfer line. You can press and hold Shift while selecting the objects to override the current chamfer distances with a value of 0.
Chamfer Polylines and Polyline Segments If the two objects you select for chamfering are segments of a polyline, they must be adjacent or separated by no more than one arc segment. If they are separated by an arc segment, as shown in the illustration, chamfering deletes the arc and replaces it with a chamfer line. Chamfer an Entire Polyline When you chamfer an entire polyline, each intersection is chamfered. For best results, keep the first and second chamfer distances equal.
Quick Reference CHAMFER Bevels the edges of objects. CHAMFERA Sets the first chamfer distance when CHAMMODE is set to 0. CHAMFERB Sets the second chamfer distance when CHAMMODE is set to 0. CHAMFERC Sets the chamfer length when CHAMMODE is set to 1. CHAMFERD Sets the chamfer angle when CHAMMODE is set to 1. CHAMMODE Sets the input method for CHAMFER PREVIEWCREATIONTRANSPARENCY TRIMMODE Controls whether selected edges for chamfers and fillets are trimmed.
To break an object without creating a gap, specify both break points at the same location. You can create breaks in most geometric objects except blocks, dimensions, multilines, and regions. As an alternative, use EXPLODE on these types of objects, and create breaks in the dissociated geometry. Join Objects The result of the join operation varies depending on the objects selected. Typical applications include ■ Replacing two collinear lines with a single line.
Quick Reference BREAK Breaks the selected object between two points. JOIN Joins the endpoints of lines, 2D and 3D polylines, arcs, elliptical arcs, helixes, and splines to create single object. Modify Complex Objects Additional editing operations are available for complex objects, such as blocks, dimensions, hatches, and polylines.
Explode Dimensions and Hatches When you explode a dimension or a hatch, all associativity is lost and the dimension or hatch object is replaced by individual objects such as lines, text, points, and 2D solids. To explode dimensions automatically when you create them, set the DIMASSOC system variable to 0. Explode Polylines When you explode a polyline, any associated width information is discarded. The resulting lines and arcs follow the polyline's centerline.
EXPLMODE Controls whether the EXPLODE command supports nonuniformly scaled (NUS) blocks. Modify Polylines Change the shape and display of polyline objects with polyline editing options. You can also join separate polylines. For example, modify polylines in several ways using PEDIT, the Properties Inspector palette, or grips.
■ The type of Polyline (standard, curve-fit, or spline-fit) Polyline multi-functional grip editing options Option Animation Stretch or Stretch Vertex. Specify a stretch point. Add Vertex. Specify a point for the new vertex. Remove Vertex. Delete the selected vertex. Convert to Arc. Specify the midpoint of a straight segment to convert it to an arc segment. Convert to Line. Specify the midpoint of an arc segment to convert into a straight segment. Tangent Direction.
You can modify the width of individual segments with the Properties Inspector palette. Changing any other property for a polyline segment affects the entire polyline. Modify Polylines with Coincident Grips Coincident grips are grips that are shared between multiple objects. When polyline objects sharing the same grip are selected together, multi-functional grip-editing options are not supported for the coincident grip.
Quick Reference PEDIT Edits polylines and 3D polygon meshes. JOIN Joins the endpoints of lines, 2D and 3D polylines, arcs, elliptical arcs, helixes, and splines to create single object. REVERSE Reverses the vertices of selected lines, polylines, splines, and helixes, which is useful for linetypes with included text, or wide polylines with differing beginning and ending widths. GRIPS Controls the color of selected grips. GRIPMULTIFUNCTIONAL Specifies the access methods to multi-functional grips.
SURFU Sets the surface density for PEDIT Smooth in the M direction and the U isolines density on surface objects. SURFV Sets the surface density for PEDIT Smooth in the N direction and the V isolines density on surface objects.
■ SPLINEDIT provides additional editing options such as adding a kink to the spline, and joining a spline to another object such as a line, arc, or other spline located at an endpoint of the original spline (C0 continuity). ■ Trimming a spline shortens it without changing the shape of the portion that remains.
Editing Splines With Control Vertices In general, editing a spline with control vertices provides finer control over reshaping a small section of the curve than editing a spline with fit points. You can insert additional control vertices to a section of a spline to obtain greater control in that section at the expense of making the shape of the spline more complicated. The Refine option adds a knot to the spline resulting in replacing the selected control vertex with two control vertices.
Quick Reference Commands CVSHOW Displays the control vertices for specified NURBS surfaces or curves. CVADD Adds control vertices to NURBS surfaces and splines. CVHIDE Turns off the display of control vertices for all NURBS surfaces and curves. CVREBUILD Rebuilds the shape of NURBS surfaces and curves. CVREMOVE Removes control vertices from NURBS surfaces and curves. JOIN Joins the endpoints of lines, 2D and 3D polylines, arcs, elliptical arcs, helixes, and splines to create single object.
PLINECONVERTMODE Specifies the fit method used in converting splines to polylines. Modify Helixes You can use grips or the Properties Inspector palete to modify the shape and size of a helix. You can use the grips on a helix to change the following properties: ■ Start point ■ Base radius ■ Top radius ■ Height ■ Location When you use a grip to change the base radius of a helix, the top radius scales to maintain the current ratio.
Constrained property Property to change Turns Turn Height Effect on these helix properties Height Turns Turn Height Turns Fixed Changed Changed Turn Height Fixed Changed Changed Height Changed Fixed Changed Turns Fixed Changed Changed Turn Height Changed Fixed Changed Height Changed Changed Fixed Turns Changed Changed Fixed Turn Height Fixed Changed Changed See also: ■ Draw Helixes on page 285 Quick Reference HELIX Creates a 2D spiral or 3D spring.
■ Control the style of intersection with other multilines ■ Open or close gaps in a multiline object Add and Delete Multiline Vertices You can add or delete any vertex in a multiline. Edit Multiline Intersections If you have two multilines in a drawing, you can control the way they intersect. Multilines can intersect in a cross or a T shape, and the crosses or T shapes can be closed, open, or merged.
NOTE If you trim or extend a multiline object, only the first boundary object encountered determines the shape of the end of the multiline. A multiline cannot have a complex boundary at its endpoint. See also: ■ Draw Multiline Objects on page 267 Quick Reference MLEDIT Edits multiline intersections, breaks, and vertices.
Add Constraints to Geometry 19 With parametric drawing, you can add constraints to geometry to ensure that the design conforms to specified requirements. Overview of Constraints Parametric drawing is a technology that is used for designing with constraints. Constraints are associations and restrictions applied to 2D geometry.
In the design phase of a project, constraints provide a way to enforce requirements when experimenting with different designs or when making changes. Changes made to objects can adjust other objects automatically, and restrict changes to distance and angle values.
Thus, there are two general methods for designing with constraints: ■ You can work in an underconstrained drawing and make changes as you go, using a combination of editing commands, grips, and adding or changing constraints. ■ You can create and fully constrain a drawing first, and then control the design exclusively by relaxing and replacing geometric constraints, and changing the values in dimensional constraints.
CONSTRAINTBAR Displays or hides the geometric constraints on an object. CONSTRAINTSETTINGS Controls the display of geometric constraints on constraint bars. DCDISPLAY Displays or hides the dynamic constraints associated with a selection set of objects. DELCONSTRAINT Removes all geometric and dimensional constraints from a selection set of objects. DIMCONSTRAINT Applies dimensional constraints to selected objects or points on objects, or converts associative dimensions to dimensional constraints.
CONSTRAINTRELAX Indicates whether constraints are enforced or relaxed when editing an object. CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE Controls constraint behavior when applying or editing constraints. DIMCONSTRAINTICON Displays the lock icon next to the text for dimensional constraints. DYNCONSTRAINTMODE Displays hidden dimensional constraints when constrained objects are selected.
■ The horizontal line is constrained to remain horizontal ■ The location of the circle and the horizontal line are constrained to remain fixed in space—these constraints are displayed as lock icons NOTE The locked geometry is not associated to the other geometry without geometric constraints linked to it. The geometry is not fully constrained, however.
DELCONSTRAINT Removes all geometric and dimensional constraints from a selection set of objects. GEOMCONSTRAINT Displays or hides the geometric constraints on an object. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. CONSTRAINTBARMODE Controls the display of geometrical constraints on constraint bars. CONSTRAINTBARDISPLAY Controls the display of constraint bars after you apply constraints and when you select geometrically constrained drawings.
When you apply a constraint, two things occur: ■ The object that you select adjusts automatically to conform to the specified constraint ■ By default, a gray constraint icon displays near the constrained object as shown in the previous illustration, and a small blue glyph displays with your cursor when you move it over a constrained object Once applied, constraints permit only those changes to the geometry that do not violate the constraints.
Specify Constraint Points With some constraints, you specify constraint points on objects instead of selecting the objects. This behavior is similar to that of object snaps, but the locations are limited to endpoints, midpoints, center points, and insertion points. For example, a coincident constraint can restrict the location of the endpoint of one line to the endpoint of another line. The following glyph is displayed on the object as you roll over the object.
A different set of constraint bar icons are displayed when a horizontal or vertical constraint is not parallel or perpendicular with the current UCS. Use Fix Constraints A fix constraint associates a constraint point on an object, or the object itself with a fixed location with respect to the World Coordinate System. It is often advisable to specify a fix constraint at an important geometric feature.
NOTE Fix constraint is not applied with AUTOCONSTRAIN. You must apply the constraint individually. Equal constraint applied with AUTOCONSTRAIN resizes the selected arcs to the same radius only. It is not applied to the arc length. To fully constrain the size and proportions of a design, you will later need to apply dimensional constraints. Remove Geometric Constraints A geometric constraint cannot be modified, but you can delete it and apply a different one.
GCHORIZONTAL Causes lines or pairs of points to lie parallel to the X axis of the current coordinate system. GCPARALLEL Causes selected lines to lie parallel to each other. GCPERPENDICULAR Causes selected lines to lie 90 degrees to one another. GCSMOOTH Constrains a spline to be contiguous and maintain G2 continuity with another spline, line, arc, or polyline. GCSYMMETRIC Causes selected objects to become symmetrically constrained about a selected line.
CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE Controls constraint behavior when applying or editing constraints. Display and Verify Geometric Constraints You can determine visually what objects are associated with any geometric constraint, or what constraints are associated with any object. Constraint icons provide information about how objects are constrained. A constraint bar displays one or more icons that represent the geometric constraints applied to an object.
These highlighting features simplify working with constraints especially when you have many constraints applied throughout a drawing. Control the Display of Constraint Bars Geometric constraints and constraint bars can be displayed or hidden, either individually or globally.
NOTE To reduce clutter, Coincident constraints display by default as small, light-blue squares. You can use an option in the Constraint Settings dialog box to turn them off if necessary. Quick Reference GEOMCONSTRAINT Displays or hides the geometric constraints on an object. CONSTRAINTBAR Displays or hides the geometric constraints on an object. CONSTRAINTSETTINGS Controls the display of geometric constraints on constraint bars.
Modify Constrained Objects with Grips You can modify constrained geometry using grip editing modes. The geometry will maintain all applied constraints. For example, if a line object is constrained to remain tangent to a circle, you can rotate the line and change its length and endpoints, but the line or its extension will remain tangent to the circle. If the circle was an arc instead, the line or its extension would remain tangent to the arc or its extension.
Modify Constrained Objects with Editing Commands You can use editing commands such as MOVE, COPY, ROTATE, SCALE, and STRETCH to modify constrained geometry. The results maintain the constraints applied to the objects. NOTE The TRIM, EXTEND, BREAK, and JOIN commands in some circumstances can remove constraints. By default, if an editing command results in copying the constrained objects, the constraints applied to the original objects will also be duplicated.
CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE Controls constraint behavior when applying or editing constraints. Infer Geometric Constraints You can automatically apply geometric constraints while creating and editing geometric objects. Enabling Infer Constraints mode automatically applies constraints between the object you are creating or editing and the object or points associated with object snaps. Similar to the AUTOCONSTRAIN command, constraints are applied only if the objects meet the constraint conditions.
Infer Constraints with Rectangle, Fillet, and Chamfer The RECTANG, FILLET, and CHAMFER commands infer constraints as follows: ■ RECTANG applies a pair of parallel constraints and a perpendicular constraint to the closed polyline. ■ FILLET applies tangent and coincident constraints between the newly created arc and the existing trimmed or extended pair of lines. ■ CHAMFER applies coincident contraints between the newly created line and the existing trimmed or extended pair of lines.
Quick Reference CHAMFER Bevels the edges of objects. CONSTRAINTSETTINGS Controls the display of geometric constraints on constraint bars. DIMCONSTRAINT Applies dimensional constraints to selected objects or points on objects, or converts associative dimensions to dimensional constraints. FILLET Rounds and fillets the edges of objects. LINE Creates straight line segments. PLINE Creates a 2D polyline. RECTANG Creates a rectangular polyline.
■ Angles between objects, or between points on objects ■ Sizes of arcs and circles For example, the following illustration includes linear, aligned, angular, and diameter constraints. If you change the value of a dimensional constraint, all the constraints on the object are evaluated, and the objects that are affected are updated automatically. Also, constraints can be added directly to segments within a polyline as if they were separate objects.
If you need to output a drawing with dimensional constraints or use dimension styles, you can change the form of a dimensional constraint from dynamic to annotational. See Apply Dimensional Constraints on page 389 for more detail. Define Variables and Equations The -PARAMETERS command allows you to define custom user variables that you can reference from within dimensional constraints and other user variables. The expressions that you define can include a variety of predefined functions and constants.
TEXTEDIT Edits a dimensional constraint, dimension, or text object. CCONSTRAINTFORM Controls whether annotational or dynamic constraints are applied to objects. CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT Controls the text format for dimensional constraints. CONSTRAINTRELAX Indicates whether constraints are enforced or relaxed when editing an object. CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE Controls constraint behavior when applying or editing constraints. DIMCONSTRAINTICON Displays the lock icon next to the text for dimensional constraints.
When you apply a dimensional constraint to an object, a constraint variable is automatically created for maintaining the constraint value. By default, these are assigned names such as d1 or dia1, but you can rename them with the -PARAMTERS. Dimensional constraints can be created in one of the following forms: ■ Dynamic constraints ■ Annotational constraints The forms have different purposes. In addition, any dynamic or annotational constraint can be converted to a reference parameter.
Annotational Constraints Annotational constraints are useful when you want dimensional constraints to have the following characteristics: ■ Change their size when zooming in or out ■ Display individually with layers ■ Display using the current dimension style ■ Provide grip capabilities that are similar to those on dimensions ■ Display when the drawing is plotted NOTE To display the text used in annotational constraints in the same format as used in dimensions, set the CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT system
You can set the Reference property in the Properties Inspector to convert a dynamic or annotational constraint to a reference parameter. NOTE You cannot change a reference parameter back to a dimensional constraint if doing so would overconstrain the geometry. Quick Reference DCALIGNED Constrains the distance between two points on different objects.
DCVERTICAL Constrains the Y distance between points on an object, or between two points on different objects. DELCONSTRAINT Removes all geometric and dimensional constraints from a selection set of objects. DIMCONSTRAINT Applies dimensional constraints to selected objects or points on objects, or converts associative dimensions to dimensional constraints. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. PARAMETERS (-PARAMETERS) Controls the associative parameters used in the drawing.
Control the Display of Dimensional Constraints You can display or hide dynamic and annotational constraints within a drawing. Display or Hide Dynamic Constraints You can hide all dynamic constraints to reduce clutter when you want to work with geometric constraints only, or when you need to continue other work in the drawing. You can turn on their display when needed from the ribbon or with the DCDISPLAY command.
TEXTEDIT Edits a dimensional constraint, dimension, or text object. CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT Controls the text format for dimensional constraints. CONSTRAINTRELAX Indicates whether constraints are enforced or relaxed when editing an object. CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE Controls constraint behavior when applying or editing constraints. DIMCONSTRAINTICON Displays the lock icon next to the text for dimensional constraints. DYNCONSTRAINTMODE Displays hidden dimensional constraints when constrained objects are selected.
NOTE You cannot edit the Expression and Value properties for a reference parameter. Modify Dimensional Constraints Using Their Grips You can modify a constrained object either by using the triangular grips or the square grips on the associated dimensional constraint. The triangular grips on dimensional constraints provide a way of changing the constraint value while maintaining the constraint.
For information about temporarily relaxing constraints, see Overview of Constraints on page 367. See also: ■ Overview of Constraints on page 367 Quick Reference DCDISPLAY Displays or hides the dynamic constraints associated with a selection set of objects. DELCONSTRAINT Removes all geometric and dimensional constraints from a selection set of objects. DIMCONSTRAINT Applies dimensional constraints to selected objects or points on objects, or converts associative dimensions to dimensional constraints.
DYNCONSTRAINTMODE Displays hidden dimensional constraints when constrained objects are selected. PARAMETERCOPYMODE Controls how constraints and referenced user parameters are handled when constrained objects are copied between drawings, Model space and layouts, and block definitions. Constrain a Design with Formulas and Equations You can control geometry using mathematical expressions that include the names of dimensional constraints, user variables, and functions.
PI), could have been assigned to the Radius dimensional constraint parameter, defined in a user variable, or some other combination. Protect Expressions in Dynamic Constraints When a dynamic dimensional constraint references one or more parameters, the prefix fx: is added to the name of the constraint. This prefix is displayed only in the drawing.
Use Operators in Expressions Dimensional constraint parameters and user variables support the following operators within expressions: Operator Description + Addition - Subtraction or unary negation % Floating point modulo * Multiplication / Division ^ Exponentiation () Parenthesis, expression delimiter . Decimal separator NOTE With imperial units, the a minus or dash (-) symbol is treated as a unit separator rather than a subtraction operation.
Functions Supported in Expressions The following functions are available for use in expressions: Function Syntax Cosine cos(expression) Sine sin(expression) Tangent tan(expression) Arc cosine acos(expression) Arc sine asin(expression) Arc tangent atan(expression) Hyperbolic cosine cosh(expression) Hyperbolic sine sinh(expression) Hyperbolic tangent tanh(expression) Arc hyperbolic cosine acosh(expression) Arc hyperbolic sine asinh(expression) Arc hyperbolic tangent atanh(expression)
Function Syntax Absolute value abs(expression) Largest element in array max(expression1;expression2) Smallest element in array min(expression1;expression2) Degrees to radians d2r(expression) Radians to degrees r2d(expression) Logarithm, base e ln(expression) Logarithm, base 10 log(expression) Exponent, base e exp(expression) Exponent, base 10 exp10(expression) Power function pow(expression1;expression2) Random decimal, 0-1 Random In addition to these functions, the constants Pi and e
Define and Reference Blocks 403
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Work with Blocks 20 A block is one or more objects combined to create a single object. Blocks help you reuse objects in the same drawing or in other drawings. Overview of Blocks How Blocks Are Stored and Referenced Every drawing file has a block definition table that stores all block definitions, which consist of all information associated with the block. It is these block definitions that are referenced when you insert blocks in your drawing.
When you insert a block you are inserting a block reference. The information is not copied from the block definition to the drawing area. Instead, a link is established between the block reference and the block definition. Therefore, if the block definition is changed, all references are updated automatically. Use PURGE to remove unused block definitions from a drawing. Blocks and Layers A block can be composed of objects drawn on several layers with various colors, linetypes, and lineweight properties.
Insert Blocks When you insert a block, you create a block reference and specify its location, scale, and rotation. Scale Block References You can specify the scale of a block reference using different X, Y, and Z values. A block that uses different drawing units than the units specified for the drawing is automatically scaled by a factor equivalent to the ratio between the two units.
Xrefs contained in a drawing you insert may not be displayed properly unless the xref was previously inserted or attached to the destination drawing. Insert Blocks from Block Libraries You can insert one or more block definitions from an existing drawing file into your current drawing file. Choose this method when retrieving blocks from block library drawings. A block library drawing contains block definitions of symbols with similar functions.
Quick Reference CONTENT Opens the Content palette. DIVIDE Creates evenly spaced point objects or blocks along the length or perimeter of an object. INSERT Inserts a block or drawing into the current drawing. MEASURE Creates point objects or blocks at measured intervals along the length or perimeter of an object. ATTDIA Controls whether the INSERT command uses a dialog box for attribute value entry. INSNAME Sets a default block name for the INSERT command.
a dynamic block reference of a door can change size after you insert the block reference into your drawing. Dynamic blocks allow you to insert one block that can change shape, size, or configuration, instead of inserting one of many static block definitions. NOTE Dynamic blocks are not supported in AutoCAD 2011 for Mac. When a drawing containing dynamic blocks is opened, the blocks will function like standard blocks.
BTMARKDISPLAY Controls whether or not value set markers are displayed for dynamic block references. GRIPTIPS Controls the display of grip tips and Ctrl-cycling tooltips. Remove Block Definitions To reduce the size of a drawing, you can remove unused block definitions. You can remove a block reference from your drawing by erasing it; however, the block definition remains in the drawing's block definition table.
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Create and Modify Blocks 21 A block definition is a set of objects that are grouped together as one named object with a base point and unique properties. Define Blocks You create blocks by associating objects and giving them a name. Create Blocks Within a Drawing After you define a block in a drawing, you can insert a block reference in the drawing as many times as necessary. Use this method to create blocks quickly.
The illustration shows a typical sequence for creating a block definition within a drawing. You can also use the Block Editor to create blocks that are saved within a drawing. See also: ■ Overview of Blocks on page 405 Quick Reference BLOCK Creates a block definition from selected objects. Create Drawing Files for Use as Blocks You can create drawing files for the purpose of inserting them into other drawings as blocks.
Create a New Drawing File You have two methods for creating drawing files: ■ Create and save a complete drawing file using SAVE or SAVEAS. ■ Create and save only selected objects from your current drawing to a new drawing using EXPORT or WBLOCK. With either method, you create an ordinary drawing file that can be inserted as a block into any other drawing file.
Quick Reference CONTENT Opens the Content palette. BASE Sets the insertion base point for the current drawing. BLOCK Creates a block definition from selected objects. EXPORT Saves the objects in a drawing to a different file format. INSERT Inserts a block or drawing into the current drawing. OOPS Restores erased objects. WBLOCK Writes objects or a block to a new drawing file.
do not use BYBLOCK or BYLAYER color, linetype, and lineweight settings when creating these objects. ■ Objects in the block inherit color, linetype, and lineweight properties from the color, linetype, and lineweight assigned to the current layer only. For this choice, before you create objects to be included in the block definition, set the current layer to 0, and set the current color, linetype, and lineweight to BYLAYER.
Quick Reference COLOR Sets the color for new objects. LAYER Manages layers and layer properties. LINETYPE Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. Nest Blocks The only restriction on nested blocks is that you cannot insert blocks that reference themselves. You can apply geometric constraints and constraint parameters to nested objects in blocks.
When a block definition is redefined, AutoCAD for Mac will re-evaluate the constraints between geometry in the drawing and the nested geometry in the block references. The drawing will then be updated appropriately. If a constraint cannot be resolved as a result of the change to the block definition, then the constraint is removed and an unresolved constraints message is displayed at the command line.
Use the Content palette to view and insert block definitions from the current or an existing drawing. Insert a block from the Content palette does not overwrite an existing block definition in a drawing with one that comes from another drawing. Quick Reference BLOCK Creates a block definition from selected objects. Attach Data to Blocks (Block Attributes) You can attach information to blocks and later extract the information to create a bill of materials or other report.
The attributes in the illustration are single-line attributes. You can also create multiple-line attributes to store data such as addresses and descriptions. Attribute information extracted from a drawing can be used in a spreadsheet or database to produce a parts list or a bill of materials. You can associate more than one attribute with a block, provided that each attribute has a different tag. Attributes also can be "invisible.
Quick Reference ATTDEF Creates an attribute definition for storing data in a block. ATTDISP Controls the visibility overrides for all block attributes in a drawing. ATTEDIT Changes attribute information in a block. ATTIPEDIT Changes the textual content of an attribute within a block. DDEDIT Edits single-line text, dimension text, attribute definitions, and feature control frames. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. AFLAGS Sets options for attributes.
Define Block Attributes The characteristics include the tag, which is a name that identifies the attribute, the prompt displayed when you insert the block, value information, text formatting, location within the block, and any optional modes (Invisible, Constant, Verify, Preset, Lock Position, and Multiple Lines). If you plan to extract the attribute information for use in a parts list, you may want to keep a list of the attribute tags you have created.
the current release, these single line attributes are automatically merged back into a multiple-line attribute. NOTE If a multiple-line attribute makes a round trip to an earlier release, the differences between these two types of attributes might result in truncating very long lines of text and loss of formatting. However, before any characters are truncated, AutoCAD for Mac displays a message box that lets you cancel the operation.
which you are prompted for attribute information when you insert the block reference. Use Attributes Without Attaching Them to Blocks Stand-alone attributes can also be created. Once attributes have been defined, and the drawing is saved, this drawing file can be inserted into another drawing. When the drawing is inserted, you are prompted for the attribute values. Quick Reference ATTDEF Creates an attribute definition for storing data in a block.
might contain blocks representing office equipment. If each block has attributes identifying the model and manufacturer of the equipment, you can generate a report that estimates the cost of the equipment. Output to a File If you save the data to an external file, the comma-separated (CDF), space delimited (SDF), and data extraction (DXX) formats are available.
application. If you plan to extract the attribute information to a DXF (drawing interchange format) file, it is not necessary to first create an attribute template file. NOTE Make sure that the attribute extraction file does not have the same name as the attribute template file. Create an Attribute Extraction Template File Before you extract attribute information, you must create an ASCII template file to define the structure of the file that will contain the extracted attribute information.
determine which attributes, hence which blocks, are included in the attribute extraction file. If a block contains some, but not all, of the specified attributes, the values for the absent ones are filled with blanks or zeros, depending on whether the field is a character field or a numeric field. Comments should not be included in an attribute template file.
BL:X N007001 (X coordinate, format nnnnnn.d) BL:Y N007001 (Y coordinate, format nnnnnn.d) SUPPLIER C016000 (Manufacturer's name, 16 characters) MODEL C009000 (Model number, 9 characters) PRICE N009002 (Unit price, format nnnnnnnn.dd) NOTE The format code for a numeric field includes the decimal point in the total field width. For example, the minimum field width to accommodate the number 249.95 would be 6 and would be represented as N006002.
If you specified a CDF format using the sample template, the output might appear as follows: 'DESK', 120.0, 49.5, 'ACME INDUST.', '51-793W', 379.95 'CHAIR', 122.0, 47.0, 'ACME INDUST.', '34-902A', 199.95 'DESK', -77.2, 40.0, 'TOP DRAWER INC.', 'X-52-44',249.95 By default, character fields are enclosed with single quotes (apostrophes). The default field delimiter is a comma.
Nested Blocks The line BL:LEVEL in a template file reports the nesting level of a block reference. A block that is inserted in a drawing has a nesting level of 1. A block reference that is part of (nested within) another block has a nesting level of 2, and so on. For a nested block reference, the X,Y, Z coordinate values, scale factors, extrusion direction, and rotation angle reflect the actual location, size, orientation, and rotation of the nested block in the world coordinate system.
There are two methods for redefining a block definition: ■ Modify the block definition in the current drawing. ■ Modify the block definition in the source drawing and reinsert it into the current drawing. The method you choose depends on whether you want to make changes in the current drawing only or in a source drawing also.
the block definition has the following effects on block references that were previously inserted: ■ Constant attributes, which have a fixed value, are lost and replaced by any new constant attributes. ■ Variable attributes remain unchanged, even if the new block definition has no attributes. ■ New attributes do not appear in the existing block references. See also: ■ Attach Data to Blocks (Block Attributes) on page 420 Quick Reference BLOCK Creates a block definition from selected objects.
NOTE If you press Ctrl and double-click an attribute that includes a hyperlink, the hyperlink opens the web page. To edit the attribute, use one of the other methods listed. See also: ■ Modify a Block Definition on page 431 Quick Reference ATTEDIT Changes attribute information in a block. ATTIPEDIT Changes the textual content of an attribute within a block. ATTSYNC Updates block references with new and changed attributes from a specified block definition.
■ Properties that define the layer that the attribute is on and the attribute line's color, weight, and type By default, attribute changes you make are applied to all existing block references in the current drawing. Changing the attribute properties of existing block references does not affect the values assigned to those blocks. For example, in a block containing an attribute whose tag is Cost and value is 19.99, the 19.99 value is unaffected if you change the tag from Cost to Unit Cost.
Updating attribute properties in block references does not affect any values that have been assigned to those attributes. Edit Attributes in a Block Reference You can select an attribute in a block reference and use the Properties Inspector palette to change its properties, or you can use the Enhanced Attribute Editor to modify all the attributes in a selected block reference.
Disassemble a Block Reference (Explode) If you need to modify one or more objects within a block separately, you can disassemble, or explode, the block reference into its component objects.
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Create 3D Models 22 Use 3D models to help you visualize and test your designs. Overview of 3D Modeling AutoCAD 3D modeling allows you to create drawings using solid, surface, and mesh objects. Solid, surface, and mesh objects offer different functionality, that, when used together, offer a powerful suite of 3D modeling tools. For example, you can convert a primitive solid to a mesh to take advantage of mesh creasing and smoothing.
extrusion and use various sweeping operations to create solids from 2D curves and lines. Surface Modeling A surface model is a thin shell that does not have mass or volume. AutoCAD offers two types of surfaces: procedural and NURBS. Use prodecural surfaces to take advantage of associative modling, and use NURBS surfaces to take advantage of sculpting with control vertices.
Mesh Modeling A mesh model consists of vertices, edges, and faces that use polygonal representation (including triangles and quads) to define a 3D shape. Unlike solid models, mesh has no mass properties. However, as with 3D solids, you can create primitive mesh forms such as boxes, cones, and pyramids, starting in AutoCAD 2010. You can modify mesh models in ways that are not available for 3D solids or surfaces. For example you can apply creases, splits, and increasing levels of smoothness.
■ Use the model to create an animation ■ Extract manufacturing data See also: ■ Enter 3D Coordinates on page 205 ■ Specify Workplanes in 3D (UCS) on page 214 ■ Use the Dynamic UCS with Solid Models on page 217 Quick Reference Commands BOX Creates a 3D solid box. CONE Creates a 3D solid cone. CONVTOMESH Converts 3D objects such as polygon meshes, surfaces, and solids to mesh objects. CONVTONURBS Converts 3D solids and surfaces into NURBS surfaces.
LOFT Creates a 3D solid or surface in the space between several cross sections. MESH Creates a 3D mesh primitive object such as a box, cone, cylinder, pyramid, sphere, wedge, or torus. POLYSOLID Creates a 3D wall-like polysolid. PLANESURF Creates a planar surface. PYRAMID Creates a 3D solid pyramid. REVOLVE Creates a 3D solid or surface by sweeping an object around an axis. SPHERE Creates a 3D solid sphere. SURFBLEND Creates a continuous blend surface between two existing surfaces.
UCS Manages user coordinate systems. WEDGE Creates a 3D solid wedge. System Variables DELOBJ Controls whether geometry used to create 3D objects is retained or deleted. PSOLWIDTH Controls the default width for a swept solid object created with the POLYSOLID command. PSOLHEIGHT Controls the default height for a swept solid object created with the POLYSOLID command. SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE Filters whether faces, edges, vertices or solid history subobjects are highlighted when you roll over them.
See also: ■ Create a Solid or Surface by Extruding on page 450 ■ Create a Solid or Surface by Sweeping on page 453 ■ Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting on page 456 ■ Create a Solid or Surface by Revolving on page 459 Create Surfaces or Solids With the Same Commands When you extrude, sweep, loft, and revolve curves, you can create both solids and surfaces. Open curves always create surfaces, but closed curves can create either solids or surfaces depending on the situation.
Geometry That Can Be Used As Profiles and Guide Curves The curves that you use as profile and guide curves when you extrude, sweep, loft, and revolve can be: ■ Open or closed ■ Planar or non-planar ■ Solid and surface edge subobjects ■ A single object (to extrude multiple lines, convert them to a single object with the JOIN command) ■ A single region (to extrude multiple regions, convert them to a single object with the REGION command) Example: Use Splines to Create 3D NURBS Surfaces Splines are o
Many of the same commands used with NURBS surfaces, can also be used with CV splines. These include: ■ CVADD ■ CVREMOVE ■ CVREBUILD ■ CVSHOW ■ CVHIDE For more information, see Create Solids and Surfaces from Lines and Curves on page 446. Create Associative Surfaces Surfaces can be associative while solids cannot.
Deleting the Curves that Generate the Solid or Surface The DELOBJ system variable controls whether the curves that generate an object are automatically deleted after the solid or surface is created. However, if surface associativity is on, the DELOBJ setting is ignored and the generating curves are not deleted. Create a Solid or Surface by Extruding Create a 3D solid or surface by stretching curves into 3D space. The EXTRUDE command creates a solid or surface that extends the shape of a curve.
Extruding is different from sweeping. When you extrude a profile along a path, the profile follows the shape of the path, even if the path does not intersect the profile. Sweeping usually provides greater control and better results. ■ Taper angle. Tapering the extrusion is useful for defining part that require a specific taper angle, such as a mold used to create metal products in a foundry. ■ Direction.
BREP Removes the history from 3D solids and composite solids, and associativity from surfaces. EXTRUDE Creates a 3D solid or surface by extending the dimensions of an object. JOIN Joins the endpoints of lines, 2D and 3D polylines, arcs, elliptical arcs, helixes, and splines to create single object. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. MEASUREGEOM Measures the distance, radius, angle, area, and volume of selected objects or sequence of points.
SURFACEMODELINGMODE Controls whether surfaces are created as procedural surfaces or NURBS surfaces. Create a Solid or Surface by Sweeping Create a 3D solid or surface by sweeping a profile along a path. The SWEEP command creates a solid or surface by extending a profile shape (the object that is swept) along a specified path. When you sweep a profile along a path, the profile is moved and aligned normal (perpendicular) to the path. Open profiles create surfaces and closed curves create solids or surfaces.
■ Twist. By entering a twist angle, the object rotates along the length of the profile. Enter a mathematical expression to constrain the object ‘s twist angle. See Create Geometric Relationships between Associative Surfaces on page 508.
Quick Reference Commands 3DOSNAP Sets the object snap modes for 3D objects. BREP Removes the history from 3D solids and composite solids, and associativity from surfaces. JOIN Joins the endpoints of lines, 2D and 3D polylines, arcs, elliptical arcs, helixes, and splines to create single object. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. MEASUREGEOM Measures the distance, radius, angle, area, and volume of selected objects or sequence of points.
SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE Filters whether faces, edges, vertices or solid history subobjects are highlighted when you roll over them. SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY Controls whether surfaces maintain a relationship with the objects from which they were created. SURFACEASSOCIATIVITYDRAG Sets the dragging preview behavior of associative surfaces. SURFACEMODELINGMODE Controls whether surfaces are created as procedural surfaces or NURBS surfaces.
lofted objects with different cross-section settings As you create a lofted object, you can adjust its shape by specifying how the profile passes through the cross sections (for example, a sharp or smooth curve). You can also modify the settings later in the Properties Inspector. For more information, see Modify Properties of 3D Solid, Surface, and Mesh on page 590. ■ Paths. Specify a path for the loft operation to obtain more control over the shape of the lofted object.
Each guide curve must meet the following criteria: ■ Intersects each cross section ■ Starts on the first cross section ■ Ends on the last cross section See also: ■ Create Associative Surfaces on page 505 ■ Create Geometric Relationships between Associative Surfaces on page 508 ■ Draw Splines on page 281 ■ Modify Splines on page 359 Quick Reference Commands 3DOSNAP Sets the object snap modes for 3D objects.
REGION Converts an object that encloses an area into a region object. System Variables 3DOSMODE Controls the settings for the 3D object snaps. DELOBJ Controls whether geometry used to create 3D objects is retained or deleted. SOLIDHIST Controls the default history property setting for solid objects. SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE Filters whether faces, edges, vertices or solid history subobjects are highlighted when you roll over them.
■ Start Angle. Specifies an offset for the revolution from the plane of the object being revolved. ■ Reverse. Changes the direction of the revolve. ■ Expression. Enter a formula or equation to specify the revolve angle. This option is only available if you are creating associative surfaces. See Create Geometric Relationships between Associative Surfaces on page 508.
REVOLVE Creates a 3D solid or surface by sweeping an object around an axis. System Variables 3DOSMODE Controls the settings for the 3D object snaps. DELOBJ Controls whether geometry used to create 3D objects is retained or deleted. SOLIDHIST Controls the default history property setting for solid objects. SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE Filters whether faces, edges, vertices or solid history subobjects are highlighted when you roll over them.
About Solid Primitives You can create several basic 3D shapes, known as solid primitives: boxes, cones, cylinders, spheres, wedges, pyramids, and tori (donuts). By combining primitive shapes, you can create more complex solids. For example, you can join two solids, subtract one from the other, or create a shape based on the intersection of their volumes. About Solids Based on Other Objects You can also create 3D solids from 2D geometry or other 3D objects. The following methods are available: ■ Sweep.
■ Revolve. Sweeps a 2D object around an axis. ■ Loft. Extends the contours of a shape between one or more open or closed objects. ■ Slice. Divides a solid object into two separate 3D objects. ■ Sculpting Surfaces. Converts and trims a group of surfaces that enclose a watertight area into a solid. ■ Conversion. Converts mesh objects and planar objects with thickness into solids and surfaces. Quick Reference Commands BOX Creates a 3D solid box. CONE Creates a 3D solid cone.
LOFT Creates a 3D solid or surface in the space between several cross sections. PYRAMID Creates a 3D solid pyramid. REVOLVE Creates a 3D solid or surface by sweeping an object around an axis. SLICE Creates new 3D solids and surfaces by slicing, or dividing, existing objects. SUBTRACT Combines selected 3D solids or 2D regions by subtraction. SURFSCULPT Trims and combines surfaces that bound a watertight area to create a solid.
FACETRES Adjusts the smoothness of shaded and rendered objects and objects with hidden lines removed. ISOLINES Specifies the number of contour lines per surface on objects. Create 3D Solid Primitives Start with standard shapes known as solid primitives to create boxes, cones, cylinders, spheres, tori (donuts), wedges, and pyramids. Create a Solid Box Create a rectangular or cubical solid box. The base of the box is always drawn parallel to the XY plane of the current UCS (workplane).
■ Start from the center point. Use the Center Point option to create a box using a specified center point. Quick Reference Commands BOX Creates a 3D solid box. System Variables DRAGVS Sets the visual style that is displayed while creating 3D solid and mesh primitives and extruded solids, surfaces, and meshes. Create a Solid Wedge Create a solid wedge with rectangular or cubical faces.
Wedge Creation Options Use the following options to control the size and rotation of the wedges you create: ■ Create a wedge with sides of equal length. Use the Cube option of the WEDGE command. ■ Specify rotation. Use the Cube or Length option if you want to set the rotation of the wedge in the XY plane. ■ Start from the center point. Use the Center Point option to create a wedge using a specified center point. Quick Reference Commands WEDGE Creates a 3D solid wedge.
By default, the base of the cone lies on the XY plane of the current UCS. The height of the cone is parallel to the Z axis. Cone Creation Options Use the following options to control the size and rotation of the cones you create: ■ Set the height and orientation. Use the Axis Endpoint option of the CONE command. Use the Top Radius option to specify the axis endpoint as the point of the cone or the center of the top face. The axis endpoint can be located anywhere in 3D space.
See also: ■ Use Grips to Edit 3D Solids and Surfaces on page 567 Quick Reference Commands CONE Creates a 3D solid cone. System Variables DRAGVS Sets the visual style that is displayed while creating 3D solid and mesh primitives and extruded solids, surfaces, and meshes. Create a Solid Cylinder Create a solid cylinder with a circular or elliptical base. By default, the base of the cylinder lies on the XY plane of the current UCS. The height of the cylinder is parallel to the Z axis.
Cylinder Creation Options Use the following options to control the size and rotation of the cylinders you create: ■ Set rotation. Use the Axis Endpoint option of the CYLINDER command to set the height and rotation of the cylinder. The center point of the top plane of the cylinder is the axis endpoint, which can be located anywhere in 3D space. ■ Use three points to define the base. Use the 3P (Three Points) option to define the base of the cylinder. You can set three points anywhere in 3D space.
When you start with the center point, the central axis of the sphere parallels the Z axis of the current user coordinate system (UCS). Sphere Creation Options Use the following options to draw a sphere with the SPHERE command: ■ Specify three points to set the size and plane of the circumference or radius. Use the 3P (Three Points) option to define the size of the sphere anywhere in 3D space. The three points also define the plane of the circumference.
Create a Solid Pyramid Create a solid pyramid with up to 32 sides. You can create a pyramid that tapers to a point, or create a frustum of a pyramid, which tapers to a planar face. Pyramid Creation Options Use the following options to control the size, shape, and rotation of the pyramids you create: ■ Set the number of sides. Use the Sides option of the PYRAMID command to set the number of sides for the pyramid. ■ Set the length of the edges.
■ Set the height and rotation of the pyramid. Use the Axis Endpoint option of the PYRAMID command to specify the height and rotation of the pyramid. This endpoint, or top of the pyramid, can be located anywhere in 3D space. Quick Reference Commands PYRAMID Creates a 3D solid pyramid. System Variables DRAGVS Sets the visual style that is displayed while creating 3D solid and mesh primitives and extruded solids, surfaces, and meshes.
A torus has two radius values. One value defines the tube. The other value defines the distance from the center of the torus to the center of the tube. By default, a torus is drawn parallel to and is bisected by the XY plane of the current UCS. A torus can be self-intersecting. A self-intersecting torus has no center hole because the radius of the tube is greater than the radius of the torus. Torus Creation Options Use the following options to control the size and rotation of the tori you create.
Quick Reference Commands TORUS Creates a donut-shaped 3D solid. System Variables DRAGVS Sets the visual style that is displayed while creating 3D solid and mesh primitives and extruded solids, surfaces, and meshes. Create a Polysolid Use the same techniques you use to create polylines to create a polysolid object. The POLYSOLID command provides a quick way to draw 3D walls. A polysolid is like an extruded, wide polyline.
Polysolid Creation Options Use the following options to control the size and shape of the polysolids you create: ■ Create arced segments. Use the Arc option to add curved segments to the polysolid. The profile of a polysolid with curved segments remains perpendicular to the path. ■ Create a polysolid from a 2D object. Use the Object option to convert an object such as a polyline, circle, line, or arc to a polysolid.
System Variables DELOBJ Controls whether geometry used to create 3D objects is retained or deleted. PSOLHEIGHT Controls the default height for a swept solid object created with the POLYSOLID command. PSOLWIDTH Controls the default width for a swept solid object created with the POLYSOLID command. Create 3D Solids from Objects Convert existing objects to 3D solids.
Convert Surfaces and Objects with Thickness to 3D Solids You can convert different types of objects into extruded 3D solids with the CONVTOSOLID command. These objects include closed polylines and circles with thickness, as well as watertight meshes and surfaces. For a complete list of objects that can be converted using this method, see CONVTOSOLID. Convert a Group of Surfaces to a 3D Solid Use the SURFSCULPT command to convert a group of surfaces that enclose a watertight region to a 3D solid.
■ Faceted and optimized. Coplanar faces are merged into a single, flat face. The overall shape of some faces can change. Edges of faces that are not coplanar are creased, or angular. (SMOOTHMESHCONVERT = 2) ■ Faceted and not optimized. Each original mesh face is converted to a flat face. Edges of faces that are not coplanar are creased, or angular. (SMOOTHMESHCONVERT = 3) You cannot convert the following types of mesh objects to a 3D solid: ■ Mesh with gaps between faces.
In some cases, mesh that is not eligible to be converted to a solid object can be converted to a surface. Thicken Surfaces to Convert Them to 3D Solids You can convert 3D surface objects to 3D solids with the THICKEN command. Grip editing is limited for objects that are created using this method. Quick Reference Commands CONVTOSOLID Converts 3D meshes and polylines and circles with thickness to 3D solids. SURFSCULPT Trims and combines surfaces that bound a watertight area to create a solid.
SMOOTHMESHCONVERT Sets whether mesh objects that you convert to 3D solids or surfaces are smoothed or faceted, and whether their faces are merged. Combine or Slice 3D Objects Create new composite 3D objects or slice objects to divide them. Create Composite Objects Create composite 3D objects by combining, subtracting, or finding the intersecting mass of two or more 3D solids, surfaces, or regions.
■ Find the common volume. With INTERSECT, you can create a composite solid from the common volume of two or more overlapping solids. INTERSECT removes the portions that do not overlap and creates a composite solid from the common volume. Create Composites from Mixed Object Types In addition to creating composite objects from the same object types, you can also create composites from mixed surfaces and solids. ■ Mixed intersections.
Quick Reference Commands INTERSECT Creates a 3D solid, surface, or 2D region from overlapping solids, surfaces, or regions. SUBTRACT Combines selected 3D solids or 2D regions by subtraction. UNION Combines selected 3D solids, surfaces, or 2D regions by addition. System Variables SHOWHIST Controls the Show History property for solids in a drawing. SOLIDHIST Controls the default history property setting for solid objects.
For a complete list of objects that can be used for a slice operation, see SLICE. See also: ■ Create Sections and 2D Drawings from 3D Models on page 635 Quick Reference Commands SLICE Creates new 3D solids and surfaces by slicing, or dividing, existing objects. Check 3D Models for Interferences Find areas where 3D solids or surfaces intersect or overlap. Use the INTERFERE command to check for areas of interference within a set of 3D solid or surface models.
Methods for Checking Interference You can check interference using the following methods: ■ Define one selection set. Check the interference of all the 3D solids and surfaces in a single selection set. ■ Define two selection sets. Check the interference of the objects in the first set of objects against the objects in the second selection set. ■ Individually specify solids that are nested within blocks or xrefs.
Overview of Creating Surfaces Surface modeling provides the ability to edit multiple surfaces as an associative group or in a more free-form way. In addition to 3D solid and mesh objects, AutoCAD for Mac offer two type of surfaces: procedural and NURBS. ■ Procedural Surfaces can be associative, maintaining relationships with other objects so that they can be manipulated as a group. ■ NURBS Surfaces - are not associative.
■ Create surfaces from other surfaces on page 492. Blend, patch, extend, fillet, and offset surfaces to create new surfaces (SURFBLEND, SURFPATCH, SURFEXTEND, SURFFILLET and SURFOFFSET). ■ Convert objects into procedural surfaces on page 501. Convert existing solids (including composite objects), surfaces, and meshes into procedural surfaces (CONVTOSURFACE command). ■ Convert procedural surfaces into NURBS surfaces on page 501.
Understand Surface Continuity and Bulge Magnitude Surface continuity and bulge magnitude are properties that are frequently used when creating surfaces. When you create a new surface, you can specify the continuity and bulge magnitude with special grips. Continuity is a measure of how smoothly two curves or surfaces flow into each other. The type of continuity can be important if you need to export your surfaces to other applications.
Continuity types include the following: ■ G0 (Position). Measures location only. If the edge of each surface is collinear, the surfaces are positionally continuous (G0) at the edge curves. Note that two surfaces can meet at any angle and still have positional continuity. ■ G1 (Tangency). Includes both positional and tangential continuity (G0 + G1). With tangentially continuous surfaces, the end tangents match at the common edges.
BREP Removes the history from 3D solids and composite solids, and associativity from surfaces. CONVTONURBS Converts 3D solids and surfaces into NURBS surfaces. CONVTOSURFACE Converts objects to 3D surfaces. EXTRUDE Creates a 3D solid or surface by extending the dimensions of an object. JOIN Joins the endpoints of lines, 2D and 3D polylines, arcs, elliptical arcs, helixes, and splines to create single object. LOFT Creates a 3D solid or surface in the space between several cross sections.
SWEEP Creates a 3D solid or surface by sweeping a 2D or 3D object or subobject along a path. VISUALSTYLES Creates and modifies visual styles and applies a visual style to a viewport. System Variables 3DOSMODE Controls the settings for the 3D object snaps. DELOBJ Controls whether geometry used to create 3D objects is retained or deleted. FACETRES Adjusts the smoothness of shaded and rendered objects and objects with hidden lines removed. ISOLINES Specifies the number of contour lines per surface on objects.
Create Surfaces from Other Surfaces There are many ways to create procedural surfaces from existing surfaces. These include blending, patching, and offsetting or creating network and planar surfaces. When you create procedural surfaces, use SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY to work with the surfaces as a group. Just as you can modify the face of a solid and have the entire solid update, when you modify a group of surfaces that are associative, all of the surfaces update accordingly.
VISUALSTYLES Creates and modifies visual styles and applies a visual style to a viewport. System Variables 3DOSMODE Controls the settings for the 3D object snaps. DELOBJ Controls whether geometry used to create 3D objects is retained or deleted. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. MEASUREGEOM Measures the distance, radius, angle, area, and volume of selected objects or sequence of points.
Quick Reference Commands 3DOSNAP Sets the object snap modes for 3D objects. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. MEASUREGEOM Measures the distance, radius, angle, area, and volume of selected objects or sequence of points. SURFNETWORK Creates a surface in the space between several curves in the U and V directions (including surface and solid edge subobjects). UCS Manages user coordinate systems. VISUALSTYLES Creates and modifies visual styles and applies a visual style to a viewport.
SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY Controls whether surfaces maintain a relationship with the objects from which they were created. Blend a Surface Create a transition surface between two existing surfaces. Use SURFBLEND to create a new surface between existing surfaces and solids. When you blend surfaces together, specify the surface continuity and bulge magnitude for the start and end edges.
System Variables 3DOSMODE Controls the settings for the 3D object snaps. CULLINGOBJ Controls whether 3D subobjects that are hidden from view can be highlighted or selected. CULLINGOBJSELECTION Controls whether 3D objects that are hidden from view can be highlighted or selected. DELOBJ Controls whether geometry used to create 3D objects is retained or deleted. SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE Filters whether faces, edges, vertices or solid history subobjects are highlighted when you roll over them.
Quick Reference Commands 3DOSNAP Sets the object snap modes for 3D objects. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. MEASUREGEOM Measures the distance, radius, angle, area, and volume of selected objects or sequence of points. SURFPATCH Creates a new surface by fitting a cap over a surface edge that forms a closed loop. UCS Manages user coordinate systems. VISUALSTYLES Creates and modifies visual styles and applies a visual style to a viewport.
SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE Filters whether faces, edges, vertices or solid history subobjects are highlighted when you roll over them. SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY Controls whether surfaces maintain a relationship with the objects from which they were created. Offset a Surface Create a parallel surface a specified distance from the original surface. With SURFOFFSET specify the offset distance and whether or not the offset surface maintains associativity with the original surface.
■ Create a solid between the offset surfaces ■ If you are offsetting more than one surface, you can specify whether the offset surfaces remain connected. ■ Enter an expression that will constrain the distance of the offset surface to the original surface. This option only appears if associativity is on. See Constrain a Design with Formulas and Equations on page 398. See also: ■ Overview of Creating Surfaces on page 486 Quick Reference Commands 3DOSNAP Sets the object snap modes for 3D objects.
LIST Displays property data for selected objects. MEASUREGEOM Measures the distance, radius, angle, area, and volume of selected objects or sequence of points. SURFOFFSET Creates a parallel surface a specified distance from the original surface. UCS Manages user coordinate systems. VISUALSTYLES Creates and modifies visual styles and applies a visual style to a viewport. System Variables 3DOSMODE Controls the settings for the 3D object snaps.
Convert Objects to Procedural Surfaces Convert 3D solids, meshes, and 2D geometry to procedural surfaces. Use CONVTOSURFACE to convert any of the following objects into surfaces: ■ 2D solids ■ Meshes ■ Regions ■ Open, zero-width polylines with thickness ■ Lines with thickness ■ Arcs with thickness ■ Planar 3D faces Quick Reference Commands CONVTOSURFACE Converts objects to 3D surfaces.
NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines) surfaces are part of the suite of 3D modeling objects that AutoCAD for Mac offers (in addition to 3D solids, procedural surfaces, and meshes). NURBS surfaces are based on Bezier curves or splines. Therefore, settings such as degree, fit points, control vertices, weights, and knot parameterization are important in defining a NURBS surface or curve.
CVSHOW Displays the control vertices for specified NURBS surfaces or curves. EXTRUDE Creates a 3D solid or surface by extending the dimensions of an object. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. LOFT Creates a 3D solid or surface in the space between several cross sections. MEASUREGEOM Measures the distance, radius, angle, area, and volume of selected objects or sequence of points. REVOLVE Creates a 3D solid or surface by sweeping an object around an axis.
SURFPATCH Creates a new surface by fitting a cap over a surface edge that forms a closed loop. SWEEP Creates a 3D solid or surface by sweeping a 2D or 3D object or subobject along a path. System Variables SURFACEMODELINGMODE Controls whether surfaces are created as procedural surfaces or NURBS surfaces.
Clamp Surfaces and Curves with Open and Closed Geometry NURBS surfaces and curves can have a clamp, closed, or open form. The form affects how the object deforms. ■ Open Curves and surfaces - have their start and end CVs in different positions - it doesn’t form a loop. If you snap the start and end CVs of an open curve to the same position, it’s still an open curve, because you can still drag these points away from one another. ■ Closed Curves and Surfaces - a loop with coinciding start and end CVs.
Associativity allows you to: ■ Reshape the generating profiles to automatically reshape the surface. ■ Work with a group of surfaces as if they were one object. Just as reshaping one face of a solid box adjusts the entire primitive, reshaping one surface or edge in a group of associated surfaces adjusts the entire group. ■ Use geometric constraints on the 2D profiles of a surface. ■ Assign mathematical expressions to derive properties of surfaces, such as height and radius.
JOIN Joins the endpoints of lines, 2D and 3D polylines, arcs, elliptical arcs, helixes, and splines to create single object. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. LOFT Creates a 3D solid or surface in the space between several cross sections. MEASUREGEOM Measures the distance, radius, angle, area, and volume of selected objects or sequence of points. PLANESURF Creates a planar surface. PROJECTGEOMETRY Projects points, lines, or curves onto a 3D solid or surface from different directions.
VISUALSTYLES Creates and modifies visual styles and applies a visual style to a viewport. System Variables SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY Controls whether surfaces maintain a relationship with the objects from which they were created. SURFACEASSOCIATIVITYDRAG Sets the dragging preview behavior of associative surfaces. Create Geometric Relationships between Associative Surfaces Use geometric constraints to constrain and restrict surfaces. And use mathematical expressions to derive surface properties.
For a complete list of operators and functions allowed in expressions, see Control Geometry with Parameters on page 399. The following table lists the surface types and their properties that accept expressions Type of Surface Surface properties that can be constrained.
DCDISPLAY Displays or hides the dynamic constraints associated with a selection set of objects. DELCONSTRAINT Removes all geometric and dimensional constraints from a selection set of objects. DIMCONSTRAINT Applies dimensional constraints to selected objects or points on objects, or converts associative dimensions to dimensional constraints. GEOMCONSTRAINT Displays or hides the geometric constraints on an object. LIST Displays property data for selected objects.
CONSTRAINTRELAX Indicates whether constraints are enforced or relaxed when editing an object. CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE Controls constraint behavior when applying or editing constraints. DIMCONSTRAINTICON Displays the lock icon next to the text for dimensional constraints. DYNCONSTRAINTMODE Displays hidden dimensional constraints when constrained objects are selected.
Starting with AutoCAD 2010, the default mesh object type can be smoothed, creased, split, and refined. Although you can continue to create the legacy polyface and polygon mesh types, you can obtain more predictable results by converting to the newer mesh object type. Methods for Creating Mesh You can create mesh objects using the following methods: ■ Create mesh primitives. Create standard shapes, such as boxes, cones, cylinders, pyramids, spheres, wedges, and tori (MESH).
When you smooth and refine mesh objects, you increase the density of the tessellation (the number of subdivisions). ■ Smoothing. Increases how closely the mesh surface adheres to a rounded form. You can increase mesh smoothness levels for selected objects in increments or by changing the smoothness level in the Properties Inspector. Smoothness level 0 (zero) applies the lowest level of smoothing to a mesh object. Smoothness level 4 applies a high degree of smoothness. ■ Refinement.
While highly refined mesh gives you the ability to make detailed modifications, it also comes at a cost: it can decrease program performance. By maintaining maximum smoothness, face, and grid levels, you can help ensure that you do not create meshes that are too dense to modify effectively. (Use SMOOTHMESHMAXLEV, SMOOTHMESHMAXFACE, and SMOOTHMESHGRID.) Set Mesh Properties Before and After Creation You can set defaults that control a variety of mesh properties before and after you create the mesh objects.
MESHSMOOTH Converts 3D objects such as polygon meshes, surfaces, and solids to mesh objects. PFACE Creates a 3D polyface mesh vertex by vertex. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. REVSURF Creates a mesh by revolving a profile about an axis. RULESURF Creates a mesh that represents the surface between two lines or curves. TABSURF Creates a mesh from a line or curve that is swept along a straight path. System Variables SMOOTHMESHMAXLEV Sets the maximum smoothness level for mesh objects.
The base of the mesh box is drawn parallel to the XY plane of the current UCS (workplane). The following system variables are used to control the number of divisions for each dimension of a new mesh box: ■ DIVMESHBOXHEIGHT ■ DIVMESHBOXLENGTH ■ DIVMESHBOXWIDTH After a mesh primitive is created, the current level of smoothness for the object can be modified.
System Variables DIVMESHBOXHEIGHT Sets the number of subdivisions for the height of a mesh box along the Z axis. DIVMESHBOXLENGTH Sets the number of subdivisions for the length of a mesh box along the X axis. DIVMESHBOXWIDTH Sets the number of subdivisions for the width of a mesh box along the Y axis. DRAGVS Sets the visual style that is displayed while creating 3D solid and mesh primitives and extruded solids, surfaces, and meshes.
Mesh Cone Creation Options The Cone option of the MESH command provides several methods for determining the size and rotation of the mesh cones you create. ■ Set the height and orientation. Use the Axis Endpoint option when you want to reorient the cone by placing the tip or axis endpoint anywhere in 3D space. ■ Create a frustum of a cone. Use the Top Radius option to create a frustum of a cone, which tapers to an elliptical or planar face. ■ Specify circumference and base plane.
DIVMESHCONEHEIGHT Sets the number of subdivisions between the base and the point or top of the mesh cone. DRAGVS Sets the visual style that is displayed while creating 3D solid and mesh primitives and extruded solids, surfaces, and meshes. Create a Mesh Cylinder Create a mesh cylinder with a circular or elliptical base. By default, the base of the mesh cylinder lies on the XY plane of the current UCS. The height of the cylinder is parallel to the Z axis.
Mesh Cylinder Creation Options The Cylinder option of the MESH command provides several methods for determining the size and rotation of the mesh cylinders you create. ■ Set rotation. Use the Axis Endpoint option to set the height and rotation of the cylinder. The center point of the top plane of the cylinder is the axis endpoint, which can be located anywhere in 3D space. ■ Use three points to define the base. Use the 3P (Three Points) option to define the base of the cylinder.
DIVMESHCYLHEIGHT Sets the number of subdivisions between the base and the top of the mesh cylinder. DRAGVS Sets the visual style that is displayed while creating 3D solid and mesh primitives and extruded solids, surfaces, and meshes. Create a Mesh Pyramid Create a mesh pyramid with up to 32 sides. Create a pyramid that tapers to a point, or create a frustum of a pyramid, which tapers to a planar face.
■ Create a frustum of a pyramid. Use the Top Radius option to create a frustum, which tapers to a planar face. The frustum face is parallel to, and has the same number of sides as, the base. ■ Set the height and rotation of the pyramid. Use the Axis Endpoint option to specify the height and rotation of the pyramid. This endpoint is the top of the pyramid. The axis endpoint can be located anywhere in 3D space. ■ Set the perimeter to be inscribed or circumscribed.
System Variables DIVMESHPYRBASE Sets the number of radial subdivisions between the center of the mesh pyramid base and its perimeter. DIVMESHPYRHEIGHT Sets the number of subdivisions between the base and the top of the mesh pyramid. DIVMESHPYRLENGTH Sets the number of subdivisions along each dimension of a mesh pyramid base. DRAGVS Sets the visual style that is displayed while creating 3D solid and mesh primitives and extruded solids, surfaces, and meshes.
Mesh Sphere Creation Options The Sphere option of the MESH command provides several methods for determining the size and rotation of the mesh spheres you create. ■ Specify three points to set the size and plane of the circumference or radius. Use the 3P (Three Points) option to define the size of the sphere anywhere in 3D space. The three points also define the plane of the circumference. ■ Specify two points to set the circumference or radius.
Create a Mesh Wedge Create a mesh wedge with rectangular or cubical faces. The base of the wedge is drawn parallel to the XY plane of the current UCS with the sloped face opposite the first corner. The height of the wedge is parallel to the Z axis.
Quick Reference Commands MESH Creates a 3D mesh primitive object such as a box, cone, cylinder, pyramid, sphere, wedge, or torus. System Variables DIVMESHWEDGEBASE Sets the number of subdivisions between the midpoint of the perimeter of triangular dimension of the mesh wedge. DIVMESHWEDGEHEIGHT Sets the number of subdivisions for the height of the mesh wedge along the Z axis. DIVMESHWEDGELENGTH Sets the number of subdivisions for the length of a mesh wedge along the X axis.
A mesh torus has two radius values. One value defines the tube. The other value defines the path, which is equivalent to the distance from the center of the torus to the center of the tube. By default, a torus is drawn parallel to and is bisected by the XY plane of the current UCS. A mesh torus can be self-intersecting. A self-intersecting mesh torus has no center hole because the radius of the tube is greater than the radius of the torus.
onto the current UCS. The appearance of tangency is affected by the current level of smoothness. Quick Reference Commands MESH Creates a 3D mesh primitive object such as a box, cone, cylinder, pyramid, sphere, wedge, or torus. System Variables DIVMESHTORUSPATH Sets the number of subdivisions in the path that is swept by the profile of a mesh torus. DIVMESHTORUSSECTION Sets the number of subdivisions in the profile that sweeps the path of a mesh torus.
Types of Meshes Created from Other Objects You can create several types of meshes that are based on existing objects. ■ Ruled mesh. RULESURF creates a mesh that represents the ruled surface between two lines or curves. ■ Tabulated mesh. TABSURF creates a mesh that represents a general tabulated surface. The surface is defined by the extrusion of a line or curve (called a path curve) in a specified direction and distance (called a direction vector or path). ■ Revolved mesh.
■ Edge-defined mesh. EDGESURF creates a mesh approximating a Coons surface patch mesh from four adjoining edges. A Coons surface patch mesh is a bicubic surface that is interpolated between four adjoining edges (which can be general space curves). Create a Ruled Mesh There are several methods for creating meshes. With RULESURF, you create a mesh between two lines or curves.
You can specify any two points on closed curves to complete the operation. For open curves, construction of the ruled mesh is based on the locations of the specified points on the curves. Create a Tabulated Mesh With the TABSURF command, you can create a mesh that represents a general tabulated surface defined by a path curve and a direction vector. The path curve can be a line, arc, circle, ellipse, elliptical arc, 2D polyline, 3D polyline, or spline.
The profile is called a path curve. It can consist of any combination of lines, circles, arcs, ellipses, elliptical arcs, polylines, splines, closed polylines, polygons, closed splines, or donuts. Create an Edge-Defined Mesh With the EDGESURF command, you can create a Coons surface patch mesh, as shown in the following illustration, from four objects called edges. Edges can be arcs, lines, polylines, splines, or elliptical arcs that form a closed loop and share endpoints.
RULESURF Creates a mesh that represents the surface between two lines or curves. TABSURF Creates a mesh from a line or curve that is swept along a straight path. VISUALSTYLES (-VISUALSTYLES) Creates and modifies visual styles and applies a visual style to a viewport. System Variables FACETRATIO Controls the aspect ratio of faceting for cylindrical and conic solids. MESHTYPE Controls the type of mesh that is created by REVSURF, TABSURF, RULESURF and EDGESURF.
SURFV Sets the surface density for PEDIT Smooth in the N direction and the V isolines density on surface objects. Create Meshes by Conversion Convert solids, surfaces, and legacy mesh types to mesh objects. You can use the MESHSMOOTH command to convert certain objects to mesh. Convert 3D solids, surfaces, and legacy mesh objects to the enhanced mesh object in order to take advantage of capabilities such as smoothing, refinement, creasing, and splitting.
■ FACETERGRIDRATIO ■ FACETERMAXEDGELENGTH ■ FACETERMAXGRID ■ FACETERMESHTYPE ■ FACETERMINUGRID ■ FACETERMINVGRID ■ FACETERSMOOTHLEV For example, if the smooth mesh optimized mesh type (FACETERMESHTYPE system variable) results in incorrect conversions, you can set the tessellation shape to be Triangle or Mostly Quads. You also can control the adherence to the original shape by setting the maximum distance offset, angles, aspect ratios, and edge lengths for new faces.
When you select conversion candidates directly from this dialog box, you can preview the results before you accept them. See also: ■ Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh Quick Reference Commands MESHOPTIONS Displays the Mesh Tessellation Options dialog box, which controls default settings for converting existing objects to mesh objects. MESHSMOOTH Converts 3D objects such as polygon meshes, surfaces, and solids to mesh objects.
FACETERMESHTYPE Sets the type of mesh to be created. FACETERMINUGRID Sets the minimum number of U grid lines for solids and surfaces that are converted to mesh. FACETERMINVGRID Sets the minimum number of V grid lines for solids and surfaces that are converted to mesh. FACETERSMOOTHLEV Sets the default level of smoothness for objects that are converted to mesh. Create Custom Mesh (Legacy) Create custom polygon or polyface mesh by specifying vertices.
Create a Rectangular Mesh With the 3DMESH command, you can create polygon meshes that are open in both the M and N directions (like the X and Y axes of an XY plane). In most cases, you can use 3DMESH in conjunction with scripts or AutoLISP routines when you know the mesh points. As you create the mesh, you specify the size of the mesh in the M and N directions. The total number of vertices you specify for the mesh is equal to the M value times the N value.
You can close the meshes with PEDIT. You can use 3DMESH to construct irregular meshes. Example: In the following example of text at the Command prompt, you enter the coordinate values for each vertex to create the mesh in the illustration.
the polyface mesh, you can set specific edges to be invisible, assign them to layers, or give them colors. To make the edge invisible, enter the vertex number as a negative value. For instance, to make the edge between vertices 5 and 7 invisible in the following illustration, you enter the following: Face 3, vertex 3: -7 In the illustration, face 1 is defined by vertices 1, 5, 6, and 2. Face 2 is defined by vertices 1, 4, 3, and 2.
To view the objects you are creating with the 3D command more clearly, set a viewing direction with 3DORBIT, DVIEW, or VPOINT. Quick Reference Commands 3DFACE Creates a three-sided or four-sided surface in 3D space. 3DMESH Creates a free-form polygon mesh. PEDIT Edits polylines and 3D polygon meshes. PFACE Creates a 3D polyface mesh vertex by vertex.
System Variables PFACEVMAX Sets the maximum number of vertices per face. Create Wireframe Models A wireframe model is an edge or skeletal representation of a real-world 3D object using lines and curves. You can specify a wireframe visual style to help you see the overall structure of 3D objects such as solids, surfaces, and meshes. In older drawings, you might also encounter wireframe models that were created using legacy methods.
■ Analyze spatial relationships, including the shortest distance between corners and edges, and checking for interferences ■ Reduce the number of prototypes required The ISOLINES system variable controls the number of tessellation lines used to visualize curved portions of the wireframe. The FACETRES system variable adjusts the smoothness of shaded and hidden-line objects.
arcs. The UCS also determines the plane of operation for trimming and extending, offsetting, and rotating objects. ■ Use object snaps and grid snap carefully to ensure the precision of your model. ■ Use coordinate filters to drop perpendiculars and easily locate points in 3D based on the location of points on other objects. Quick Reference Commands UCS Manages user coordinate systems. XEDGES Creates wireframe geometry from the edges of a 3D solid, surface, mesh, region, or subobject.
The orientation of the UCS when the object was created determines the Z direction. Objects with a non-zero thickness can be shaded and can hide other objects behind them.
See also: ■ Create Solids and Surfaces from Lines and Curves on page 446 Quick Reference Commands ELEV Sets elevation and extrusion thickness of new objects. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. THICKEN Converts a surface into a 3D solid with a specified thickness. System Variables BACKZ Stores the back clipping plane offset from the target plane for the current viewport, in drawing units.
Modify 3D Models 23 Change a 3D solid, surface or mesh with grips and gizmos, editing commands, properties, and by modifying its component subojects. Overview of Modifying 3D Objects 3D modeling tools range from entering precise measurements in the Properties Inspector palette, to more free-form methods such as grip and gizmo editing. Some methods are specific to 3D solids, surfaces or meshes. Other methods are shared.
Similarly, you can convert mesh to 3D solids and surfaces to accomplish some composite object modeling tasks that are available only for those objects. Conversion is often offered as a choice when you start activities that are available only for solids and surfaces. View Your Model from All Angles When you work with any 3D object, you can easily make changes that are not accurately reflected in the current view.
conform to your expectations, make sure you understand and use the following: ■ Manipulate the 3D workplane (UCS). To understand how your model is projected in 3D space, learn how to use the X, Y, and Z axes. For more information, see Specify Workplanes in 3D (UCS). ■ Rotate the view to display the model from different viewpoints. Several navigation tools, including 3D Orbit and the ViewCube tool, are available to help you rotate around your workspace.
By default, gizmos are displayed automatically when you select an object or subobject in a view that has a 3D visual style. Because they constrain modifications along specific planes or axes, gizmos help ensure more predictable results. You can specify which gizmos are displayed when an object is selected, or you can suppress their display. Quick Reference Commands 3DMOVE In a 3D view, displays the 3D Move gizmo to aid in moving 3D objects a specified distance in a specified direction.
GTAUTO Controls whether 3D gizmos are automatically displayed when you select objects before you start a command in a viewport with a 3D visual style. GTDEFAULT Controls whether the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, or 3D Scale operation starts automatically when you start the MOVE, ROTATE, or SCALE command in a viewport with a 3D visual style. GTLOCATION Controls the initial location of the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, or 3D Scale gizmo when you select objects before you start a command in a viewport with a 3D visual style.
For best results, use object snaps to locate the grip center box. Switch Between the Gizmos Whenever you select an object in a 3D view, the default gizmo is displayed. You can select a different default on the ribbon, or change the value of the the DEFAULTGIZMO system variable. You can also suppress the display of gizmos when objects are selected. After the gizmo is active, you can also switch to a different type of gizmo.
3DSCALE command automatically when the MOVE, ROTATE, or SCALE command is started in a 3D view. This system variable is turned off by default. ■ Active status of subobject grips. If you select a subobject on page 1030, the GRIPSUBOBJMODE system variable sets whether the subobject grips are active immediately. Setting subobject grips to be active upon selection helps you modify groups of mesh subobjects without selecting them again.
GTLOCATION Controls the initial location of the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, or 3D Scale gizmo when you select objects before you start a command in a viewport with a 3D visual style. Move 3D Objects Move a selection set of objects and subobjects freely or constrain the movement to an axis or plane. To move 3D objects and subobjects, click and drag the gizmo anywhere in 3D space.
As you drag the cursor, movement of the selected objects and subobjects is constrained to the highlighted axis. You can click or enter a value to specify the distance of the move from the base point. If you enter a value, the movement direction of the object follows the initial direction of the cursor movement. Constrain the Movement to a Plane You can use the Move gizmo to constrain the movement to a plane. Each plane is identified by a rectangle that extends from the respective axis handles.
Quick Reference Commands 3DMOVE In a 3D view, displays the 3D Move gizmo to aid in moving 3D objects a specified distance in a specified direction. System Variables DEFAULTGIZMO Sets the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, or 3D Scale gizmo as the default during subobject selection. Rotate 3D Objects Constrain the rotation of 3D objects and subobjects to an axis. After you select the objects and subobjects that you want to rotate, the gizmo is located at the center of the selection set.
You then rotate the objects freely by dragging outside the gizmo. You can also specify an axis about which to constrain the rotation. If you want to realign the center of rotation, you can relocate the gizmo by using the Relocate Gizmo option on the shortcut menu. Constrain the Rotation to an Axis You can constrain the rotation to a specified axis. As you move the cursor over the rotation paths on the 3D rotate gizmo, a vector line representing the axis of rotation is displayed.
Quick Reference Commands 3DROTATE In a 3D view, displays the 3D Rotate gizmo to aid in revolving 3D objects around a base point. System Variables DEFAULTGIZMO Sets the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, or 3D Scale gizmo as the default during subobject selection. Scale 3D Objects Change the size of 3D objects uniformly or along a specified axis or plane.
When you drag the cursor, the selected objects and subobjects are resized along the specified axis. Click or enter a value to specify the scale from the selected base point. Scale a 3D Object Along a Plane Constrain the mesh object scaling to a specified plane. Each plane is identified by a bar that extends from the outer ends of the respective axis handles. Specify the plane of scale by moving the cursor over one of the bars. When the bar turns yellow, click it.
As you drag the cursor, the selected objects and subobjects are scaled only along the highlighted plane. Click or enter a value to specify the scale from the selected base point. Scale a 3D Object Uniformly Scale solid, surface, and mesh objects uniformly along all axes. As you move the cursor toward the center point of the gizmo, a highlighted triangular area indicates that you can click to scale the selected objects and subobjects along all three axes.
As you drag the cursor, the selected objects and subobjects are scaled uniformly. Click or enter a value to specify the scale from the selected base point. Quick Reference Commands 3DSCALE In a 3D view, displays the 3D Scale gizmo to aid in resizing 3D objects. System Variables DEFAULTGIZMO Sets the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, or 3D Scale gizmo as the default during subobject selection. Use Grips to Modify Solids and Surfaces Use grips to change the shape and size of solids and surfaces.
Select Subobjects To select a face, edge, or vertex of a 3D object, press and hold Ctrl as you select the object. (If you have set a subobject filter, you do not need to hold Ctrl first.) Selected subobjects display different types of grips, depending on the subobject type. You can select one or more subobjects on any number of 3D objects. The selection set can include more than one type of subobject.
If you set a subobject selection filter on page 564, you can select the face, edge, or vertex by clicking it once. Quick Reference Commands DSETTINGS Sets grid and snap, polar and object snap tracking, object snap modes, and Dynamic Input. ERASE Removes objects from a drawing. MOVE Moves objects a specified distance in a specified direction. ROTATE Rotates objects around a base point. SCALE Enlarges or reduces selected objects, keeping the proportions of the object the same after scaling.
GRIPOBJLIMIT Suppresses the display of grips when the selection set includes more than the specified number of objects. GRIPS Controls the display of grips on selected objects. GRIPSIZE Sets the size of the grip box in pixels. GRIPSUBOBJMODE Controls whether grips are automatically made hot when subobjects are selected. LEGACYCTRLPICK SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE Filters whether faces, edges, vertices or solid history subobjects are highlighted when you roll over them.
Turn on the Subobject Selection Filter Selecting a specific type of subobject can be difficult on complex objects, such as meshes. You can limit the selection to a face, edge, vertex, or history subobject by setting a subobject selection filter. When a subobject selection filter is on, you do not need to press and hold Ctrl to select the face, edge, or vertex of a 3D model. However, you need to turn off the filter to select the entire object.
MOVE Moves objects a specified distance in a specified direction. ROTATE Rotates objects around a base point. SCALE Enlarges or reduces selected objects, keeping the proportions of the object the same after scaling. SELECT Places selected objects in the Previous selection set. SOLIDEDIT Edits faces and edges of 3D solid objects. System Variables GRIPHOVER Controls the fill color of an unselected grip when the cursor pauses over it.
Use Grips to Edit 3D Solids and Surfaces Use grips to change the size and shape of some individual solids and surfaces. The method you use to manipulate the 3D solid or surface depends on the type of object and the method used to create it. NOTE For mesh objects, only the center grip is displayed. However you can edit mesh objects with the 3D Move, Rotate, or Scale gizmos. Primitive Solid Forms and Polysolids You can drag grips to change the shape and size of primitive solids and polysolids.
When you click and drag a grip on the profile, the changes are constrained to the plane of the profile curve. Lofted Solids and Surfaces Depending on how a lofted solid or surface was created, the solid or surface displays grips on the following, defining lines or curves: ■ Cross section ■ Path Drag grips on any of the defining lines or curves to modify the shape. If the lofted object contains a path, you can only edit the portion of the path that is between the first and last cross sections.
A grip is also displayed at the axis of revolution endpoint. You can relocate the axis of revolution by dragging the grip to another location. See also: ■ Create Solids on page 461 ■ Create a Solid Cone on page 467 Quick Reference Commands EXTRUDE Creates a 3D solid or surface by extending the dimensions of an object. SELECT Places selected objects in the Previous selection set. System Variables GRIPHOVER Controls the fill color of an unselected grip when the cursor pauses over it.
GRIPSIZE Sets the size of the grip box in pixels. GRIPSUBOBJMODE Controls whether grips are automatically made hot when subobjects are selected. Modify 3D Subobjects Modify the shape of a 3D solid or surface by editing its subobjects (faces, edges, and vertices). Move, Rotate, and Scale 3D Subobjects Move, rotate, and scale individual subobjects on 3D solids and surfaces.
Move, Rotate, and Scale Subobjects on Composite Solids When you modify composite solids, the effect of the edits depends on the current setting of the History property. ■ To modify subobjects of each history component separately, the History property must be set to Record (On). ■ To modify subobjects of the combined composite solid as a whole, the History property must be set to None (Off).
the modification is not possible because it changes the topology of the solid too severely. ■ If the modification causes spline surfaces to be extended, the operation is often unsuccessful. ■ You cannot move, rotate, or scale non-manifold edges (edges that are shared by more than two faces) or non-manifold vertices. Also, if some non-manifold edges or vertices are present near faces, edges, and vertices that you modify, the operation might not be possible.
Modify Faces on 3D Objects Modify individual faces on 3D objects using a variety of methods. Move, Rotate, and Scale Faces on 3D Solids and Surfaces Modify the location, rotation, and size of faces on a 3D solids and surfaces. cube with top face moved, rotated, and scaled Use the MOVE, ROTATE, and SCALE commands to modify faces just as you would with any other object. Press and hold Ctrl while you select a face on a solid.
Ctrl). However, the adjacent planar faces are triangulated (divided into two or more planar triangular faces), if necessary. If you press and release Ctrl a third time, the modification returns to the first option, as if you had not pressed Ctrl. Quick Reference Commands MOVE Moves objects a specified distance in a specified direction. ROTATE Rotates objects around a base point. SCALE Enlarges or reduces selected objects, keeping the proportions of the object the same after scaling.
Enter, the original selection point is used as a base point. The next point is the point of displacement. If a face is surrounded by coplanar faces, you can delete it using the following methods: ■ Select the face and press Delete. ■ Select the face and enter erase. ■ Use the Delete option of the SOLIDEDIT command. Color a Faces You can modify the color of a face on a 3D solid by selecting the face and then changing the Color property in the Properties Inspector palette.
Move, Rotate, and Scale Edges Move, rotate, and scale the edges on 3D solids and surfaces using grips, gizmos, and commands. cubes with edges moved, rotated, and scaled You can use MOVE, ROTATE, and SCALE to modify edges on 3D solids and surfaces just as you can for any other object. Press and hold Ctrl to select the edge. If you move, rotate, or scale an edge on a 3D solid primitive, the history of the solid primitive is removed.
■ Maintain length of edge. When you move, rotate, or scale an edge without pressing Ctrl, the shared length of the edge and its vertices is maintained. However, the planes of the adjacent faces adjacent might be changed. ■ Change the length of the edge. When you move, rotate, or scale an edge and press and release Ctrl once while dragging, the edge is modified without its vertices. The surfaces of the adjacent faces are maintained, but the length of the modified edge might change.
Use the fillet and chamfer grips to modify the fillet radius or the chamfer distance. The default fillet radius is set by the FILLETRAD3D system variable. Color Edges You can modify the color of an edge on a 3D object by selecting the edge and changing the Color property in the Properties Inspector. Copy Edges You can copy individual edges on a 3D solid object. Edges are copied as lines, arcs, circles, ellipses, or splines.
■ Resize or Reshape Objects on page 341 ■ Overview of Modifying Meshes on page 610 Quick Reference Commands EDGE Changes the visibility of 3D face edges. CHAMFER Bevels the edges of objects. FILLET Rounds and fillets the edges of objects. MOVE Moves objects a specified distance in a specified direction. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. ROTATE Rotates objects around a base point. SCALE Enlarges or reduces selected objects, keeping the proportions of the object the same after scaling.
wedge with two vertices moved You can modify the form of a 3D solid or surface by modifying one or more vertices. Use grips and gizmos, or run the MOVE, ROTATE, or SCALE command. When you scale or rotate vertices, you must select two or more vertices to see a change in the object. Clicking and dragging a vertex “stretches” the 3D object. If you move, rotate, or scale one or more vertices on a 3D solid primitive, the solid primitive history is removed.
■ Modify some adjacent faces without triangulation. When you move, rotate, or scale a vertex and press and release Ctrl once, some adjacent planar faces might be adjusted. If you press and release Ctrl a second time, the modification returns to the first option, as if you had not pressed Ctrl. Delete a Vertex You can delete a vertex that connects two parallel edges that are collinear and do not intersect on any other edges.
Display Original Forms of Composite Solids By default, 3D composite objects retain a history that displays an editable image of their original component forms. Retain the History of the Composite Components After you create a composite object, you can modify the shape of the new object by modifying a highlighted wireframe image of its original components. If the Show History property is Yes (On), wireframes of the original forms—including forms that have been removed—are displayed in a dimmed state.
Removing a composite history is useful when you work with complex composite solids. After you create the initial complex form, set History to None (Off) to remove the history. Then reset the value to Record (On). With this process, you can create a complex composite object, and then reset it to serve as a base form for additional composite operations.
You can move, scale, or rotate a selected composite object using grips or gizmos. Modify Original Components of Composites When the History property is set to Record (On), press the Ctrl key to display any original forms that were removed during a union, subtract, or intersect operation. If the original, removed form was a solid primitive, you can drag the displayed grips to change its shape and size. As a result, the composite object is modified.
Separate Discrete Objects Combined with a Union If you have combined discrete 3D solids or surfaces using a union operation, you can separate them into their original components. (Use the Separate option of the SOLIDEDIT command.) Composite objects cannot overlap or share a common area or volume to be separated. After separation, the individual solids retain their original layers and colors. All nested 3D solid objects are restored to their simplest forms.
Continuously tangent faces are treated as a single face when they are offset. Quick Reference Commands SOLIDEDIT Edits faces and edges of 3D solid objects. Clean and Check 3D Solids Remove redundant faces, edges, and vertices from a 3D solid, and verify whether the 3D solid is valid. You can remove redundant edges or vertices that share the same surface or vertex definition. This operation merges adjacent faces and deletes all redundant edges, including imprinted and unused edges.
Quick Reference Commands SOLIDEDIT Edits faces and edges of 3D solid objects. System Variables SOLIDCHECK Turns 3D solid validation on and off for the current session. Press or Pull Bounded Areas Create a positive or negative extrusion in the shape of a bounded area. Press in or pull out bounded, or closed, areas to create 3D holes and positive extrusions.
In combination with imprinted faces, you can form complex shapes using press or pull operations to create extrusions and notches. Methods for Press and Pull Modifications With the PRESSPULL command, you specify the area to be extruded, and then move the cursor or enter a value to specify the length of the extrusion. The result is a single 3D solid object, often with a composite shape. NOTE If you alternatively use EXTRUDE to extend an existing face on a 3D solid, a separate extruded object is created.
With the IMPRINT command, you can add a new face to a 3D solid by imprinting a coplanar object that overlaps the selected face. Imprinting provides additional edges that you can modify to reshape the solid object. For example, if a circle overlaps the face of a box, you can imprint the intersecting curves on the solid. You can delete or retain the original object as you imprint it.
Quick Reference Commands IMPRINT Imprints 2D geometry on a 3D solid or surface, creating additional edges on planar faces. Modify Properties of 3D Solid, Surface, and Mesh Modify 3D objects by changing their settings in the Properties Inspector palette. 3D solids, surfaces, and meshes, and their subobjects can be modified in the Properties Inspector palette.
Modify Surface Objects by Changing Properties Surface objects have additional properties that are not found in 3D solid or mesh objects. The properties differ depending on the type of surface (NURBS, blend, patch, network, offset, fillet, chamfer, extend, loft, extrude, sweep, planar, or revolve).
Modify Mesh Objects by Changing Properties Mesh objects have additional properties that control the level of smoothness and creases. Crease properties of face, edge, and vertex subobjects are also reflected in the Properties Inspector palette. ■ Level of Smoothness. Smooths or sharpens the edges of a mesh object. ■ Crease Type. Specifies the presence of a crease (or sharpened edge) and the effect of smoothing. Smoothing does not affect a crease with a value of Always.
Modify 3D Subobject Properties In addition to solids, surfaces, and meshes, you can also use the Properties Inspector palette to modify the properties of individual subobjects, such as faces, edges, and vertices. Different properties are available for different types of subobjects. In some cases, the application of properties can differ depending on the object type. For example, you can modify the properties of mesh faces, including their color.
System Variables FILLETRAD Stores the current fillet radius for 2D objects. FILLETRAD3D Stores the current fillet radius for 3D objects. LOFTANG1 Sets the draft angle through the first cross section in a loft operation. LOFTANG2 Sets the draft angle through the last cross section in a loft operation. LOFTMAG1 Sets the magnitude of the draft angle through the first cross section in a loft operation. LOFTMAG2 Sets the magnitude of the draft angle through the last cross section in a loft operation.
■ Extend Surfaces ■ Fillet Surfaces Overview of Modifying Surfaces | 595
■ Edit NURBS Surfaces Trim and Untrim Surfaces Trim and untrim surfaces to meet the edges of other objects. An important step in the surface modeling workflow is trimming surfaces. You can trim a surface where it meets an intersecting object or you can project geometry onto a surface as a trimming edge. When a surface is trimmed, the removed surface areas can be replaced with SURFUNTRIM.
NOTE SURFUNTRIM does not restore areas removed by the SURFAUTOTRIM system variable and PROJECTGEOMETRY. It only restores areas trimmed with SURFTRIM. The Properties Inspector palette indicates if the surface contains any trimmed edges. Projecting Geometry onto Surfaces, Solids, and Regions Similar to projecting a movie onto a screen, you can project geometry onto 3D solids, surfaces, and regions from different directions to create trimming edges.
PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. SURFTRIM Trims portions of a surface where it meets another surface or type of geometry. SURFUNTRIM Replaces surface areas removed by the SURFTRIM command. VISUALSTYLES (-VISUALSTYLES) Creates and modifies visual styles and applies a visual style to a viewport. System Variables 3DOSMODE Controls the settings for the 3D object snaps.
Quick Reference Commands PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. SURFEXTEND Lengthens a surface by a specified distance. Fillet a Surface Create a new transition surface that fillets an area between two existing surfaces or regions. Create a tangent surface between two surfaces or regions with a constant radius profile. The original surfaces will trim to meet the fillet surface. By default, the fillet surface uses the radius value set in the FILLETRAD3D system variable.
Edit NURBS Surfaces Change the shape of NURBS surfaces and curves by using the 3D Edit Bar or by editing control vertices. Use the Control Vertices Edit Bar (3DEDITBAR) to drag and reshape surfaces. A second way to edit NURBS surfaces is to drag and edit the control vertices directly. Press and hold Shift to select multiple control vertices. Use CVSHOW to display the control vertices for both NURBS surfaces and curves.
Quick Reference Commands 3DEDITBAR Reshapes, scales, and edits the tangency of NURBS surfaces. CONVTONURBS Converts 3D solids and surfaces into NURBS surfaces. CVSHOW Displays the control vertices for specified NURBS surfaces or curves. CVADD Adds control vertices to NURBS surfaces and splines. CVHIDE Turns off the display of control vertices for all NURBS surfaces and curves. CVREBUILD Rebuilds the shape of NURBS surfaces and curves. CVREMOVE Removes control vertices from NURBS surfaces and curves.
Quick Reference Commands CONVTONURBS CVSHOW Displays the control vertices for specified NURBS surfaces or curves. CVADD Adds control vertices to NURBS surfaces and splines. CVHIDE Turns off the display of control vertices for all NURBS surfaces and curves. CVREBUILD Rebuilds the shape of NURBS surfaces and curves. CVREMOVE Removes control vertices from NURBS surfaces and curves. Analyze Surfaces Surface analysis tools check the continuity, curvature and draft angles of surfaces.
■ Curvature Analysis on page 608 - Evaluates areas of high and low surface curvature by displaying a color gradient. ■ Draft Analysis on page 609 - Evaluates whether a model has adequate draft between a part and its mold.
NOTE Analysis tools only work in the 3D visual styles; they will not work in 2D. Quick Reference Commands ANALYSISCURVATURE Displays a color gradient onto a surface to evaluate different aspects of its curvature. ANALYSISDRAFT Displays a color gradient onto a 3D model to evaluate whether there is adequate space between a part and its mold. ANALYSISOPTIONS Sets the display options for zebra, curvature, and draft analysis. ANALYSISZEBRA Projects stripes onto a 3D model to analyze surface continuity.
System Variables VSACURVATUREHIGH Sets the value at which a surface displays as green during curvature analysis (ANALYSISCURVATURE). VSACURVATURELOW Sets the value at which a surface displays as blue during curvature analysis (ANALYSISCURVATURE). VSACURVATURETYPE Controls which type of curvature analysis is used with the (ANALYSISCURVATURE). VSADRAFTANGLEHIGH Sets the value at which a model displays as green during draft analysis (ANALYSISDRAFT).
Analyze Surface Continuity with Zebra Analysis The zebra analysis tool projects stripes onto a surface so that you can inspect the continuity between surfaces. Surface continuity is a measure of how smoothly two surfaces flow into each other. A car hood, for example, can be composed of multiple small surfaces that appear to be one because of the smoothness of the surface continuity. NOTE Analysis tools only work in the 3D visual styles; they will not work in 2D.
■ G2 Curvature. The position, tangency, and curvature of the surface edges is the same. This indicates G2 (G0 + G1 + G2 or position + tangency + curvature). The stripes line up, but they do not veer away from each other at sharp curves (because they share the same curvature). This distinction is subtle and a little harder to discern from G1 continuity. Quick Reference Commands ANALYSISOPTIONS Sets the display options for zebra, curvature, and draft analysis.
System Variables VSAZEBRACOLOR1 Sets the first color of the zebra stripes displayed during zebra analysis (ANALYSISZEBRA). VSAZEBRACOLOR2 Sets the second (contrasting) color of the zebra stripes displayed during zebra analysis (ANALYSISZEBRA). VSAZEBRADIRECTION Controls whether zebra stripes display horizontally, vertically, or at an angle during zebra analysis (ANALYSISBRA). VSAZEBRASIZE Controls the width of the zebra stripes displayed during zebra analysis (ANALYSISZEBRA).
Quick Reference Commands ANALYSISCURVATURE Displays a color gradient onto a surface to evaluate different aspects of its curvature. ANALYSISOPTIONS Sets the display options for zebra, curvature, and draft analysis. System Variables VSACURVATUREHIGH Sets the value at which a surface displays as green during curvature analysis (ANALYSISCURVATURE). VSACURVATURELOW Sets the value at which a surface displays as blue during curvature analysis (ANALYSISCURVATURE).
ANALYSISOPTIONS Sets the display options for zebra, curvature, and draft analysis. System Variables VSADRAFTANGLEHIGH Sets the value at which a model displays as green during draft analysis (ANALYSISDRAFT). VSADRAFTANGLELOW Sets the value at which a model displays as blue during draft analysis (ANALYSISDRAFT). Modify Mesh Objects Model mesh objects by changing smoothing levels, refining specific areas, or adding creases.
NOTE The capabilities described in this section apply only to mesh objects created in AutoCAD 2010 and later. They cannot be used with legacy polyface or polygon mesh. About Mesh Faces Mesh objects are composed of faces and facets.
Faces are non-overlapping units that—along with their edges and vertices—form the basic editable units of a mesh object. When you move, rotate, and scale individual mesh faces, surrounding faces are stretched and deformed in order to avoid introducing gaps. When gaps occur, you can often close them by smoothing the object or refining individual faces. About Mesh Facets Mesh faces have underlying structures, known as facets. The density of the facet grid corresponds to the smoothness of the mesh.
also resets the lowest level of smoothness that can be applied to the object (MESHREFINE). ■ Refine a face. Restrict the refinement to a specific mesh face. This method avoids resetting the smoothness baseline. ■ Crease an edge. Remove the smoothness from specified edges. You can also remove an existing crease (MESHCREASE). ■ Split or merge faces. Divide an existing face into separate components along a specified path. Merge two or more faces to create a single face (MESHSPLIT MESHMERGE).
Because dense meshes can be difficult to work with, you can change settings to improve the display and behavior of grips. ■ Set the subobject selection filter to select only faces, edges, or vertices: Set the DEFAULTGIZMO system variable or use the shortcut menu. ■ Set whether a grip on a face, edge, or vertex is active immediately when you select the subobject: Set the GRIPSUBOBJMODE system variable.
MESHSPIN Spins the adjoining edge of two triangular mesh faces. MESHSPLIT Splits a mesh face into two faces. MESHUNCREASE Removes the crease from selected mesh faces, edges, or vertices. System Variables DEFAULTGIZMO Sets the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, or 3D Scale gizmo as the default during subobject selection. GRIPSUBOBJMODE Controls whether grips are automatically made hot when subobjects are selected. VSLIGHTINGQUALITY Sets the lighting quality in the current viewport.
Increase or Decrease Smoothness As you work, you can increase and decrease the level of smoothness. The differences are apparent both in the wireframe and conceptual visual styles and in the rendered output.
The lowest level of smoothness, or baseline, is 0. By default, Level 0 has no smoothness. You can increase the smoothness of any mesh object up to the current limits. However, you cannot decrease the smoothness of a mesh object whose level of smoothness is zero. If you have added creases to a mesh object, the effect of smoothing differs, depending on the crease setting. The effect of creases added to mesh that has no smoothness (Level 0) is not apparent until the mesh is smoothed.
Dense meshes can result in subobjects that are difficult to select and edit. They can also affect performance. Therefore you might want to set limits that prevent the mesh from becoming too dense. ■ Maximum level of smoothness at which a grid is displayed (SMOOTHMESHGRID). Displays the effects of modeling without the complexity of the underlying facet grid. The default smoothness level is 3. The tessellation display becomes increasingly dense until the maximum level is exceeded.
Refine Mesh Objects or Subobjects Refine a mesh object or subobject to convert underlying facets to editable faces. You can refine any mesh that has a level of smoothness of 1 or higher. Refine a Mesh Object and Reset the Baseline Refining an object increases the number of editable faces by converting the underlying facets to faces. The number of resulting faces depends on the current level of smoothness. Higher smoothness levels result in a higher number of faces after refinement.
Refining a mesh face does not affect the overall smoothing level of the mesh object. Unlike a refined mesh object, refined faces can be refined again immediately. With mesh face refinement, you can target smaller areas for detailed modeling. How Refinement Affects Creases A crease that is set to Always retains its sharpness no matter how much you smooth or refine the object. However, the behavior is different when you assign a crease value.
Quick Reference Commands MESHREFINE Multiplies the number of faces in selected mesh objects or faces. Add Creases to Mesh Add creases to sharpen mesh edges. You can add creases to mesh objects that have a smoothing level of 1 or higher. Add Creases to Different Subobjects The result of creasing differs, depending on what type of subobject you select. ■ Edge. The selected edge is sharpened. The adjacent faces are deformed to accommodate the new crease angle. ■ Face.
retained, even when the mesh is repeatedly smoothed. Higher crease values ensure that the crease is retained through several smoothing processes. (During smoothing, the assigned crease value is decreased by the value of the original level of smoothing.) You can add a crease to mesh that has not been smoothed. However, the effect is not visible unless you smooth the object. Remove a Crease You can restore a crease to a smoothed state that corresponds to the smoothing level for the object.
Because you specify the start point and end point of the split, this method also gives you control over the shape of the two new faces. Use the Vertex option to snap automatically to the vertices of the face. If you plan to split a face to create—and then spin the edge of—two triangular faces (MESHSPIN), use the Vertex option to ensure precision. Extrude Mesh Faces You can add definition to a 3D object by extruding a mesh face. Extruding other types of objects creates a separate 3D solid object.
You cannot create joined extrusions for mesh faces in which only the vertices are shared. For more information about extrusion, see Create a Solid or Surface by Extruding on page 450. Reconfigure Adjacent Mesh Faces You can extend your editing options by reconfiguring adjacent faces. Several options are available: ■ Merge adjacent faces. Combine adjacent faces to form a single face. Merging works best with faces that are on the same plane.
■ Spin edges of triangular faces. Rotate an edge that is shared by two triangular faces. The shared edge spins to extend from the opposite vertices. This activity works best when the adjoined triangles form a rectangular, not a triangular, shape. See also: ■ Tips for Working with Mesh on page 627 ■ Create a Solid or Surface by Extruding on page 450 Quick Reference Commands MESHCOLLAPSE Merges the vertices of selected mesh faces or edges. MESHEXTRUDE Extends a mesh face into 3D space.
MESHSPLIT Splits a mesh face into two faces. Create and Close Mesh Gaps Delete mesh faces or close gaps in mesh objects. Remove Mesh Faces You can press Delete or use the ERASE command to remove mesh faces. The removal leaves a gap in the mesh. ■ Deleting a face removes only the face. ■ Deleting an edge removes each adjacent face. ■ Deleting a vertex removes all faces that are shared by the vertex.
If removal of a mesh face creates a gap, the mesh object is not “watertight.” It can be converted to a surface object, but not to a 3D solid object. Close Gaps in Mesh Objects If a mesh object is not watertight due to gaps, or holes, in the mesh, you can make it watertight by closing the holes. The cap, or new face, spans the boundary formed by the mesh edges that you specify (MESHCAP). This process works best when all edges are on the same plane.
Mesh, with its enhanced modeling capabilities, offers a way to create more fluid, free-form designs. Keep these tips in mind as you work. Model mesh before you smooth it. Mesh modeling is a powerful way to design, but higher levels of smoothness increase complexity and can affect performance. You can work more efficiently if you complete editing operations such as gizmo editing, extrusion, and face splitting, on mesh objects that have not been smoothed. (That is, their level of smoothness is 0.
mesh box, refined mesh box, and mesh box with one face refined Refining individual faces does not reset the level of smoothness for the object. Crease edges to help limit distortion when the object is smoothed. Creased edges can be set to maintain their sharpness, no matter how much the object is smoothed. You may also need to crease the edges in surrounding faces to obtain the result you want.
For example, you can rotate and scale an individual face using the 3D Move, Rotate, and Scale gizmos. By constraining the modifications to a specified axis or plane, gizmos help you avoid unexpected results. The default gizmo is displayed whenever you select an object in a view that uses a 3D visual style. (You can also suppress this display.) Therefore, you do not have to explicitly start the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, or 3D Scale command to initiate these activities. You just need to select an object.
In order to select the entire mesh object, you need to turn off the subselection filters. Model by extruding faces. A key difference between gizmo editing and extrusion occurs in the way each face is modified. With gizmo editing, if you select and drag a set of faces, adjacent faces are stretched to accommodate the modification. When the object is smoothed, the adjacent faces adapt to the new location of the face.
Convert between mesh and 3D solids or surfaces. Mesh modeling is powerful, but it cannot do everything that solid modeling can do. If you need to edit mesh objects through intersection, subtraction, or union, you can convert mesh to 3D solid or surface objects. Similarly, if you need to apply creasing or smoothing to 3D solid or surface objects, you can convert those objects to mesh. Keep in mind that not all conversions retain complete fidelity to the shape of the original object.
mesh wedge with front faces dragged past the back faces Mesh objects that cannot be converted to solids can often be converted to surfaces instead. Avoid merging faces that wrap a corner When you merge faces, you can create a mesh configuration in which the merged face wraps a corner. If a resulting face has a vertex that has two edges and two faces, you cannot convert the mesh to a smooth 3D solid object.
One way to resolve this problem is to convert the mesh to a faceted solid instead of a smooth solid. You might also be able to repair the problem by splitting the adjacent faces, starting at the shared vertex (MESHSPLIT).
Create Sections and 2D Drawings from 3D Models 24 Create cross sections, cutting planes, flattened views, and 2D drawings of 3D objects. Work with Sections Create cross sections of 3D models. Overview of Section Objects Create a section plane that can be modified and moved to achieve the cross section view that you need. With the SECTIONPLANE command, you can create one or more section objects and place them throughout a 3D model (3D solids, surfaces, or mesh).
Store Properties in Section Lines The section plane contains a section line that stores section object properties. You can create multiple section objects to store different properties. For example, one section object can display a hatch pattern at the section plane intersection. Another section object can display a specific linetype for the boundary of the intersected area.
Save and Share Section Images After you create a sectional view, you can generate an accurate 2D or 3D block from the 3D model. These blocks can be analyzed or checked for clearances and interference conditions. They can also be dimensioned, or used as wireframe or rendered illustrations in documentation and presentation drawings. Quick Reference Commands LIVESECTION Turns on live sectioning for a selected section object.
Section object aligned to face Create a Straight Cutting Plane Pick two points to create a straight cutting plane. Add a Jogged Segment The section plane can be a straight line or it can have multiple or jogged sections. For example, a section containing a jog is one that cuts away a pie slice-shaped wedge from a cylinder. Create a section line that has jogged segments by using the Draw Section option of SECTIONPLANE to pick multiple points throughout the 3D model.
Section object with jogged segment Create Orthographic Sections You can align section objects to a specified orthographic orientation of the current UCS, such as front, back, bottom, top, left, or right. Orthographic section planes are placed so that they pass through the center of the 3D extents of all 3D objects in the drawing. Create a Region to Represent the Cross Section With the SECTION command, you can create a 2D region object that represents a planar cross section through a 3D solid object.
Define the plane of the cross section using one of the following methods: ■ Specify three points ■ Specify a 2D object such as a circle, ellipse, arc, spline, or polyline ■ Specify a view ■ Specify the Z axis ■ Specify the XY, YZ, or ZX plane The new region that represents the cross-sectional plane is placed on the current layer. NOTE Before you apply hatching to the cross-sectional cutting plane, align the UCS with the cutting plane.
Add Jogs to a Section Add jogs, or angular segments, to existing section lines. You can create a section plane that has multiple segments (jogs), using the Draw Section option of the SECTIONPLANE command. You can also add a jog to an existing section plane by selecting the section you want to add a job to and then right-clicking. From the shortcut menu, click Add Jog to Section (SECTIONPLANEJOG).
What Is Live Sectioning? Live sectioning is an analytical tool for viewing cut geometry in a 3D solid, surface, or region. You can use live sectioning to analyze a model by moving the section object through the object. For example, sliding the section object through an engine assembly helps you visualize its internal components. You can use this method to create a cross section view that you can save or reuse.
the Draw Section option of the SECTIONPLANE command, live sectioning is turned off. Live sectioning can be manually turned on or off after a section object is created. A drawing can contain multiple section objects. However, live sectioning can only be active for one section object at a time. Suppose that your model has two sections objects: Section A and Section B.
Grips allow you to adjust the location, length, width, and height of the cutting area. ■ Base grip. Acts as the basepoint for moving, scaling, and rotating the section object. It is always adjacent to the Menu grip. ■ Second grip. Rotates the section object around the base grip. ■ Menu grip. Displays a menu of section object states, which control the display of visual information about the cutting plane. ■ Direction grip. Controls the viewing direction of the 2D section.
Quick Reference Commands SECTIONPLANE Creates a section object that acts as a cutting plane through 3D objects. System Variables GRIPSIZE Sets the size of the grip box in pixels. Set Section Object States and Properties Set the display of the section object. Set Section Object States Section objects have the following display states: ■ Section Plane. The section line and transparent section plane indicator are displayed. The cutting plane extends infinitely in all directions. ■ Section Boundary.
Set Section Object Properties Section objects have properties like other AutoCAD objects. Properties are stored in the section line and can be accessed in the Properties Inspector. For each section object, you can change the name, layer, and linetype. You can also change the color and transparency of the section plane indicator (the cutting plane). Quick Reference Commands PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects.
Quick Reference Commands SECTIONPLANE Creates a section object that acts as a cutting plane through 3D objects. VIEW Save and Publish Section Objects Save a section object as a block or publish it. Save Sections as Blocks or Drawings Save the representation of the cross-sectional area where a section object intersects a 3D model as a block. Save Sections as Blocks or Drawings You can save the section objects you create as blocks.
For example, suppose your project requires 2D elevation drawings or 2D cross sections. The 2D Section / Elevation option creates an accurate block representation that is ready for dimensioning. To publish or render a cutaway of the 3D model, select the 3D Section option. 3D section geometry consists of mostly 3D solids and surfaces. However, profile outlines and hatch patterns consist of 2D lines.
■ Save section block components on separate layers. By default, section block components such as intersection boundary, intersection fill, background lines, cutaway geometry, and curve tangency lines are saved on Layer 0. However, you can separate the components of saved section blocks onto separate layers with a suffix or prefix that you specify. Assigning a suffix or prefix helps you organize the block components into layers that you can sort and identify quickly.
If you want to render a 3D cutaway, save the cutaway section as a 3D block and render the block reference. Print Section Objects When a section object is in a Section Boundary or Section Volume state, displayed lines cannot be printed. The section plane indicator is printed as if it were transparent. However, it does not have the same visual quality that it has when it is rendered. If you do not want to plot the section line, place the section object on a layer that is turned off.
The process is like taking a photograph of the entire 3D model and then laying the photograph flat. This feature is useful for creating technical illustrations. The flatshot process works only in model space. Start by setting up the view you want, including orthographic or parallel views. All 3D objects in the model space viewport are captured. Therefore, be sure to place the objects you do not want captured on layers that are turned off or frozen.
Quick Reference Commands FLATSHOT Creates a 2D representation of all 3D objects based on the current view. SOLPROF Creates 2D profile images of 3D solids for display in a layout viewport. SOLDRAW Generates profiles and sections in layout viewports created with SOLVIEW. SOLVIEW Creates orthographic views, layers, and layout viewports automatically for 3D solids.
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Work with Annotations 25 When you annotate your drawings, you can use certain tools and properties to make working with annotations easier. Overview of Annotations Annotations are notes or other types of explanatory symbols or objects that are commonly used to add information to your drawing.
■ Blocks ■ Attributes Quick Reference Commands ATTDEF Creates an attribute definition for storing data in a block. BLOCK Creates a block definition from selected objects. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. HATCH Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern, solid fill, or gradient fill. MLEADERSTYLE Creates and modifies multileader styles. MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. OBJECTSCALE Adds or deletes supported scales for annotative objects.
Overview of Scaling Annotations Objects that are commonly used to annotate drawings have a property called . This property allows you to automate the process of scaling annotations so that they plot or display at the correct size on the paper. Instead of creating multiple annotations at different sizes and on separate layers, you can turn on the annotative property by object or by style, and set the annotation scale for model or layout viewports.
Quick Reference Commands OBJECTSCALE Adds or deletes supported scales for annotative objects. System Variables ANNOAUTOSCALE Updates annotative objects to support the annotation scale when the annotation scale is changed. CANNOSCALE Sets the name of the current annotation scale for the current space. CANNOSCALEVALUE Returns the value of the current annotation scale. MSLTSCALE Scales linetypes displayed on the model tab by the annotation scale.
You can use the ANNOAUTOSCALE system variable to update annotative objects to support the current scale automatically when the annotation scale is changed. ANNOAUTOSCALE is turned off by default to keep file size down and improve performance. When ANNOAUTOSCALE is off, this button is displayed this way on the right side of the status bar. Use the CANNOSCALE system variable to set a default annotation scale setting.
Create Annotative Objects Objects that are commonly used to annotate drawings have a property called . When the Annotative property for these objects is turned on (set to Yes), these objects are called annotative objects Overview of Creating Annotative Objects When you add annotations to your drawing, you can turn on the property for those objects.
Visual Fidelity for Annotative Objects When working with objects, this option allows you to maintain visual fidelity for these objects when they are viewed in AutoCAD 2007 and earlier releases. Visual fidelity is controlled by the SAVEFIDELITY system variable. If you work primarily in model space, it is recommended that you turn off visual fidelity (set SAVEFIDELITY to 0).
DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. HATCH Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern, solid fill, or gradient fill. MLEADERSTYLE Creates and modifies multileader styles. MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. TEXT Creates a single-line text object. Work with Annotative Styles You can minimize the steps to annotate a drawing by using annotative styles. Annotative text, dimension, and multileader styles create objects.
When you change the Style property of an existing object (whether it’s annotative or non-annotative), the object’s annotative properties will match that of the new style. If the style does not have a fixed height (the Text Height value is 0), the paper height of the object is calculated based on the object’s current height and the annotation scale.
The current automatically determines the display size of the text in model space or paper space viewports. For example, you want text to display at a height of 3/16" on the paper, so you can define a text style to have a paper height of 3/16". When you add text to a viewport that has a scale of 1/2"=1'0", the current annotation scale, which is set to the same scale as the viewport’s, automatically scales the text to display appropriately at 4.5".
Annotative dimension styles create dimensions in which all the elements of the dimension, such as text, spacing, and arrows, scale uniformly by the . If you associate a dimension to an annotative object, the associativity of the dimension is lost. You can also change an existing non-annotative dimension to annotative by changing the dimension’s Annotative property to Yes (On).
STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. System Variables DIMANNO Creates a single-line text object. Create Annotative Leaders and Multileaders Leaders and multileader on page 1023 are used to add call outs to your drawings. You can create leaders through an annotative dimension style and multileaders through an annotative multileader style. When you create a leader, you create two separate objects: the leader and the text, block, or tolerance associated with the leader.
STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. Create Annotative Blocks and Attributes If you want to use geometric objects to annotate your drawing, combine the objects into an annotative block definition. block definitions create annotative block references. Annotative block references and attributes initially support the current annotation scale at the time they are inserted. You should insert annotative block references with a unit factor of 1.
■ Annotative block references are scaled uniformly by the current annotation scale as well as any user scale applied to the block reference. ■ Blocks that contain annotative objects should not be manually scaled. You can define annotative attributes for annotative and non-annotative blocks.
System Variables ANNOTATIVEDWG Specifies whether or not the drawing will behave as an annotative block when inserted into another drawing. Create Annotative Hatches Use an annotative hatch to symbolically represent material such as sand, concrete, steel, earth, etc. An hatch is defined at a paper size. You can create individual annotative hatch objects as well as annotative hatch patterns. The hatch pattern definitions stored in the acad.
See also: ■ Overview of Hatch Pattern Definitions in the Customization Guide Quick Reference Commands HATCH Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern, solid fill, or gradient fill. System Variables HPANNOTATIVE Display Annotative Objects For model space or a layout viewport, you can display all the annotative objects or only those that support the current annotation scale. This reduces the need to use multiple layers to manage the visibility of your annotations.
If an object supports more than one annotation scale, the object will display at the current scale. When the MSLTSCALE system variable is set to 1 (default), linetypes displayed on the model tab are scaled by the annotation scale See also: ■ The Application Menu Quick Reference System Variables ANNOALLVISIBLE Hides or displays annotative objects that do not support the current annotation scale. MSLTSCALE Scales linetypes displayed on the model tab by the annotation scale.
Use the ANNORESET command to reset the location of all scale representations for an annotative object to that of the current scale representation. Quick Reference Commands ANNORESET Resets the locations of all alternate scale representations of the selected annotative objects. OBJECTSCALE Adds or deletes supported scales for annotative objects.
Set Orientation for Annotations blocks and text can be set so that their orientation matches the orientation of the layout. The orientation of annotative hatches always matches the orientation of the layout. Even if the view in the layout viewport is twisted or if the viewpoint is non-planar, the orientation of these objects in layout viewports will match the orientation of the layout. Annotative attributes in blocks match the paper orientation of the block.
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Hatches, Fills, and Wipeouts ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 26 Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills on page 675 Specify Hatch and Fill Areas on page 680 Control the Appearance of Hatches on page 684 Modify Hatches and Fills on page 697 Create a Blank Area to Cover Objects on page 702 Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills Hatches and fills do not have to be bounded. In the following illustration, the concrete hatches are bounded, while the earth hatches are unbounded.
By default, bounded hatches are associative, which means that the hatch object is associated with the hatch boundary objects, and changes to the boundary objects are automatically applied to the hatch. To maintain associativity, the boundary objects must continue to completely enclose the hatch. The alignment and orientation of a hatch pattern is determined by the current location and orientation of the user coordinate system, in addition to controls in the user interface.
Quick Reference Commands GRADIENT Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a gradient fill. HATCH Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern, solid fill, or gradient fill. HATCHEDIT Modifies an existing hatch or fill. HATCHTOBACK Sets the draw order for all hatches in the drawing to be behind all other objects. MATCHPROP Applies the properties of a selected object to other objects. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. UCS Manages user coordinate systems.
GFCLRSTATE Specifies whether a gradient fill uses one color or two colors. GFNAME Specifies the pattern of a gradient fill. GFSHIFT Specifies whether the pattern in a gradient fill is centered or is shifted up and to the left. HPANG Sets the angle for new hatch patterns. HPANNOTATIVE Controls whether a new hatch pattern is annotative. HPASSOC Controls whether hatches and fills are associative. HPBACKGROUNDCOLOR Controls the background color for hatch patterns.
HPINHERIT Controls whether to inherit the hatch origin when using the Inherit Properties option in HATCH and HATCHEDIT. HPISLANDDETECTION Controls how islands within the hatch boundary are treated. HPISLANDDETECTIONMODE Controls whether internal closed boundaries, called islands, are detected. HPLAYER Specifies a default layer for new hatches and fills. HPMAXLINES Sets the maximum number of hatch lines that are generated in a hatch operation. HPNAME Sets the default hatch pattern name.
HPSEPARATE Controls whether a single hatch object or separate hatch objects are created when operating on several closed boundaries. HPSPACE Sets the hatch pattern line spacing for user-defined patterns. HPTRANSPARENCY Sets the default transparency for new hatches and fills. MIRRHATCH Controls how MIRROR reflects hatch patterns. PICKSTYLE Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection.
Hatch associativity is turned on by default and is controlled by the HPASSOC system variable. You can also control hatch associativity using the following tools in the user interface: ■ Hatch and Gradient dialog box ■ Hatch Edit dialog box ■ Properties Inspector Nonassociative hatches are not updated when their original boundary is changed. Hatch Enclosed Areas Within Boundaries Enclosed areas within hatch boundaries are called islands.
Using the same pick point, the results of the options are compared below. NOTE Text objects are treated as islands. If island detection is turned on, the result always leaves a rectangular space around the text. Include Objects in a Boundary Set When hatching a small area in a large, complex drawing, you can save time by selecting a smaller set of objects in the drawing to be used in determining the hatch boundary.
The red circles remain displayed after you exit the HATCH command. They are removed when you specify another internal point for the hatch, or when you use the REDRAW, REGEN, or REGENALL commands. To hatch an area whose boundary is not quite closed, do one of the following: ■ Locate the gaps and modify the boundary objects so they form a closed boundary. ■ Set the HPGAPTOL system variable to a value large enough to bridge the gaps.
System Variables HPANG Sets the angle for new hatch patterns. HPASSOC Controls whether hatches and fills are associative. HPBOUND Controls the object type created by HATCH and BOUNDARY. HPBOUNDRETAIN Controls whether boundary objects are created for new hatches and fills. HPGAPTOL Treats a set of objects that almost enclose an area as a closed hatch boundary. HPISLANDDETECTION Controls how islands within the hatch boundary are treated.
Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill Choose from three types of hatch patterns, and two types of fills. ■ Predefined hatch patterns. Choose from over 70 ANSI, ISO, and other industry-standard hatch patterns that are available. You can also use hatch patterns from hatch pattern libraries supplied by other companies. Hatch patterns are defined in the acad.pat and acadiso.pat files. ■ User-defined hatch patterns. Define a hatch pattern that uses the current linetype with a specified spacing and angle.
Quick Reference Commands GRADIENT Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a gradient fill. HATCH Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern, solid fill, or gradient fill. HATCHEDIT Modifies an existing hatch or fill. HATCHTOBACK Sets the draw order for all hatches in the drawing to be behind all other objects. MATCHPROP Applies the properties of a selected object to other objects. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. UCS Manages user coordinate systems.
GFCLRSTATE Specifies whether a gradient fill uses one color or two colors. GFNAME Specifies the pattern of a gradient fill. GFSHIFT Specifies whether the pattern in a gradient fill is centered or is shifted up and to the left. HPANG Sets the angle for new hatch patterns. HPANNOTATIVE Controls whether a new hatch pattern is annotative. HPASSOC Controls whether hatches and fills are associative. HPBACKGROUNDCOLOR Controls the background color for hatch patterns.
HPISLANDDETECTION Controls how islands within the hatch boundary are treated. HPISLANDDETECTIONMODE Controls whether internal closed boundaries, called islands, are detected. HPLAYER Specifies a default layer for new hatches and fills. HPMAXLINES Sets the maximum number of hatch lines that are generated in a hatch operation. HPNAME Sets the default hatch pattern name. HPOBJWARNING Sets the number of hatch boundary objects that can be selected before displaying a warning message.
HPSEPARATE Controls whether a single hatch object or separate hatch objects are created when operating on several closed boundaries. HPSPACE Sets the hatch pattern line spacing for user-defined patterns. HPTRANSPARENCY Sets the default transparency for new hatches and fills. MIRRHATCH Controls how MIRROR reflects hatch patterns. Control the Hatch Origin Point Each hatch pattern is aligned with an origin point. Changing the origin point shifts the pattern.
Quick Reference Commands HATCH Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern, solid fill, or gradient fill. HATCHEDIT Modifies an existing hatch or fill. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. UCS Manages user coordinate systems. System Variables HPINHERIT Controls whether to inherit the hatch origin when using the Inherit Properties option in HATCH and HATCHEDIT. HPORIGIN Sets the hatch origin point for new hatch patterns relative to the current user coordinate system.
HPSEPARATE Controls whether a single hatch object or separate hatch objects are created when operating on several closed boundaries. HPSPACE Sets the hatch pattern line spacing for user-defined patterns. Control the Scale of Hatch Patterns The scale of hatch patterns can be set individually, or it can be set automatically based on the scale of each layout viewport.
HATCHEDIT Modifies an existing hatch or fill. MATCHPROP Applies the properties of a selected object to other objects. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables HPANNOTATIVE Controls whether a new hatch pattern is annotative. HPINHERIT Controls whether to inherit the hatch origin when using the Inherit Properties option in HATCH and HATCHEDIT. HPMAXLINES Sets the maximum number of hatch lines that are generated in a hatch operation.
Hatch objects have an additional capability that is not available with other types of objects. You can specify which layer, color, and transparency settings will be automatically applied to each new hatch object, regardless of the current property settings. This can save you time. For example, you can specify that all new hatch objects are automatically created on a specified layer regardless of the current layer setting.
HPASSOC Controls whether hatches and fills are associative. HPBACKGROUNDCOLOR Controls the background color for hatch patterns. HPCOLOR Sets a default color for new hatches. HPDRAWORDER Controls the draw order of hatches and fills. HPINHERIT Controls whether to inherit the hatch origin when using the Inherit Properties option in HATCH and HATCHEDIT. HPLAYER Specifies a default layer for new hatches and fills. HPSCALE Sets the hatch pattern scale factor.
■ Define hatch boundary points with the Draw option of the -HATCH command. To hide a hatch's boundary objects, assign the boundary objects to a different layer than the hatch object, and then turn off or freeze the layer of the boundary objects. This method maintains hatch associativity. See also: ■ Reshape a Hatch or Fill on page 699 Quick Reference Commands -HATCH conref to -Hatch blurb PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables HPANG Sets the angle for new hatch patterns.
HPDOUBLE Specifies hatch pattern doubling for user-defined patterns. HPMAXLINES Sets the maximum number of hatch lines that are generated in a hatch operation. HPNAME Sets the default hatch pattern name. HPOBJWARNING Sets the number of hatch boundary objects that can be selected before displaying a warning message. HPINHERIT Controls whether to inherit the hatch origin when using the Inherit Properties option in HATCH and HATCHEDIT.
In drawings that contain many hatch objects, use the HATCHTOBACK command to display all hatch objects behind all other objects. Quick Reference Commands HATCHTOBACK Sets the draw order for all hatches in the drawing to be behind all other objects. System Variables HPDRAWORDER Controls the draw order of hatches and fills. Modify Hatches and Fills Modify hatch properties and boundaries, or re-create the boundaries hatch objects.
■ Match Properties command. Use MATCHPROP to copy general properties and hatch-specific properties, with the exception of the hatch origin. See also: ■ Control How Overlapping Objects Are Displayed on page 196 Quick Reference Commands HATCHEDIT Modifies an existing hatch or fill. HATCHTOBACK Sets the draw order for all hatches in the drawing to be behind all other objects. MATCHPROP Applies the properties of a selected object to other objects. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects.
Quick Reference Commands HATCHEDIT Modifies an existing hatch or fill. MATCHPROP Applies the properties of a selected object to other objects. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables HPINHERIT Controls whether to inherit the hatch origin when using the Inherit Properties option in HATCH and HATCHEDIT. Reshape a Hatch or Fill Reshape an associative hatch by modifying the boundary objects. Reshape a nonassociative hatch by modifying the hatch object.
You can also change the hatch object by editing the grips of the associated boundary objects. To easily select all of the objects in a complex boundary, use the Display Boundary Objects option. If the boundary object is a polyline or spline, multi-functional grips are displayed. For more information, see Modify Objects with Multi-Functional Grips on page 316. Modify the Extents of Non-associative Hatches and Fills When you select a non-associative hatch, multi-functional grips are displayed on the hatch.
NOTE For drastic changes, you can use TRIM to reduce the area covered by a hatch object, or EXPLODE to disassemble a hatch into its component objects. See also: ■ Modify Objects with Multi-Functional Grips on page 316 Quick Reference Commands EXPLODE Breaks a compound object into its component objects. TRIM Trims objects to meet the edges of other objects. System Variables GRIPS Controls the display of grips on selected objects.
Quick Reference Commands HATCHEDIT Modifies an existing hatch or fill. System Variables HPBOUND Controls the object type created by HATCH and BOUNDARY. HPBOUNDRETAIN Controls whether boundary objects are created for new hatches and fills. HPSEPARATE Controls whether a single hatch object or separate hatch objects are created when operating on several closed boundaries.
Use Wipeout Objects on a Layout You can create wipeout objects on a layout in paper space to mask objects in model space. However, in the Page Settings - Advanced dialog box, under Print Options, the Plot Paperspace Last option must be cleared before you print to ensure that the wipeout object is printed correctly.
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Notes and Labels 27 You can create and modify several types of text, including text with leaders. You can control most text style settings by defining text styles. Overview of Notes and Labels You can create text in various ways. For short, simple entries, use single-line text. For longer entries with internal formatting, use multiline text (mtext).
SPELL Checks spelling in a drawing. STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. TEXT Creates a single-line text object. System Variables DIMASZ Controls the size of dimension line and leader line arrowheads. DIMLDRBLK Specifies the arrow type for leaders. Create Text You can create text using several methods, depending on your needs. See also: ■ Use Fields in Text on page 732 Overview of Creating Text The text you add to your drawings conveys a variety of information.
Regardless of the number of lines, each set of paragraphs created in a single editing session forms a single object, which you can move, rotate, erase, copy, mirror, or scale. There are more editing options for multiline text than there are for single-line text. For example, you can apply underlining, fonts, color, and text height changes to individual characters, words, or phrases within a paragraph. Annotative Text Use text for notes and labels in your drawing.
TEXTQLTY Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines. TEXTSIZE Sets the default height for new text objects drawn with the current text style. TEXTSTYLE Sets the name of the current text style. Create Single-Line Text You can use single-line text to create one or more lines of text, where each text line is an independent object that you can relocate, reformat, or otherwise modify. Use single-line text (TEXT) to create one or more lines of text, ending each line when you press Enter.
See also: ■ Use Fields in Text on page 732 Quick Reference Commands QTEXT Controls the display and plotting of text and attribute objects.
STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. TEXT Creates a single-line text object. System Variables FONTALT Specifies the alternate font to be used when the specified font file cannot be located. FONTMAP Specifies the font mapping file to be used. MIRRTEXT Controls how MIRROR reflects text. QTEXTMODE Controls how text is displayed. TEXTED Specifies the user interface displayed for editing single-line text.
Create Multiline Text A multiline text (mtext) object includes one or more paragraphs of text that can be manipulated as a single object. Overview of Multiline Text You can create a multiline text (mtext) object by entering or importing text. You can create one or more paragraphs of multiline text (mtext) in the In-Place Text Editor. You can also type text at the Command prompt if you use -MTEXT. You can insert text from a file saved in ASCII or RTF format.
NOTE Not all SHX and TrueType text fonts support Unicode characters. Text Properties In the Properties Inspector palette, you can view and change the object properties of a multiline text object, including properties that apply specifically to text. ■ Justification determines where text is inserted with respect to the bounding box and sets the direction of text flow as text is entered. ■ Line space options control the amount of space between lines of text.
QTEXTMODE Controls how text is displayed. TEXTFILL Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while printing. TEXTQLTY Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines. TEXTSIZE Sets the default height for new text objects drawn with the current text style. TEXTSTYLE Sets the name of the current text style. Justify Multiline Text Justification of multiline text objects controls both text alignment and text flow relative to the text insertion point.
Quick Reference Commands PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. Format Characters Within Multiline Text You can override the text style and apply different formatting to individual words and characters within multiline text. The format changes affect only the text you select; the current text style is not changed. You can specify a different font and text height and apply boldface, italics, underlining, overlining, and color.
Remove Formatting option on the In-Place Text Editor shortcut menu resets the character attributes of selected text to the current text style and text color. The text height setting specifies the height of capitalized text. For more information about how height is calculated, see MTEXT. See also: ■ Work with Text Styles on page 738 Quick Reference Commands DDEDIT Edits single-line text, dimension text, attribute definitions, and feature control frames. MTEXT Creates a multiline text object.
adjusts. You can remove and reapply list formatting with the same method as used in most text editors. Use Automatic List Formatting By default, list formatting is applied to all text that looks like a list. Text that meets all the following criteria is considered to be a list: ■ The line begins with one or more letters or numbers or a symbol. ■ The letters or numbers is followed by punctuation. ■ A space after the punctuation is created by pressing Tab.
Not all symbols are available from the character map for a particular text font. However, if you specify the Unicode text directly (\U+25CB in this case), you can always get the bullet format of your choice. NOTE Press Tab after you enter the Unicode text or symbol, or it will remain a separate character.
MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables TEXTFILL Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while printing. TEXTQLTY Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines. Indent Multiline Text and Use Tabs You can control how paragraphs are indented in a multiline text (mtext) object. The ruler in the In-Place Text Editor shows the settings for the current paragraph.
Quick Reference Commands DDEDIT Edits single-line text, dimension text, attribute definitions, and feature control frames. MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables TEXTFILL Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while printing. TEXTQLTY Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines.
Quick Reference Commands PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables TSPACEFAC Controls the multiline text line-spacing distance measured as a factor of text height. TSPACETYPE Controls the type of line spacing used in multiline text. Create Stacked Characters Within Multiline Text Characters representing fractions and tolerances can be formatted to conform to several standards.
You use special characters to indicate how selected text should be stacked. ■ Slash (/) stacks text vertically, separated by a horizontal line. ■ Pound sign (#) stacks text diagonally, separated by a diagonal line. ■ Carat (^) creates a tolerance stack, which is stacked vertically and not separated by a line. To stack characters manually within the In-Place Text Editor, select the text to be formatted, including the special stacking character, and right-click. From the shortcut menu, click Stack.
Create and Edit Columns in Multiline Text You can create and edit multiple columns using the In-Place Text Editor column options and column grips. Multiple columns can be created and edited with the In-Place Text Editor and through grip editing. Editing columns using grips allows you the flexibility of seeing the changes as you make them. Columns follow a few rules. All columns have equal width and equal gutters. A gutter is the space between columns.
Quick Reference Commands MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. System Variables MTEXTCOLUMN Sets the default column setting for an mtext object. Import Text from External Files You can insert TXT or RTF text files created in word processors into your drawing by importing the text. Importing TXT or RTF files from other sources gives you the most flexibility. For example, you can create a text file of standard notes that you include in drawings.
Overview of Leader Objects A leader object is a line or a spline with an arrowhead at one end and a multiline text object or block at the other. In some cases, a short horizontal line, called a landing, connects text or blocks and feature control frames to the leader line. The landing and leader line are associated with the multiline text object or block, so when the landing is relocated, the content and leader line move along with it.
QLEADER Creates a leader and leader annotation. System Variables DIMASSOC Controls the associativity of dimension objects and whether dimensions are exploded. DIMGAP Sets the distance around the dimension text when the dimension line breaks to accommodate dimension text. DIMLDRBLK Specifies the arrow type for leaders. MLEADERSCALE Sets the overall scale factor applied to multileader objects.
drawing. You can modify the properties of leader segment in the Properties Inspector palette. Add leaders to or remove leaders from a multileader object with MLEADEREDIT. Annotative multileaders containing multiple leader segments can have different head points in each scale representation. Horizontal landings and arrowheads can have different sizes, and landing gaps can have different distances, depending on the scale representation.
object snap. If the object is relocated, the arrowhead remains attached to the object and the leader line stretches, but the multiline text remains in place. See also: ■ Create Annotative Leaders and Multileaders on page 666 Quick Reference Commands DDEDIT Edits single-line text, dimension text, attribute definitions, and feature control frames. MLEADER Creates a multileader object. MLEADERALIGN Aligns and spaces selected multileader objects.
DIMCLRD Assigns colors to dimension lines, arrowheads, and dimension leader lines. DIMGAP Sets the distance around the dimension text when the dimension line breaks to accommodate dimension text. DIMLDRBLK Specifies the arrow type for leaders. DIMSCALE Sets the overall scale factor applied to dimensioning variables that specify sizes, distances, or offsets. DIMTAD Controls the vertical position of text in relation to the dimension line. DIMTXTDIRECTION Specifies the reading direction of the dimension text.
Quick Reference Commands MLEADERSTYLE Creates and modifies multileader styles. System Variables CMLEADERSTYLE Sets the name of the current multileader style. Add Content to a Leader Leaders can contain multiline text or blocks to label parts of your drawing. Leaders Containing Multiline Text Leaders can contain multiline text as content. Text can be inserted by default when creating a leader style. Text style, color, height, and alignment can be applied and modified in leader annotations.
Bottom of top line Underline top line Middle of text Middle of bottom line Bottom of bottom line Underline bottom line Underline all text Leaders Containing Blocks Multileaders can contain blocks as content by applying a multileader style that references a block in your drawing.
NOTE Annotative blocks cannot be used as either content or arrowheads in multileader objects. Blocks can be connected to a multileader by attaching the landing to a selected insertion point on the block. You can also connect a multileader to a center point on the selected block. You can create annotative multileaders with blocks as content. The block content will be scaled according to the specified scale representation. Any attributes within the block content will not change with the scale representation.
QTEXT Controls the display and plotting of text and attribute objects. SPELL Checks spelling in a drawing. STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. TEXT Creates a single-line text object. System Variables DIMGAP Sets the distance around the dimension text when the dimension line breaks to accommodate dimension text. FONTALT Specifies the alternate font to be used when the specified font file cannot be located. FONTMAP Specifies the font mapping file to be used.
Insert Fields A field is text that contains instructions to display data that you expect to change during the life cycle of the drawing. When a field is updated, the latest data is displayed. For example, the value of the FileName field is the name of the file. If the file name changes, the new file name is displayed when the field is updated. Fields can be inserted in any kind of text (except tolerances), including text in table cells, attributes, and attribute definitions.
Quick Reference Commands FIELD Creates a multiline text object with a field that can be updated automatically as the field value changes. FIND Finds the text that you specify, and can optionally replace it with other text. INSERT Inserts a block or drawing into the current drawing. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. SPELL Checks spelling in a drawing. TABLE Creates an empty table object. TABLEEXPORT Exports data from a table object in CSV file format.
FIELDEVAL Controls how fields are updated. Update Fields When a field is updated, it displays the latest value. You can update fields individually or update all fields in one or more selected text objects. You can also set fields to be updated automatically when the drawing is opened, saved, printed, and regenerated. FIELDEVAL controls whether fields are updated automatically or on demand. The Date field cannot be updated automatically regardless of the setting of FIELDEVAL.
the last cached value. Therefore, if you want to use a contextual field within a block, for example, a title block, you must insert the field as an attribute. NOTE The Block Placeholder, Hyperlink, and SheetSet Manager fields are not available in AutoCAD 2011 for Mac. The drawings created in AutoCAD that contain these fields can be opened and the cached value is displayed.
Hyperlinks are used to reference a URL, a file on disk, a saved view in a drawing, or a layout in a drawing file. Hyperlinks that are in a drawing created with the Windows version of AutoCAD cannot be accessed with AutoCAD for the Mac. The hyperlink is retained as long as the field is left unchanged. Quick Reference Commands FIELD Creates a multiline text object with a field that can be updated automatically as the field value changes.
System Variables CTABLESTYLE Sets the name of the current table style. FIELDDISPLAY Controls whether fields are displayed with a gray background. FIELDEVAL Controls how fields are updated. Work with Text Styles When you enter text into your drawing, the current text style determines the text font, size, angle, orientation, and other text characteristics. Overview of Text Styles All text in a drawing has a text style associated with it. When you enter text, the program uses the current text style.
Certain style settings affect multiline and single-line text objects differently. For example, changing the Upside Down and Backwards options has no effect on multiline text objects. Changing Width Factor and Obliquing options has no effect on single-line text. If you rename an existing text style, any text using the old name assumes the new text style name. You can remove unreferenced text styles from your drawing with PURGE or by deleting the text styles from the Text Styles dialog box.
■ Create Annotative Text on page 663 Quick Reference Commands PURGE Removes unused items, such as block definitions and layers, from the drawing. STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. System Variables FONTALT Specifies the alternate font to be used when the specified font file cannot be located. FONTMAP Specifies the font mapping file to be used. TEXTSIZE Sets the default height for new text objects drawn with the current text style. TEXTSTYLE Sets the name of the current text style.
You can assign a font to a text style by selecting a font file from the list in the Text Style dialog box. Quick Reference Commands STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. System Variables FONTALT Specifies the alternate font to be used when the specified font file cannot be located. FONTMAP Specifies the font mapping file to be used. Use TrueType Fonts Several factors affect the display of TrueType fonts in a drawing.
STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. System Variables QTEXTMODE Controls how text is displayed. TEXTFILL Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while printing. TEXTQLTY Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines. Use Text Fonts for International Work Several factors affect your choosing, entering, and displaying international text in a drawing. The program supports the Unicode character-encoding standard.
Asian Language Big Fonts Included in the Product Font File Name Description chineset.shx Traditional Chinese font extfont.shx Japanese extended font, level 1 extfont2.shx Japanese extended font, level 2 gbcbig.shx Simplified Chinese font whgdtxt.shx Korean font whgtxt.shx Korean font whtgtxt.shx Korean font whtmtxt.shx Korean font When you specify fonts using -STYLE, the assumption is that the first name is the normal font and the second (separated by a comma) is the Big Font.
See also: ■ Substitute Fonts on page 744 Quick Reference Commands STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. Substitute Fonts A font used in a drawing but that is not currently available on your system is automatically substituted with another font. The program accommodates a font that is not currently on your system by substituting another font.
Edit the Font Mapping File A font mapping file is a list of text fonts and their substitutes. If a text font used in a drawing cannot be located, another text font is substituted for the missing font using a font mapping file. Each line in the font mapping file contains the name of a font file (with no file extension or path) followed by a semicolon (;) and the name of the substitute font file. The substitute file name includes a file extension such as .ttf.
Quick Reference Commands MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. System Variables FONTALT Specifies the alternate font to be used when the specified font file cannot be located. FONTMAP Specifies the font mapping file to be used. Set Text Height Text height determines the size in drawing units of the letters in the font you are using. The exception is TrueType fonts: the value usually represents the size of the uppercase letters.
portions of characters that extend below the text insertion line, for example, y, j, p, g, and q. When you apply a text height override to all text in the editor, the entire multiline text object is scaled, including its width. Quick Reference Commands STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. System Variables TEXTSIZE Sets the default height for new text objects drawn with the current text style. TEXTSTYLE Sets the name of the current text style.
Quick Reference Commands STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. Set Horizontal or Vertical Text Orientation Text can be vertical or horizontal. Text can have a vertical orientation only if the associated font supports dual orientation. Lines of text are oriented to be vertical or horizontal. Text can have a vertical orientation only if the associated font supports dual orientation. You can create more than one line of vertical text.
Quick Reference Commands STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. Change Text You can change text content, formatting, and properties such as scale and justification. Overview of Changing Text Text, whether created with TEXT, MTEXT, or MLEADER can be modified like any other object. You can move, rotate, erase, and copy it. You can change text properties in the Properties Inspector palette. You can also edit the contents of existing text and create a mirror image of it.
System Variables MIRRTEXT Controls how MIRROR reflects text. TEXTFILL Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while printing. TEXTQLTY Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines. Change Single-Line Text You can change the contents, formatting and properties of single-line text. You can change single-line text with DDEDIT and PROPERTIES. Use DDEDIT when you need to change only the content of the text, not the formatting or properties of the text object.
Quick Reference Commands DDEDIT Edits single-line text, dimension text, attribute definitions, and feature control frames. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. TEXT Creates a single-line text object. System Variables TEXTED Specifies the user interface displayed for editing single-line text. TEXTFILL Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while printing. TEXTQLTY Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines.
In addition, you can use the following to modify individual formatting, such as boldface and underlining, and width for multiline text objects: ■ Text Editor visor ■ In-Place Text Editor ■ Grips Change Text Location You can use many of the common modifying commands and grips to move multiline text objects. A multiline text object has grips at the four corners of the text boundary and, in some cases, at the justification point.
PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. System Variables CENTERMT Controls how grips stretch multiline text that is centered horizontally. MIRRTEXT Controls how MIRROR reflects text. OSNAPNODELEGACY Controls whether the Node object snap can be used to snap to multiline text objects. TEXTFILL Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while printing. TEXTQLTY Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines.
Character Definition * (Asterisk) Matches any string and can be used anywhere in the search string ? (Question mark) Matches any single character; for example, ?BC matches ABC, 3BC, and so on ~ (Tilde) Matches anything but the pattern; for example; ~*AB*matches all strings that don't contain AB [] Matches any one of the characters enclosed; for example, [AB]C matches AC and BC [~] Matches any character not enclosed; for example, [~AB]C matches XC but not AC [-] Specifies a range for a single ch
the word is highlighted and the drawing area zooms to that word in a scale that is easy to read. Check Spelling As You Type By default, you can check spelling as you enter text in the In-Place Text Editor. Any word you enter is checked for spelling errors when it is completed. A word is considered completed when one of the following actions are taken: ■ Pressing Spacebar or Enter ■ Moving the cursor to another position within the In-Place Text Editor.
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Tables 28 A table is a rectangular array of cells that contain annotation, primarily text but also blocks. Tables appear in many different forms on many of the sheets that make up drawing sets. In the AEC industry, tables are often referred to as “schedules” and contain information about the materials needed for the construction of the building being designed. In the manufacturing industry, they are often referred to as “BOM” (bills of materials).
When you change the height or width of the table, only the row on page 1028 or column on page 1012 adjacent to the grip you have selected will change. The table will maintain its height or width. To change the size of the table proportionally to the size of the row or column you are editing, press Ctrl while using a column grip. Break Tables into Multiple Parts A table with a large amount of data can be broken into primary and secondary table fragments.
To select more than one cell, click and drag over several cells. You can also hold down Shift and click inside another cell to select those two cells and all the cells between them. When you click inside a table cell, the Table Cell visor is displayed.
MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. SPELL Checks spelling in a drawing. TABLE Creates an empty table object. TABLEDIT Edits text in a table cell. TABLEEXPORT Exports data from a table object in CSV file format. UPDATEFIELD Manually updates fields in selected objects in the drawing. CTABLESTYLE Sets the name of the current table style. FIELDDISPLAY Controls whether fields are displayed with a gray background. FIELDEVAL Controls how fields are updated.
Table styles control the appearance of a table and all of the cells contained in the table, but you can override the style of individual cells. The Cell and Contents sections of the Properties Inspector are used to control the border styles, text formatting, and the size of the cells. The border properties in a table’s cell style control the display of the gridlines that divide the table into cells.
TABLEEXPORT Exports data from a table object in CSV file format. UPDATEFIELD Manually updates fields in selected objects in the drawing. CTABLESTYLE Sets the name of the current table style. FIELDDISPLAY Controls whether fields are displayed with a gray background. FIELDEVAL Controls how fields are updated. Add Text and Blocks to Tables Table cell data can include text and multiple blocks. When a table is created, the first cell is highlighted, and you can begin entering text.
FIND Finds the text that you specify, and can optionally replace it with other text. INSERT Inserts a block or drawing into the current drawing. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. MATCHCELL Applies the properties of a selected table cell to other table cells. MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. SPELL Checks spelling in a drawing. TABLE Creates an empty table object. TABLEDIT Edits text in a table cell. TABLEEXPORT Exports data from a table object in CSV file format.
Use Formulas in Table Cells Table cells can contain formulas that do calculations using the values in other table cells. With a table cell selected, you can insert formulas from the Table Cell visor. You can also open the In-Place Text Editor and enter a formula in a table cell manually. Insert a Formula In formulas, cells are referred to by their column letter and row number. For example, the cell at top left in the table is A1. Merged cells use the number of what would be the top-left cell.
is selected. If two cells are manually filled with dates one week apart, the remaining cells are incremented by one week. See also: ■ Use Fields in Text on page 732 Quick Reference FIELD Creates a multiline text object with a field that can be updated automatically as the field value changes. MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. TABLE Creates an empty table object. TABLEEXPORT Exports data from a table object in CSV file format. UPDATEFIELD Manually updates fields in selected objects in the drawing.
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Dimensions and Tolerances 29 You can add measurements to your drawing with several dimensioning commands. Use dimension styles to format dimensions quickly and maintain industry or project dimensioning standards. Understand Basic Concepts of Dimensioning You can create several types of dimensions, and you can control their appearance by setting up dimension styles or by editing individual dimensions. Overview of Dimensioning Dimensioning is the process of adding measurement annotation to a drawing.
NOTE To simplify drawing organization and dimension scaling, it is recommended that you create dimensions on layouts rather than in model space. Quick Reference Commands DIMANGULAR Creates an angular dimension. DIMARC Creates an arc length dimension. DIMBREAK Breaks or restores dimension and extension lines where they cross other objects. DIMDIAMETER Creates a diameter dimension for a circle or an arc. DIMEDIT Edits dimension text and extension lines.
DIMBREAK Adds or removes a jog line on a linear or aligned dimension. DIMLINEAR Creates a linear dimension. DIMORDINATE Creates ordinate dimensions. DIMRADIUS Creates a radius dimension for a circle or an arc. DIMREASSOCIATE Associates or reassociates selected dimensions to objects or points on objects. DIMBREAK Adjusts the spacing between linear dimensions or angular dimensions. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. DIMTEDIT Moves and rotates dimension text and relocates the dimension line.
Dimension text is a text string that usually indicates the measurement value. The text can also include prefixes, suffixes, and tolerances. A dimension line indicates the direction and extent of a dimension. For angular dimensions, the dimension line is an arc. Arrowheads, also called symbols of termination, are displayed at each end of the dimension line. You can specify different sizes and shapes for arrowheads or tick marks.
Associative Dimensions Dimensions can be associative, nonassociative, or exploded. Associative dimensions adjust to changes in the geometric objects that they measure. Dimension associativity defines the relationship between geometric objects and the dimensions that give their distance and angles. There are three types of associativity between geometric objects and dimensions. ■ Associative dimensions.
■ 2D solids ■ Objects with nonzero thickness ■ Images When selecting objects to dimension, make sure that the objects that you select do not include a directly overlapping object that does not support associative dimensioning such as a 2D solid. Associativity is not maintained between a dimension and a block reference if the block is redefined. Associativity is not maintained between a dimension and a 3D solid if the shape of the 3D solid is modified.
LIST Displays property data for selected objects. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. System Variables DIMASSOC Controls the associativity of dimension objects and whether dimensions are exploded. Use Dimension Styles You can control the appearance of dimensions by changing settings. For convenience and to help maintain dimensioning standards, you can store these settings in dimension styles.
Quick Reference Commands DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. Compare Dimension Styles and Variables You can view all the settings in a dimension style. Dimension styles used in externally referenced drawings are differentiated from those defined in your current drawing. You can list the dimension styles in the current drawing. You can also list all dimensioning system variables and their current status or only the variables affected by a dimension style.
Quick Reference Commands DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. Control Dimension Geometry You can control the appearance of dimension lines, extension lines, arrowheads, and center marks. Control Dimension Lines You can control dimension line properties including color, lineweight, and spacing. You can control several aspects of a dimension line.
■ Control the distance by which the dimension line extends beyond the extension lines for architectural tick (oblique stroke) arrowheads Quick Reference Commands DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. System Variables DIMCLRD Assigns colors to dimension lines, arrowheads, and dimension leader lines. DIMDLE Sets the distance the dimension line extends beyond the extension line when oblique strokes are drawn instead of arrowheads.
DIMSD2 Controls suppression of the second dimension line and arrowhead. DIMSOXD Suppresses arrowheads if not enough space is available inside the extension lines. DIMTOFL Controls whether a dimension line is drawn between the extension lines even when the text is placed outside. Control Extension Lines You can control extension line properties including color, lineweight, overshoot, and offset length.
■ Specify a fixed length for extension lines, as measured from the dimension line toward the extension line origin ■ Specify a noncontinuous linetype, typically used for centerlines ■ Modify the angle of the extension lines of a selected dimension to make them oblique Fixed-Length Extension Lines You can specify a dimension style that sets the total length for extension lines starting from the dimension line toward the dimension origin point.
The extension line offset distance from the origin will never be less than the value specified by the DIMEXO system variable. See also: ■ Create Dimensions with Oblique Extension Lines on page 808 Quick Reference Commands DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. System Variables DIMCLRE Assigns colors to extension lines, center marks, and centerlines. DIMDLE Sets the distance the dimension line extends beyond the extension line when oblique strokes are drawn instead of arrowheads.
DIMLWE Assigns lineweight to extension lines. DIMSE1 Suppresses display of the first extension line. DIMSE2 Suppresses display of the second extension line. Control Dimension Arrowheads You can control the arrowhead symbols in dimensions and leaders including their type, size, and visibility. You can choose from many standard types of arrowheads, or you can create your own arrowheads.
System Variables DIMCLRD Assigns colors to dimension lines, arrowheads, and dimension leader lines. DIMDLE Sets the distance the dimension line extends beyond the extension line when oblique strokes are drawn instead of arrowheads. DIMSD1 Controls suppression of the first dimension line and arrowhead. DIMSD2 Controls suppression of the second dimension line and arrowhead. Customize Arrowheads You can create your own custom arrowheads. Arrowheads are stored as block definitions.
■ Create Drawing Files for Use as Blocks on page 414 Quick Reference Commands BLOCK Creates a block definition from selected objects. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. WBLOCK Writes objects or a block to a new drawing file. System Variables DIMASZ Controls the size of dimension line and leader line arrowheads. DIMBLK Sets the arrowhead block displayed at the ends of dimension lines. DIMBLK1 Sets the arrowhead for the first end of the dimension line when DIMSAH is on.
DIMTSZ Specifies the size of oblique strokes drawn instead of arrowheads for linear, radius, and diameter dimensioning. Control Dimension Text You can control the placement of dimension text, arrowheads, and leader lines relative to the dimension and extension lines. Fit Dimension Text Within Extension Lines Dimension text and arrowheads usually appear between the extension lines when there is enough space. You can specify how these elements are placed when space is limited.
If there is no room for text between the extension lines, you can have a leader line created automatically. This is useful in cases where text outside the extension lines would interfere with other geometry, for example, in continued dimensions. Whether text is drawn to the right or the left of the leader is controlled by the horizontal justification setting in the Modify/New Dimension Style dialog box, Text tab. Also, you can fit text and arrowheads by changing their size.
Quick Reference Commands DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. System Variables DIMATFIT Determines how dimension text and arrows are arranged when space is not sufficient to place both within the extension lines. DIMJUST Controls the horizontal positioning of dimension text. DIMLWD Assigns lineweight to dimension lines. DIMTAD Controls the vertical position of text in relation to the dimension line. DIMTXTDIRECTION Specifies the reading direction of the dimension text.
DIMTIX Draws text between extension lines. DIMTOFL Controls whether a dimension line is drawn between the extension lines even when the text is placed outside. DIMTOH Controls the position of dimension text outside the extension lines. DIMTVP Controls the vertical position of dimension text above or below the dimension line. DIMUPT Controls options for user-positioned text. Control the Location of Dimension Text You can locate dimension text manually and specify its alignment and orientation.
Align Dimension Text Whether text is inside or outside the extension lines, you can choose whether it is aligned with the dimension line or remains horizontal. The following examples show two combinations of these options. The default alignment is horizontal dimension text, even for vertical dimensions. Position Dimension Text Horizontally The position of the text along the dimension line in relation to the extension lines is referred to as text placement.
dimensions, the second extension line is counterclockwise from the first. In the following illustrations, 1 is the first extension line origin and 2 the second. If you place text manually, you can place the dimension text anywhere along the dimension line, inside or outside the extension lines, as you create the dimension. This option provides flexibility and is especially useful when space is limited. However, the horizontal alignment options provide better accuracy and consistency between dimensions.
lines and centered within the dimension line is horizontal, as shown in the leftmost illustration above. The text is horizontal even if the dimension line is not itself horizontal. Quick Reference Commands DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. DIMTEDIT Moves and rotates dimension text and relocates the dimension line. System Variables DIMJUST Controls the horizontal positioning of dimension text. DIMTAD Controls the vertical position of text in relation to the dimension line.
Control the Appearance of Dimension Text You can include prefixes, suffixes, and user-supplied text in dimensions. You can also control the text style and formatting used in dimension text. The program supports a mixture of user-supplied text, prefixes and suffixes supplied by the dimension style, and generated measurements. For example, you could add a diameter symbol as a prefix to a measurement or add the abbreviation for a unit, such as mm, as a suffix.
Example: User Text in Dimensions In this example, the primary dimension measurement is 5.08, and the alternate dimension measurement is 2.00. The primary units have the suffix H7/h6, and the alternate units have the suffix inches. At the text prompt, while creating the dimension, you enter the following format string: <> H7/h6\XSee Note 26\P[ ] The angle brackets represent the primary units, and the square brackets represent the alternate units. The \X separates text above the dimension line from text below
DIMTFILLCLR Sets the color for the text background in dimensions. DIMTXSTY Specifies the text style of the dimension. DIMTXT Specifies the height of dimension text, unless the current text style has a fixed height. DIMTXTDIRECTION Specifies the reading direction of the dimension text. Control Dimension Values The numeric values displayed in dimensions can appear in several formats. You can also control how numeric distances are represented.
These settings are available on the Modify/New Dimension Style dialog box, Primary Units tab. Control the Display of Alternate Units You can create dimensions in two systems of measurement simultaneously. A common use of this feature is to add feet and inches dimensions to drawings created using metric units. The alternate units appear in square brackets ([ ]) in the dimension text. Alternate units cannot be applied to angular dimensions.
DIMALTD Controls the number of decimal places in alternate units. DIMALTF Controls the multiplier for alternate units. DIMALTTD Sets the number of decimal places for the tolerance values in the alternate units of a dimension. DIMALTU Sets the units format for alternate units of all dimension substyles except Angular. DIMALTZ Controls the suppression of zeros for alternate unit dimension values.
DIMTDEC Sets the number of decimal places to display in tolerance values for the primary units in a dimension. Round Off Dimension Values You can round off the numeric values in dimensions and lateral tolerances. You can round off all dimension values except those for angular dimensions. For example, if you specify a round-off value of 0.25, all distances are rounded to the nearest 0.25 unit.
If you suppress leading zeros in decimal dimensions, 0.500 becomes .500. If you suppress trailing zeros, 0.500 becomes 0.5. You can suppress both leading and trailing zeros so that 0.5000 becomes .5 and 0.0000 becomes 0. For dimension distances less than one unit, you can set the dimension distance to display in sub units. If the distance is shown in m, you can set to display distances less than one m in cm or mm.
DIMAZIN Suppresses zeros for angular dimensions. DIMTZIN Controls the suppression of zeros in tolerance values. DIMZIN Controls the suppression of zeros in the primary unit value. Display Lateral Tolerances Lateral tolerances are values indicating the amount a measured distance can vary. You can control whether lateral tolerances are displayed and you can choose from several styles of lateral tolerances. A lateral tolerance specifies the amount by which a dimension can vary.
If the tolerances are applied as limits, the program uses the plus and minus values you supply to calculate a maximum and minimum value. These values replace the dimension value. If you specify limits, the upper limit goes above the lower. Format Lateral Tolerances You can control the vertical placement of tolerance values relative to the main dimension text. Tolerances can align with the top, middle, or bottom of the dimension text.
suppressing them in the primary and alternate units. If you suppress leading zeros, 0.5 becomes .5, and if you suppress trailing zeros, 0.5000 becomes 0.5. See also: ■ Add Geometric Tolerances on page 837 Quick Reference Commands DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. System Variables DIMALTTD Sets the number of decimal places for the tolerance values in the alternate units of a dimension. DIMALTTZ Controls suppression of zeros in tolerance values.
DIMTOL Appends tolerances to dimension text. DIMTP Sets the maximum (or upper) tolerance limit for dimension text when DIMTOL or DIMLIM is on. DIMTZIN Controls the suppression of zeros in tolerance values. Control the Display of Fractions You can control the format of the fraction displayed in dimensions. You can set the fraction format in dimensions using the DIMFRAC system variable when the DIMLUNIT system variable is set to 4 (architecture) or 5 (fractional).
DIMLUNIT Sets units for all dimension types except Angular. Set the Scale for Dimensions You can specify the size of dimensions in your drawing. How you set dimension size depends on the method you use to lay out and print drawings. Dimension scale affects the size of the dimension geometry relative to the objects in the drawing. Dimension scale affects sizes, such as text height and arrowhead size, and offsets, such as the extension line origin offset.
maintained. No additional scaling is required for dimensions created in a paper space layout: DIMLFAC and DIMSCALE do not need to be changed from their default value of 1.0000. NOTE When you dimension model space objects in paper space using associative dimensions, dimension values for the display scale of each viewport are automatically adjusted. This adjustment is combined with the current setting for DIMLFAC and is reported by the LIST command as a dimension style override.
Create Dimensions You can create all of the standard types of dimensions. Create Linear Dimensions You can create linear dimensions with horizontal, vertical, and aligned dimension lines. These linear dimensions can also be stacked, or they can be created end to end. Overview of Creating Linear Dimensions Linear dimensions can be horizontal, vertical, or aligned. With aligned dimensions, the dimension line is parallel to the line (imaginary or real) between the extension line origins.
Quick Reference Commands DIMALIGNED Creates an aligned linear dimension. DIMBASELINE Creates a linear, angular, or ordinate dimension from the baseline of the previous or selected dimension. DIMCONTINUE Creates a dimension that starts from an extension line of a previously created dimension. DIMEDIT Edits dimension text and extension lines. DIMLINEAR Creates a linear dimension. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. QDIM Creates a series of dimensions quickly from selected objects.
following illustration, a horizontal dimension is drawn by default unless you specify a vertical one. Quick Reference Commands DIMLINEAR Creates a linear dimension. System Variables DIMEXO Specifies how far extension lines are offset from origin points. Create Aligned Dimensions You can create dimensions that are parallel to the locations or objects that you specify. In aligned dimensions, the dimension line is parallel to the extension line origins.
Quick Reference Commands DIMALIGNED Creates an aligned linear dimension. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. System Variables DIMEXO Specifies how far extension lines are offset from origin points. Create Baseline and Continued Dimensions Baseline dimensions are multiple dimensions measured from the same baseline. Continued dimensions are multiple dimensions placed end to end. You must create a linear, aligned, or angular dimension before you create baseline or continued dimensions.
Quick Reference Commands DIMBASELINE Creates a linear, angular, or ordinate dimension from the baseline of the previous or selected dimension. DIMCONTINUE Creates a dimension that starts from an extension line of a previously created dimension. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. System Variables DIMDLI Controls the spacing of the dimension lines in baseline dimensions. Create Rotated Dimensions In rotated dimensions, the dimension line is placed at an angle to the extension line origins.
Quick Reference Commands DIMALIGNED Creates an aligned linear dimension. DIMLINEAR Creates a linear dimension. Create Dimensions with Oblique Extension Lines You can create dimensions with extension lines that are not perpendicular to their dimension lines. Extension lines are created perpendicular to the dimension line. However, if the extension lines conflict with other objects in a drawing, you can change their angle after the dimension has been drawn.
Quick Reference Commands DIMEDIT Edits dimension text and extension lines. Create Radial Dimensions Radial dimensions measure the radii and diameters of arcs and circles with optional centerlines or a center mark. There are two types of radial dimensions: ■ DIMRADIUS measures the radius of an arc or circle, and displays the dimension text with the letter R in front of it. ■ DIMDIAMETER measures the diameter of an arc or circle, and displays the dimension text with the diameter symbol in front of it.
dimension is drawn through the center point of the arc instead of to the extension line. The DIMSE1 system variable controls whether or not a radial or diametric dimension will be drawn with an extension line when it is positioned off the end of an arc. When the display of the arc extension line is not suppressed, a gap between the arc and arc extension line is made. The size of the gap drawn is controlled with the DIMEXO system variable.
The size of the centerline is the length of the centerline segment that extends outside the circle or arc. It is also the size of the gap between the center mark and the start of the centerline. The size of the center mark is the distance from the center of the circle or arc to the end of the center mark.
Once a jogged radius dimension is created, you can modify the jog and the center location override by ■ Using grips to move the features ■ Changing the locations of the features with the Properties Inspector ■ Using STRETCH NOTE Jogged radius dimensions can be viewed but not edited in versions previous to AutoCAD 2006. Also, if you make dramatic changes to the associated geometry, you may get unpredictable results for the jogged radius dimension.
DIMSTYLE Stores the name of the current dimension style. QDIM Creates a series of dimensions quickly from selected objects. System Variables DIMATFIT Determines how dimension text and arrows are arranged when space is not sufficient to place both within the extension lines. DIMCEN Controls drawing of circle or arc center marks and centerlines by the DIMCENTER, DIMDIAMETER, and DIMRADIUS commands. DIMEXO Specifies how far extension lines are offset from origin points.
DIMTOFL Controls whether a dimension line is drawn between the extension lines even when the text is placed outside. DIMTOH Controls the position of dimension text outside the extension lines. DIMUPT Controls options for user-positioned text. Create Angular Dimensions Angular dimensions measure the angle between two lines or three points. To measure the angle between two radii of a circle, you select the circle and specify the angle endpoints.
The location that you specify for the dimension line arc determines the quadrant of the dimensioned angle. Dimension to a Quadrant Angular dimensions can measure a specific quadrant that is formed when dimensioning the angle between of the endpoints of a line or arc, center point of a circle, or two vertices. As an angular dimension is being created, there are four possible angles that can be measured. By specifying a quadrant it allows you to ensure that the correct angle is dimensioned.
DIMCONTINUE Creates a dimension that starts from an extension line of a previously created dimension. System Variables DIMADEC Controls the number of precision places displayed in angular dimensions. DIMAUNIT Sets the units format for angular dimensions. DIMDEC Sets the number of decimal places displayed for the primary units of a dimension. Create Ordinate Dimensions Ordinate dimensions measure the perpendicular distance from an origin point called the datum to a feature, such as a hole in a part.
Locate the Datum The location and orientation of the current UCS determines the ordinate values. Before creating ordinate dimensions, you typically set the UCS origin to coincide with the datum. Locate the Leader After you specify the feature location, you are prompted for the leader endpoint. By default, the leader endpoint that you specify automatically determines whether an X- or a Y-datum ordinate dimension is created.
Quick Reference Commands DIMORDINATE Creates ordinate dimensions. QDIM Creates a series of dimensions quickly from selected objects. UCS Manages user coordinate systems. Create Arc Length Dimensions Arc length dimensions measure the distance along an arc or polyline arc segment. Typical uses of arc length dimensions include measuring the travel distance around a cam or indicating the length of a cable.
NOTE Orthogonal extension lines are displayed only when the included angle of the arc is less than 90 degrees. Quick Reference Commands DIMARC Creates an arc length dimension. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables DIMARCSYM Controls display of the arc symbol in an arc length dimension.
At times you might want to modify a dimension to simply improve readability. You can make sure that the extension or dimension lines do not obscure any objects; you can adjust the placement of linear dimensions so they are evenly spaced. Dimension Jog Jog lines are used to represent a dimension value that does not display the actual measurement in a linear dimension. Typically, the actual measurement value of the dimension is smaller than the displayed value.
DIMCONTINUE Creates a dimension that starts from an extension line of a previously created dimension. DIMJOGLINE Adds or removes a jog line on a linear or aligned dimension. DIMLINEAR Creates a linear dimension. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. QDIM Creates a series of dimensions quickly from selected objects.
Inspection Dimension Fields Inspection Label Text used to identify individual inspection dimensions. The label is located in the leftmost section of the inspection dimension. Dimension Value Dimension value that is displayed is the same value before the inspection dimension is added. The dimension value can contain tolerances, text (both prefix and suffix), and the measured value. The dimension value is located in the center section of the inspection dimension.
You can add dimension breaks to the following dimension and leader objects: ■ Linear dimensions (aligned and rotated) ■ Angular dimensions (2- and 3-point) ■ Radial dimensions (radius, diameter, and jogged) ■ Arc length dimensions ■ Ordinate dimensions ■ Multileaders (straight only) The following dimension and leader objects do not support dimension breaks: ■ Multileaders (spline only) ■ “Legacy” leaders (straight or spline) The following table explains the conditions where dimension breaks
You can move dimension breaks from dimensions or multileaders. When removing dimension breaks from a dimension or multileader, all dimension breaks are removed. If there are some dimension breaks that you don’t want to remove, you need to add them again.
Dimension breaks that are added by selecting individual intersecting objects are updated any time the dimension or multileader, or intersecting objects are modified. Dimension Break Created by Picking Two Points You can place a dimension break by picking two points on the dimension, extension, or leader line to determine the size and placement of the break.
you change the text size or adjust the scale for the dimensions, they remain in the original position which can cause problems with overlapping dimension lines and text. You can space linear and angular dimensions that overlap or are not equally spaced with the DIMSPACE command. The dimensions that are selected must be linear or angular, of the same type (rotated or aligned), parallel or concentric to one another, and on the extension lines of each other.
DIMSPACE Adjusts the spacing between linear dimensions or angular dimensions. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. QDIM Creates a series of dimensions quickly from selected objects. System Variables DIMDLI Controls the spacing of the dimension lines in baseline dimensions. Apply a New Dimension Style to Existing Dimensions You can modify existing dimensions by applying a different dimension style.
PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables DIMCLRD Assigns colors to dimension lines, arrowheads, and dimension leader lines. Override a Dimension Style With dimension style overrides, you can temporarily change a dimensioning system variable without changing the current dimension style. A dimension style override is a change made to specific settings in the current dimension style.
There are several ways to set up dimension style overrides. You can change options in the dialog boxes or change system variable settings at the Command prompt. You reverse the override by returning the changed settings to their original values. The overrides apply to the dimension you are creating and all subsequent dimensions created with that dimension style until you reverse the override or make another dimension style current.
Modify Dimension Text Once you've created a dimension, you can change the location and orientation of the existing dimension text or replace it with new text. Once you've created a dimension, you can rotate the existing text or replace it with new text. You can move the text to a new location or back to its home position, which is the position defined by the current dimension style. In the following illustration, the home position is above and centered on the dimension line.
See also: ■ Control Dimension Text on page 783 Quick Reference Commands DDEDIT Edits single-line text, dimension text, attribute definitions, and feature control frames. DIMEDIT Edits dimension text and extension lines. DIMTEDIT Moves and rotates dimension text and relocates the dimension line. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables DIMCLRT Assigns colors to dimension text.
DIMTMOVE Sets dimension text movement rules. DIMTOH Controls the position of dimension text outside the extension lines. DIMTVP Controls the vertical position of dimension text above or below the dimension line. DIMUPT Controls options for user-positioned text. Modify Dimension Geometry Grip editing is the quickest and easiest way to modify the location of dimension elements. How you edit dimensions depends whether the dimension is associative.
In other circumstances, a dimension may become partially associated. For example, if a linear dimension is associated with the endpoints of two geometric objects and one of the objects is erased, the remaining association is preserved. The disassociated end of the linear dimension may then be associated with another geometric object using DIMREASSOCIATE. NOTE The Command prompt displays a warning message if a dimension is disassociated.
If no angle vertex is shown, definition points are placed at the ends of the lines that form the angle. In the two-line angular example, a definition point is placed at the center point of the dimensioned arc. NOTE Definition points are drawn on a special layer named DEFPOINTS, which is not printed. Modify Exploded Dimensions You can edit exploded dimensions as you would any other objects because an exploded dimension is a collection of separate objects: lines, 2D solids, and text.
See also: ■ Control Dimension Geometry on page 775 Quick Reference Commands DIMEDIT Edits dimension text and extension lines. DIMDISASSOCIATE Removes associativity from selected dimensions. DIMREASSOCIATE Associates or reassociates selected dimensions to objects or points on objects. EXPLODE Breaks a compound object into its component objects. STRETCH Stretches objects crossed by a selection window or polygon.
■ Add associativity to dimensions in legacy drawings. ■ Remove associativity from dimensions in drawings that will be used by people working in releases prior to AutoCAD 2002, but who do not want any proxy objects in the drawings. Reassociate Dimensions to Different Objects With DIMREASSOCIATE, you can select one or more dimensions and step through the extension-line origin points of each dimension. For each extension-line origin point, you can specify a new association point on a geometric object.
■ Save Drawings to Previous Drawing File Formats on page 931 Quick Reference Commands DIMDISASSOCIATE Removes associativity from selected dimensions. DIMREASSOCIATE Associates or reassociates selected dimensions to objects or points on objects. DIMREGEN Updates the locations of all associative dimensions. EXPLODE Breaks a compound object into its component objects. System Variables DIMASSOC Controls the associativity of dimension objects and whether dimensions are exploded.
to which a tolerance is being applied, for example, location, profile, form, orientation, or runout. Form tolerances control straightness, flatness, circularity and cylindricity; profiles control line and surface. In the illustration, the characteristic is position. You can use most editing commands to change feature control frames, and you can snap to them using the object snap modes. You can also edit them with grips.
Quick Reference Commands LEADER Creates a line that connects annotation to a feature. TOLERANCE Creates geometric tolerances contained in a feature control frame. Material Conditions Material conditions apply to features that can vary in size. The second compartment contains the tolerance value. Depending on the control type, the tolerance value is preceded by a diameter symbol and followed by a material condition symbol.
Datum Reference Frames The tolerance values in the feature control frame are followed by up to three optional datum reference letters and their modifying symbols. A datum is a theoretically exact point, axis, or plane from which you make measurements and verify dimensions. Usually, two or three mutually perpendicular planes perform this task best. These are jointly called the datum reference frame. The following illustration shows a datum reference frame verifying the dimensions of the part.
height and symbol appear in a frame below the feature control frame, as shown in the following illustration. Quick Reference Commands LEADER Creates a line that connects annotation to a feature. TOLERANCE Creates geometric tolerances contained in a feature control frame. Composite Tolerances A composite tolerance specifies two tolerances for the same geometric characteristic of a feature or for features that have different datum requirements.
When you add composite tolerances to a drawing, you specify the first line of a feature control frame and then choose the same geometric characteristic symbol for the second line of the feature control frame. The geometric symbol compartment is extended over both lines. You can then create a second line of tolerance symbols. Quick Reference Commands LEADER Creates a line that connects annotation to a feature. TOLERANCE Creates geometric tolerances contained in a feature control frame.
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Specify Settings for Plotting 30 Before you plot a drawing, you must specify the settings that determine the output. To save time, you can store these settings with the drawing as a named page setup. Save Plot Settings as Named Page Setups If you want to plot the same layout more than one way, or if you want to specify the same output options for several layouts, use named page setups. Before you plot a drawing, you must specify the settings that determine the appearance and format of the output.
In addition, the page setup also includes many other settings and options such as ■ The orientation of the plot, portrait or landscape ■ The plot scale ■ Whether lineweights should be plotted ■ The shading style By default, the first time you access a layout, it becomes initialized, and a default page setup is assigned to it. Default page setups are assigned names such as *model*, *layout1*, *layout2*, and so on.
■ Modify the settings of a page setup at any time ■ Import a named page setup from another drawing, and apply it to layouts in the current drawing You can also apply different named page setups to the same layout to achieve specific results when plotting. For example, you might create the named page setups in the following table to control scaling and paper size.
Specify Page Setup Settings Page setups are associated with model space and with layouts, and are saved in the drawing file. The settings specified in a page setup determine the appearance and format of your final output. Select a Printer or Plotter for a Layout To print a layout, select a printing or plotting device in the Page Setup dialog box. You can also view details about the name and location of the device, and change the device's configuration.
layout. If your plotter is configured for raster output, you must specify the output size in pixels. Quick Reference Commands PAGESETUP Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. Determine the Drawing Orientation of a Layout You can specify the orientation of the drawing on the paper using the Landscape and Portrait settings.
Quick Reference Commands PAGESETUP Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. Set the Plot Area of a Layout You can specify the plot area to determine what will be included in the plot. When you prepare to plot from model space or a layout, you can specify the plot area to determine what will be included in the plot. When you create a new layout, the default Plot Area option is Layout.
Adjust the Plot Offset of a Layout The printable area of a drawing sheet is defined by the selected output device and is represented by the dashed line in a layout. When you change the output device, the printable area may change. The plot offset specifies an offset of the plot area relative to the lower-left corner (the origin) of the printable area or the edge of the paper. You can offset the geometry on the paper by entering a positive or negative value in the X and Y Offset boxes.
System Variables PLOTOFFSET Controls whether the plot offset is relative to the printable area or to the edge of the paper. Set the Plot Scale for a Layout When you plot a drawing layout, you can either specify a precise scale for the layout or fit the image to the paper. Normally, you plot a layout at a 1:1 scale. To specify a different scale for the layout, set the plot scale for the layout in the Page Setup or the Plot dialog box.
Set the Lineweight Scale for a Layout You can scale lineweights proportionately in a layout with the plot scale. Typically, lineweights specify the line width of plotted objects and are plotted with the line width size regardless of the plot scale. Most often, you use the default plot scale of 1:1 when plotting a layout. However, if you want to plot an E-size layout that is scaled to fit on an A-size sheet of paper, for example, you can specify lineweights to be scaled in proportion to the new plot scale.
Quick Reference Commands PAGESETUP Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. Set Shaded Viewport and Plot Options for a Layout Shaded viewport and plot options settings affect how objects are plotted and are saved in the page setup. Shaded viewport and plot options affect how objects are plotted.
■ Set Options for Plotted Objects on page 870 Quick Reference Commands PAGESETUP Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file.
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Print or Plot Drawings 31 Once you have completed a drawing, you can use a number of methods to output the drawing. You can plot the drawing on paper or create a file for use with another application. In either case, you select the plot settings. Overview of Plotting Understanding terms and concepts that relate to plotting makes your first plotting experience in the program easier. Am I Printing or Plotting? The terms printing and plotting can be used interchangeably for CAD output.
Usually a drawing file contains only one layout, but you can create as many layouts as you need. The first time you display a layout, it is initialized and a default page setup is assigned to it. Page Setups When you create a layout, you specify a plotter, and settings such as paper size and orientation. These settings are saved in the drawing as a page setup. Each layout can be associated with a different page setup.
Named plot style tables use plot styles that are assigned directly to objects and layers. These plot style table files have .stb extensions. Using them enables each object in a drawing to be plotted differently, independent of its color. Plot Stamps A plot stamp is a line of text that is added to your plot. You can specify where this text is located on the plot in the Plot Stamp dialog box.
System Variables BACKGROUNDPLOT Controls whether background plotting is turned on or off for plotting and publishing. Use a Page Setup to Specify Plot Settings You can use a page setup to save and reuse settings for your plot jobs. When you select a page setup in the Plot dialog box, the settings from the page setup are added to the Plot dialog box. You can choose to plot with those settings, or change any of the settings individually and then plot.
After selecting a printing or plotting device, you also can easily plot a drawing using the default settings in the Plot dialog box. See also: ■ Specify Settings for Plotting on page 845 ■ “Use Plotters and Printers” in the Driver and Peripheral Guide Quick Reference Commands PAGESETUP Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file.
Quick Reference Commands PAGESETUP Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. Set Paper Size When plotting a drawing, select the paper size that you want to use. If you plot from a layout, you may have already specified a paper size in the Page Setup dialog box. However, if you plot from the model space, you need to specify a paper size when you plot.
System Variables PAPERUPDATE Controls the display of a warning dialog box when attempting to print a layout with a paper size different from the paper size specified by the default for the plotter configuration file. Position the Drawing on the Paper There are several ways to position a drawing on the paper. You can specify the printable area, set the position of the plot, and set the orientation. Specify the Printable Area The printable area is displayed by a dashed border in a layout.
PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. Set the Position of the Plot The printable area of a drawing sheet is defined by the selected printer or plotter, but you can change the position of plot relative to the printable area or to the edge of the paper. You can specify an offset of the plot area relative to the lower-left corner (the origin) of the printable area.
Quick Reference Commands PAGESETUP Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. System Variables PLOTROTMODE Controls the orientation of plots. Control How Objects Are Plotted You can control how objects are plotted by setting the plot scale, by using plot styles and plot style tables, and by setting an object's layer properties.
viewports. The scale in each of these viewports represents a ratio of the paper size to the size of the model in the viewport. NOTE You can modify the list of scales that are displayed in all view and plot scale lists with SCALELISTEDIT. Set a Specific Scale When you plot, the paper size you select determines the unit type, inches or millimeters.
Quick Reference Commands PAGESETUP Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. SCALELISTEDIT Controls the list of scales available for layout viewports, page layouts, and plotting. Set Shaded Viewport Options You can choose among several options for plotting shaded and rendered viewports. You can plot a viewport as it is displayed, in wireframe, with hidden lines removed, or as rendered.
Quick Reference Commands 3DCONFIG Sets options that affect 3D display performance. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. SHADEMODE Starts the VSCURRENT command. VSCURRENT Sets the visual style in the current viewport. Specify Shaded Plotting Settings If you are plotting a drawing that contains 3D solids that are shaded, you can control how the drawing is plotted. Specifically, you can choose from the following options: ■ As Displayed.
NOTE If you select the Rendered option, specify Render settings before plotting. If the Rendered option is used for a highly complex set of objects, the hardcopy output might contain only the viewport border. Quick Reference Commands 3DCONFIG Sets options that affect 3D display performance. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. SHADEMODE Starts the VSCURRENT command. VSCURRENT Sets the visual style in the current viewport.
Quick Reference Commands PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. Set Options for Plotted Objects In the Print and the Page Setup dialog boxes, you can choose from options that affect how objects are plotted. ■ Shaded Viewport Plotting. Specifies shaded plotting options: As Displayed, Wireframe, or Hidden. The effect of this setting is reflected in the plot preview, but not in the layout. ■ Plot Object Lineweights. Specifies that lineweights assigned to objects and layers are plotted.
specified in the Plot Stamp dialog box, where you can specify the information you want applied to the plot stamp, such as drawing name, date and time, plot scale, and so on. ■ Save Changes to Layout. Saves changes you make in the Print dialog box to the layout. Quick Reference Commands LWEIGHT Sets the current lineweight, lineweight display options, and lineweight units. PAGESETUP Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout.
A plot style is an object property, similar to linetype and color. A plot style can be assigned to an object or assigned to a layer.
System Variables CPLOTSTYLE Controls the current plot style for new objects. DEFLPLSTYLE Specifies the default plot style for all layers in a drawing when opening a drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000, or for Layer 0 when creating a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template.
table can contain as many or as few plot styles as required. Named plot styles can be assigned to objects or layers, just like any other property. Assign Plot Style Tables to Layouts By assigning different plot style tables to each layout in your drawing, you can control how objects in the layout are plotted. The plot style table affects both model space and paper space objects. To plot the drawing without applying plot style properties, select None from the list of plot style tables.
Use Predefined Color-Dependent Plot Style Tables Several color-dependent plot style tables are installed in the Plot Styles folder, also known as the Plot Style Manager. Table Description acad.ctbacadlt.ctb Default plot style table fillPatterns.ctb Sets first 9 colors to use first 9 fill patterns, all others to use object's fill grayscale.ctb Converts all colors to grayscale when plotted monochrome.ctb Plots all colors as black None Applies no plot style table screening 100%.
NOTE On the Mac, you can plot drawings with plot styes already defined in them, but you cannot modify the plot styles or create new ones. An object whose plot style is set to BYLAYER inherits the plot style assigned to its layer. Use the Properties Inspector palette to change an object's plot style and the Layers palette to change the plot style for a layer.
In the Plot and Page Setup dialog boxes, a thumbnail preview is also displayed, which shows the printable area and the position of the drawing on the page. Quick Reference Commands PAN Moves the view planar to the screen. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. PREVIEW Displays the drawing as it will be printed. ZOOM Increases or decreases the magnification of the view in the current viewport. System Variables RASTERPREVIEW Controls whether BMP preview images are saved with the drawing.
Quick Reference Commands PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file.
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Reference Other Drawing Files 32 Attached xrefs are linked to, but not actually inserted in, another drawing. Therefore, with xrefs you can build drawings without significantly increasing the drawing file size. Overview of Referenced Drawings (Xrefs) By using referenced drawings, you can ■ Coordinate your work with the work of others by referencing other drawings in your drawing to keep up with the changes being made by other designers.
Quick Reference Commands BASE Sets the insertion base point for the current drawing. EXTERNALREFERENCES Opens the Reference Manager palette. EXTERNALREFERENCESCLOSE Closes the Reference Manager palette. RENAME Changes the names assigned to items such as layers and dimension styles. XATTACH Inserts DWG files as an external reference (xref). XBIND Binds one or more definitions of named objects in an xref to the current drawing.
XCLIPFRAME Determines whether xref clipping boundaries are visible or plotted in the current drawing. XLOADCTL Turns xref demand-loading on and off, and controls whether it opens the referenced drawing or a copy. XLOADPATH Creates a path for storing temporary copies of demand-loaded xref files. Attach and Detach Referenced Drawings You can perform several operations on referenced drawing files (xrefs).
Highlight External References in a Drawing To find an external reference in a complex drawing, select an item in the Reference Manager palette to highlight all visible instances in the drawing. Conversely, select an external reference in the drawing to highlight its name in the Reference Manager palette. Control the Properties of Referenced Layers You can control the visibility, color, linetype, and other properties of an xref's layers and make these changes temporary or permanent.
4 In the Attach External Reference dialog box, select any desired options and then click OK. 5 If necessary, specify the location in the drawing and any other options. Quick Reference Commands EXTERNALREFERENCES Opens the Reference Manager palette. EXTERNALREFERENCESCLOSE Closes the Reference Manager palette. XATTACH Inserts DWG files as an external reference (xref). XREF Starts the EXTERNALREFERENCES command.
Nest and Overlay Referenced Drawings Attached DWG references (xrefs) can be nested: that is, you can attach an xref that contains another xref. Xrefs can be nested within other xrefs: that is, you can attach an xref that contains another xref. You can attach as many copies of an xref as you want, and each copy can have a different position, scale, and rotation. In the following illustration, master.dwg references a.dwg and b.dwg. Drawing a.dwg references c.dwg. In master.dwg, c.dwg is a nested xref.
NOTE When using the parametric drawing feature, you can only constrain objects in the drawing to the insertion point of an Xref, and not its nested objects. Relative Saved Paths and Nested Xrefs The saved path for an xref can be a full path, a relative (partially specified) path, or no path. For a nested xref, a relative path always references the location of its immediate host and not necessarily the currently open drawing.
Set Paths to Referenced Drawings You can view and edit the file name and path used when locating a particular drawing reference (xref). Use this option if the referenced file has been moved to a different folder or renamed since it was first attached. You can choose from three types of folder path information to save with an attached reference: a full path, a relative path, and no path. Specify a Full (Absolute) Path A full path is a fully specified hierarchy of folders that locates the file reference.
NOTE If a drawing that contains referenced files is moved or saved to a different path, or to a different network server, you must edit any relative paths to accommodate the host drawing's new location or you must relocate the referenced files.
Erasing xrefs does not remove, for example, layer definitions associated with those xrefs. Using the Detach option removes the xrefs and all associated information. To detach an xref 1 On the menu bar, click Tools ➤ Palettes ➤ Reference Manager . 2 In the Reference Manager, click a DWG reference. 3 Right-click the selected DWG reference and select Detach from the shortcut menu. Alternatively, you can click the Detach button in the top row of buttons in the Reference Manager.
Whenever you modify and save an externally referenced drawing in a network environment, other people can access your changes immediately by reloading the xrefs in their open drawings. Update Xrefs with Demand Loading Turned On If demand loading is turned on when you load or reload an xref ■ With the XLOADCTL system variable set to 1, the referenced drawing is kept open and locked. No one else can modify the referenced drawing.
Quick Reference Commands EXTERNALREFERENCES Opens the Reference Manager palette. EXTERNALREFERENCESCLOSE Closes the Reference Manager palette. System Variables XLOADCTL Turns xref demand-loading on and off, and controls whether it opens the referenced drawing or a copy. XLOADPATH Creates a path for storing temporary copies of demand-loaded xref files.
Binding xrefs to a drawing is also an easy way to send a drawing to reviewers. Rather than sending a master drawing plus each of the drawings it references, you can use the Bind option to merge the xrefs into the master drawing. NOTE You cannot bind xrefs that contain proxy objects. For more information, see Work with Custom and Proxy Objects on page 937. To bind an xref to the current drawing 1 On the menu bar, click Tools ➤ Palettes ➤ Reference Manager . 2 In the Reference Manager, click a DWG reference.
Clip External References and Blocks You can specify clipping boundaries to display a limited portion of an external reference drawing or block reference. You can clip external references such as DGN, DWF, IMAGE, PDF underlays, or block references. With a clipping boundary, you can determine the portions of an external reference or block reference that you want to display by hiding the redundant parts of the reference inside or outside the boundary.
Invert the area to be hidden, inside or outside the clipping boundary When you want the hidden parts of the clipped reference displayed or vice versa, use the grips to alter the display of the external reference or blocks. With grips located at the midpoint on the first edge of the clipping boundary, you can invert the display of the clipped reference inside or outside the boundary. The grips are visible and can be used when the clipping system variable is turned on, the reference is selected, and clipped.
vertices of the same side of the rectangular clipping boundary are edited together. NOTE With Clipping boundaries, you cannot display self-intersecting polygonal boundaries. An error message is displayed and the boundary reverts to the last boundary. Limitations for Clipping Boundaries When clipping an referenced drawing or block the following limitations apply: ■ A clipping boundary can be specified anywhere in 3D space, but it is always applied planar to the current UCS.
IMAGEFRAME Controls whether image frames are displayed and plotted. XCLIPFRAME Determines whether xref clipping boundaries are visible or plotted in the current drawing. Edit Referenced Drawings Referenced drawings can be edited by opening them directly, or you can edit the xref in place from within the current drawing. You can edit a block definition directly from any selected block reference.
Resolve Referenced Drawing Errors If a referenced drawing cannot be loaded when you open a drawing, an error message is displayed. Resolve Missing External References If a referenced drawing cannot be located when you open a drawing, several options available to you. The program stores the folder path of the referenced drawing.
This search order helps ensure that revisions made to the xref are reflected in the current drawing, and also makes it possible for the xref to be found if its folder path has changed. See also: ■ Update Referenced Drawing Attachments on page 890 Quick Reference Commands EXTERNALREFERENCES Opens the Reference Manager palette. Resolve Circular External References If a referenced drawing contains a sequence of nested references that refers back to itself, an error message is displayed.
Quick Reference Commands EXTERNALREFERENCES Opens the Reference Manager palette. Resolve Name Conflicts in External References When you attach an xref, the names of its blocks, dimension styles, layers, linetypes, and text styles are differentiated from those in the current drawing. A typical xref definition includes objects, such as lines or arcs. It also includes xref-dependent definitions of blocks, dimension styles, layers, linetypes, and text styles.
STAIR|STEEL, becomes STAIR$0$STEEL. You can then use the RENAME command to change STAIR$0$STEEL to STEEL. If you specify a layer whose associated linetype is not CONTINUOUS, the referenced linetype is also bound. If you apply XBIND to a block, all named objects that are referenced by the objects in the block are also bound. If the block contains a reference to an xref, that xref and all of its dependent definitions are bound.
Example: A Sample Title Section from an Xref Log File This title section contains the name of the current drawing, the date and time, and the operation being performed. ============================= Drawing: detail Date/Time: 09/28/99 10:45:20 Operation: Attach Xref ============================= During a detaching or reloading operation, the program includes the nesting level of all affected xrefs immediately following the title section.
The log file lists the definition (symbol) table affected and the name of the definition added, along with a status message. ============================== Drawing: test Date/Time: 12/18/99 14:06:34 Operation: Attach Xref ============================= Attach Xref STAIR: \ACAD\DWGS\STAIR.dwg Searching in ACAD search path Update block symbol table: Appending symbol: STAIR|BOLT Appending symbol: STAIR|BOLT-HALF ... block update complete.
System Variables XREFCTL Controls whether external reference log (XLG) files are created. Increase Performance with Large Referenced Drawings There are several features that can improve performance when dealing with large referenced drawings. Overview of Demand Loading The program uses demand loading and saving drawings with internal indexes to increase performance with large referenced drawings that have been clipped, or that have many objects on frozen layers.
Unload Xrefs in Large Drawings When a referenced drawing (xref) is unloaded from the current drawing, the drawing opens much faster and uses less memory. The xref definition is unloaded from the drawing file, but the internal pointer to the referenced drawing remains. The xref is not displayed, and nongraphical object information does not appear in the drawing. However, you can restore all the information by reloading the xref.
multiple users referencing the same drawing, those users can set XLOADPATH to point to a common folder. In this manner, multiple sessions of the program can share the same temporary copies of reference drawings. You can set XLOADPATH in the Application Preferences dialog box, Application tab, Temporary External Reference File Location, and indicate the folder path where copies of externally referenced files are to be placed. Quick Reference Commands EXTERNALREFERENCES Opens the Reference Manager palette.
Work with Data in Other Formats 33 You can work with many different types of files, including files created with other applications and files created in earlier releases of the program. You can also specify search paths for drawing and support files. Import Other File Formats You can import files, other than DWG files, that were created with other applications into your drawings. Import ACIS SAT Files You can import geometry objects stored in SAT (ASCII) files using the ASCISIN command.
Convert DXF and DXB Files to DWG Format DXF and DXB files are two types of drawing interchange files used to transfer data between various applications. A DXF (drawing interchange format) file is either a binary or an ASCII representation of a drawing file. It is often used to share drawing data between other CAD programs. A DXB (drawing interchange binary) file is a specially coded binary version of a DXF file used for plotting, and can be used to “flatten” 3D wireframe drawings into 2D vectors.
colorized to represent the appearance of a house. A raster image references the pixels in a specific grid. Raster images, like many other drawing objects, can be copied, moved, or clipped. You can modify an image with grip modes, adjust an image for contrast, clip the image with a rectangle or polygon, or use an image as a cutting edge for a trim.
Supported image file formats Type Description and versions File extension GeoSPOT GeoSPOT (BIL files must be accompanied with HDR and PAL files with correlation data, in the same directory) .bil IG4 Image Systems Group 4 .ig4 JFIF or JPEG Joint Photographics Expert Group .jpg or .jpeg PCX Picture PC Paintbrush Picture .pcx PICT Picture Macintosh Picture .pct PNG Portable Network Graphic .png RLC Run-Length Compressed .rlc TARGA True Vision Raster-Based Data Format .
Attach Raster Images You can attach a reference to a raster image file to a drawing file using a linked image path. The image file can be accessed from the Internet. Images can be referenced and placed in drawing files, but like external references (xrefs), they are not actually part of the drawing file. The image is linked to the drawing file through a path name. Linked image paths can be changed or removed at any time.
IMAGEATTACH Inserts a reference to an image file. Scale Raster Images You can control the size of a raster image in a drawing to match the scale of the drawing. You can specify the raster image scale factor when you attach the image so that the scale of the geometry in the image matches the scale of the geometry in the drawing. The default image scale factor is 1, and the default unit for all images is “Unitless.
You can detach images that are no longer needed in a drawing. When you detach an image, all instances of the image are removed from the drawing, the image definition is purged, and the link to the image is removed. The image file itself is not affected. NOTE Erasing an individual instance of an image is not the same as detaching an image. An image must be detached to remove the link from your drawing to the image file. Quick Reference Commands EXTERNALREFERENCES Opens the Reference Manager palette.
NOTE When an image frame is turned off, you cannot select images using the Pick or Window options of SELECT. Quick Reference Commands IMAGEFRAME Controls whether image frames are displayed and plotted. System Variables FRAMESELECTION Controls whether the frame of an image, underlay, or clipped xref can be selected. Clip Raster Images You can clip and display specific portions of a raster image in a drawing with a clipping boundary.
you can invert the display of the clipped reference inside or outside the boundary. With IMAGEFRAME system variable, you can control the visibility of the clipping boundary. See also: ■ Clip External References and Blocks on page 894 Quick Reference Commands IMAGECLIP Crops the display of a selected image to a specified boundary. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables IMAGEFRAME Controls whether image frames are displayed and plotted.
without affecting other instances of the image in the drawing. Adjust brightness to darken or lighten an image. Adjust contrast to make poor-quality images easier to read. Adjust fade to make drawing geometry easier to see over images and to create a watermark effect in your plotted output. Bitonal images cannot be adjusted for brightness, contrast, or fade. Images fade to the current screen background when displayed, and they fade to white when plotted.
TRANSPARENCY Controls whether background pixels in an image are transparent or opaque. Manage Raster Images You can view and manipulate raster images and change paths to image files using the External References palette. View Raster Image Information You can view file-specific information about the raster images that are attached to a drawing. You can also load and unload the images and perform other operations using the External References palette.
■ Date and time file was last saved ■ Name of the saved path If an image cannot be found, its status is listed as Not Found. A Not Found image is displayed as an image boundary in the drawing even if the IMAGEFRAME system variable is set to off. If the image is unreferenced, no instances are attached for the image. If the image is not loaded, its status is Unloaded. Images with a status of Unloaded or Not Found are not displayed in the drawing.
Quick Reference Commands EXTERNALREFERENCES Opens the Reference Manager palette. IMAGEATTACH Inserts a reference to an image file. Assign Descriptive Names to Raster Images When the name of a raster image file is not sufficient to identify an image, you can add a descriptive name using the External Reference palette. Image names are not necessarily the same as image file names. When you attach an image to a drawing, the program uses the file name without the file extension as the image name.
path where the image file was originally attached is displayed under Saved Path.
Load and Unload Raster Images You can improve performance by unloading images when you do not need them in the current drawing session. Unloaded images are not displayed or plotted; only the image boundary is displayed. Unloading an image does not alter its link. If memory is not sufficient to open multiple attached images in a drawing, images are automatically unloaded.
drawing boundary is displayed. You can choose to hide an image regardless of the user coordinate system (UCS) in the current viewport. Use Tiled Images Tiled images are small portions (a series of tiles) of large images that load much faster than non-tiled images. If you edit or change any properties of an image, only the modified portion is regenerated, thus improving the regeneration time. TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is the only tiled format that the program supports.
Export Drawings to Other File Formats If you need to use the information from a drawing file in another application, you can convert it to a specific format by exporting it. Export PDF Files You can export a drawing as a PDF file to facilitate sharing information with other design groups. Sets of drawings are the primary deliverable for most design groups. Creating a drawing set to distribute for review can be complicated and time consuming. Electronic drawing sets are saved as PDF files.
If you do not want to save the entire drawing, you can choose to export selected objects only. You can use this option to remove extraneous material from drawing files. Quick Reference Commands EXPORT Saves the objects in a drawing to a different file format. SAVEAS Saves a copy of the current drawing under a new file name. Export Raster Files You can create a device-independent raster image of the objects in your drawing.
PNGOUT Saves selected objects to a file in a Portable Network Graphics format. TIFOUT Saves selected objects to a file in TIFF file format. Export PostScript Files You can convert a drawing file to a PostScript file, a format that is used by many desktop publishing applications. The PostScript file format type is used by many desktop publishing applications. Its high-resolution print capabilities make it preferable to raster formats, such as GIF, PCX, and TIFF.
Quick Reference Commands EXPORT Saves the objects in a drawing to a different file format. PLOT Outputs a drawing to a printer or file. Export ACIS SAT Files You can export certain object types to an ACIS file in ASCII (SAT) format. You can export trimmed NURBS surfaces, regions, and 3D solids to an ACIS file in ASCII (SAT) format. Other objects, such as lines and arcs, are ignored. Use the ACISOUTVER system variable to specify the ACIS version for the output of the ACISOUT command.
The 3D solid data is translated to a faceted mesh representation consisting of a set of triangles and saved to an STL file. Use the FACETRES system variable to adjust the facet density to an appropriate detail level. NOTE Setting the resolution too high slows down the fabrication process without improving the output quality of the stereolithography device. The STL data is used to create an object by depositing a succession of thin layers of plastics, metals, or composite materials.
Work with Drawings in Earlier Releases When you work with drawings created in AutoCAD 2008 (and later releases) in AutoCAD 2007 (and earlier releases), you should be aware of the following visual fidelity issues. Visual Fidelity for Annotative Objects in Previous Releases You can specify that objects maintain visual fidelity when they are viewed in AutoCAD 2007 (and earlier releases) with the SAVEFIDELITY system variable.
If a viewport containing layer property overrides is deleted when the drawing is opened in a previous release, the override settings are not retained and are not available when the drawing is opened in AutoCAD 2008. When the VISRETAIN system variable is set to 0 when the drawing is opened in a previous release, xref layers containing viewport property overrides are not retained. If you open an AutoCAD 2008 drawing in a previous release, property overrides may display in a thumbnail image.
■ Paragraphs with distributed alignment ■ Fields that wrap across columns ■ Fields that wrap across lines that have new paragraph alignments ■ Paragraphs with non-default alignments in mtext without left object-level justification The following mtext formatting features have some visual fidelity in previous releases (when it’s possible to add white spaces or replace text with white spaces): ■ Paragraphs with non-default alignments (other than justified or distributed) in mtext that has left object-
language support is installed in your computer operating system. You can specify the language in the Regional and Language Options dialog box, available from the Windows Control Panel. (You may be able to view text that uses SHX fonts without specifying extra language support.) Text styles for Asian languages that use SHX and Big Font can support characters only from the same code page. For example, text styles that use a Japanese Big Font cannot support German or Korean characters.
Because saving a drawing in an earlier release format may cause some data loss, be sure to assign a different name to avoid overwriting the current drawing. If you overwrite the current drawing, you can restore the overwritten version from the backup file (filename.bak) that is created during the saving process.
■ Database attached labels are converted to multiline text and leader objects, and their link information is not available. Attached labels are restored if you open the drawing in AutoCAD 2000 or later. ■ Dynamic block geometry can be redefined independent of the block’s dynamic elements, and the geometry in the block reference is not updated when the drawing is opened in AutoCAD 2011 for Mac or later.
OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. SAVE Saves the drawing under the current file name or a specified name. SAVEAS Saves a copy of the current drawing under a new file name. System Variables PLINETYPE Specifies whether optimized 2D polylines are used. Work with AutoCAD Drawings in AutoCAD LT AutoCAD LT offers full compatibility when working with AutoCAD drawings. However, you should understand how AutoCAD LT handles AutoCAD-only features.
discrepancies in UCS usage. User coordinate systems that were set individually in AutoCAD will probably change if the viewports that use them were activated in the AutoCAD LT session. Work with AutoCAD for Mac 2D and 3D Solid Object Shading In AutoCAD, visual styles provide shading and wireframe options for objects in the current viewport. AutoCAD LT does not support visual styles. The SHADEMODE command in AutoCAD LT provides only the 2D Wireframe and Hidden options.
There are two general types of constraints supported: Geometric and Dimensional. ■ Geometric constraints determine the relationships between 2D geometric objects or points on objects relative to each other. Use constraint bars to view the geometric constraints applied to objects. Constraint bars are visible only when you place your cursor over the highlighted nodes. ■ Dimensional constraints control distances or angles between 2D geometric objects in a drawing.
Modify 3D Point Clouds While you cannot index or attach a point cloud in AutoCAD LT, you can open drawings created in AutoCAD that contain point clouds. When an attached point cloud file is unlocked, you can select the point cloud with a grip that is displayed at the centroid of the point cloud. NOTE You cannot explode a point cloud. Turn Off Perspective View in an AutoCAD Drawing Set the PERSPECTIVE system variable to 0 to turn off perspective view in an AutoCAD drawing that is open in AutoCAD LT.
When you open a drawing, you might see a Proxy Information dialog box. The dialog box tells you the total number of proxy objects in the drawing (both graphical and nongraphical) and the name of the missing application and provides additional information about the proxy object type and display state. You can use the dialog box to control the display of proxy objects.
System Variables PROXYGRAPHICS Specifies whether images of proxy objects are saved in the drawing. PROXYNOTICE Displays a notice when a proxy is created. PROXYSHOW Controls the display of proxy objects in a drawing.
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Use the Internet for Collaboration 34 You can access and store drawings and related files on the Internet. Get Started with Internet Access Before you can transfer or save files to an Internet or an intranet location, you have to get access permissions and take security precautions. In this topic and others, the term Internet is used to refer to both the Internet and an intranet. An intranet is a private network that uses the same standards as the Internet.
Quick Reference Commands BROWSER Launches the default web browser defined in your system's registry. System Variables INETLOCATION Stores the Internet location used by the BROWSER command and the Browse the Web dialog box.
Quick Reference Commands APPLOAD Loads and unloads applications and defines which applications to load at startup. EXPORT Saves the objects in a drawing to a different file format. OPEN Opens an existing drawing file. Share Drawing Files Internationally Beginning with AutoCAD 2007-based products, drawing files and most files associated with drawing files use the Unicode standard.
■ Folder path names ■ Named objects such as layers and blocks within a drawing ■ Linetype and hatch pattern file names and their contents ■ Text used in notes and dimensions within a drawing This means that drawings can be opened, worked on, and saved worldwide regardless of language-specific characters. The only requirement is that the appropriate language pack must be installed first.
System Variables TEXTOUTPUTFILEFORMAT Provides Unicode options for log files. Access Buzzsaw for Project Collaboration Using Autodesk® Buzzsaw® you can store, manage, and share documents that populate a Buzzsaw site. Buzzsaw is a secure, online project collaboration service in which members in different locations can post files to and access files from a centralized site. You can save files, send transmittal sets, and publish sheets to Buzzsaw.
Quick Reference Commands OPEN Opens an existing drawing file. Work with Xrefs over the Internet You can attach externally referenced drawings stored on the Internet or an intranet to drawings stored locally on your system. For example, you might have a set of construction drawings that are modified daily by a number of contractors. These drawings are stored in a project directory on the Internet.
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Draw 2D Isometric Views 35 The Isometric Snap/Grid mode helps you create 2D isometric images that represent 3D objects. The Isometric Snap/Grid mode helps you create 2D images that represent 3D objects. By setting the Isometric Snap/Grid, you can easily align objects along one of three isometric planes; however, although the isometric drawing appears to be 3D, it is actually a 2D representation.
Choosing one of the three isometric planes causes Ortho and the crosshairs to be aligned along the corresponding isometric axes. For example, when Ortho is on, the points you specify align along the simulated plane you are drawing on. Therefore, you can draw the top plane, switch to the left plane to draw another side, and switch to the right plane to complete the drawing. Quick Reference Commands DSETTINGS Sets grid and snap, polar and object snap tracking, object snap modes, and Dynamic Input.
ORTHO Constrains cursor movement to the horizontal or vertical direction. SNAP Restricts cursor movement to specified intervals. System Variables SNAPISOPAIR Controls the isometric plane for the current viewport. SNAPSTYL Sets the snap style for the current viewport. Draw Isometric Circles Represent circles on isometric planes using ellipses. If you are drawing on isometric planes, use an ellipse to represent a circle viewed from an oblique angle.
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Add Lighting to Your Model 36 Lighting can be added to a scene to create a more realistic rendering. Overview of Lighting Lighting adds the finishing touch to the scene. Default Lighting When there are no lights in a scene, the scene is shaded with default lighting. Default lighting is derived from two distant sources that follow the viewpoint as you move around the model. All faces in the model are illuminated so that they are visually discernible.
a discrete position and affect the entire scene. You can turn the display of light glyphs on or off while you work. By default, light glyphs are not plotted. Photometric Lighting Workflow For more precise control over lighting, you can use photometric lights to illuminate your model. Photometric lights use photometric (light energy) values that enable you to define lights more accurately as they would be in the real world.
Quick Reference Commands DISTANTLIGHT Creates a distant light. LIGHT Creates a light. FREESPOT Creates free spotlight which is similar to a spotlight without a specified target. FREEWEB Creates a free web light which is similar to a web light without a specified target. POINTLIGHT Creates a point light that radiates light in all directions from its location. SPOTLIGHT Creates a spotlight that emits a directional cone of light. TARGETPOINT Creates a target point light.
WEBLIGHT Creates a web light. System Variables DEFAULTLIGHTING Turns on and off default lighting in place of other lighting. DEFAULTLIGHTINGTYPE Specifies the type of default lighting, old or new. LIGHTGLYPHDISPLAY Turns on and off the display of light glyphs. LIGHTINGUNITS Controls whether generic or photometric lights are used, and specifies the lighting units for the drawing. LIGHTSINBLOCKS Controls whether lights contained in blocks are used when rendering.
Set the Type of Lighting AutoCAD for Mac offers three choices for lighting units: standard (generic), International (SI), and American. The standard (generic) lighting workflow is equivalent to the lighting workflow in AutoCAD for Mac prior to AutoCAD 2008. The default lighting workflow for drawings created in AutoCAD 2008 and later is a photometric workflow based on International (SI) lighting units. This choice results in physically correct lighting. The American lighting unit provides another option.
Illuminate a Scene You can add point lights, spotlights, and distant lights and set the location and photometric properties of each. You can use a command to create a light, or you can use a button on the Lights toolbar or the Lights panel on the ribbon. You can use the Properties Inspector palette to change the color of a selected light or other properties. You can also store a light and its properties on a tool palette and use it again in the same drawing or another drawing.
When light rays strike a surface, the surface reflects them, or at least some of them, enabling us to see the surface. The appearance of a surface depends on the light that strikes it combined with the properties of the surface material, such as color, smoothness, and opacity. Other factors, such as a light’s color, intensity, attenuation, and angle of incidence also play a role in how objects in a scene appear. Quick Reference Commands DISTANTLIGHT Creates a distant light.
LIGHTINGUNITS Controls whether generic or photometric lights are used, and specifies the lighting units for the drawing. LINEARBRIGHTNESS Controls the brightness level of the viewport when using default lighting or generic lights. LINEARCONTRAST Controls the contrast level of the viewport when using default lighting or generic lights. RENDERUSERLIGHTS Controls whether to override the setting for viewport lighting during rendering.
Point Lights in Photometric Workflow A free point light can have photometric distribution properties. The attenuation for a photometric point light is always set to inverse square. When the LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 1 (American units) or 2 (International SI units) for photometric lighting, additional properties are available for a point light. On the Properties Inspector palette, photometric properties are ■ Lamp Intensity. Specifies the inherent brightness of the light.
The additional information about these properties are available under Lighting Properties. Quick Reference Commands LIGHT Creates a light. POINTLIGHT Creates a point light that radiates light in all directions from its location. TARGETPOINT Creates a target point light. System Variables DEFAULTLIGHTING Turns on and off default lighting in place of other lighting. DEFAULTLIGHTINGTYPE Specifies the type of default lighting, old or new. LIGHTGLYPHDISPLAY Turns on and off the display of light glyphs.
RENDERUSERLIGHTS Controls whether to override the setting for viewport lighting during rendering. Use Spotlights A spotlight can be directed towards an object. Spotlights A spotlight distribution casts a focused beam of light like a flashlight, a follow spot in a theater, or a headlight. A spotlight emits a directional cone of light. You can control the direction of the light and the size of the cone. Like a point light, a spot light can be manually set to attenuate its intensity with distance.
when LIGHTINGUNITS is set to 1 (American units) or 2 (International SI units) for photometric lighting: ■ Lamp Intensity. Specifies the inherent brightness of the light. Specifies the intensity, flux, or illuminance of the lamp. ■ Resulting Intensity. Gives the final brightness of the light. (Product of lamp intensity and intensity factor. Read-only.) ■ Lamp Color. Specifies the inherent color of the light in Kelvin temperature or standard. ■ Resulting Color. Gives the final color of the light.
DEFAULTLIGHTINGTYPE Specifies the type of default lighting, old or new. LIGHTGLYPHDISPLAY Turns on and off the display of light glyphs. LIGHTINGUNITS Controls whether generic or photometric lights are used, and specifies the lighting units for the drawing. LIGHTSINBLOCKS Controls whether lights contained in blocks are used when rendering. LINEARBRIGHTNESS Controls the brightness level of the viewport when using default lighting or generic lights.
This directional light distribution information is stored in a photometric data file in the IES format using the IES LM-63-1991 standard file format for photometric data. You can load photometric data files provided by various manufacturers under the Photometric Web panel in the Properties Inspector palette for the light. The light icon represents the photometric web you select. A light that uses a photometric web can be added to a drawing by entering the commands WEBLIGHT and FREEWEB at the command prompt.
Goniometric diagram of a web distribution This type of diagram visually represents how the luminous intensity of a source varies with the vertical angle. However, the horizontal angle is fixed and, unless the distribution is axially symmetric, more than one goniometric diagram may be needed to describe the complete distribution. Photometric Webs The photometric web is a three dimensional representation of the light distribution.
Example of Ellipsoidal distribution In this example, the points in the negative Z direction are the same distance from the origin as the corresponding points in the positive Z direction, so the same amount of light shines upward and downward. No point has a very large X or Y component, either positive or negative, so less light is cast laterally from the light source. Quick Reference Commands LIGHT Creates a light. LIGHTLIST Turns on and off the Lights in Model palette that lists all lights in the model.
WEBLIGHT Creates a web light. System Variables DEFAULTLIGHTING Turns on and off default lighting in place of other lighting. DEFAULTLIGHTINGTYPE Specifies the type of default lighting, old or new. LIGHTGLYPHDISPLAY Turns on and off the display of light glyphs. LIGHTINGUNITS Controls whether generic or photometric lights are used, and specifies the lighting units for the drawing. LIGHTSINBLOCKS Controls whether lights contained in blocks are used when rendering.
Illuminating Engineering Society.) However, only the information relevant to AutoCAD for Mac is described here. For a complete description of the IES standard file format, see IES Standard File Format for Electronic Transfer of Photometric Data and Related Information, prepared by the IES Computer Committee (http://www.iesna.org). The luminous intensity distribution (LID) of a luminaire is measured at the nodes of a photometric web for a fixed set of horizontal and vertical angles.
11 The type of unit used to measure the dimensions of the luminous opening. Use 1 for feet or 2 for meters. 12 The width, length, and height of the luminous opening. It is normally given as 0 0 0. 13 1.0 1.0 0.0 14 The set of vertical angles, listed in increasing order. If the distribution lies completely in the bottom hemisphere, the first and last angles must be 0° and 90°, respectively.
Quick Reference Commands DISTANTLIGHT Creates a distant light. FREESPOT Creates free spotlight which is similar to a spotlight without a specified target. FREEWEB Creates a free web light which is similar to a web light without a specified target. LIGHT Creates a light. POINTLIGHT Creates a point light that radiates light in all directions from its location. SPOTLIGHT Creates a spotlight that emits a directional cone of light. TARGETPOINT Creates a target point light. WEBLIGHT Creates a web light.
System Variables DEFAULTLIGHTING Turns on and off default lighting in place of other lighting. DEFAULTLIGHTINGTYPE Specifies the type of default lighting, old or new. LIGHTGLYPHDISPLAY Turns on and off the display of light glyphs. LIGHTINGUNITS Controls whether generic or photometric lights are used, and specifies the lighting units for the drawing. LIGHTSINBLOCKS Controls whether lights contained in blocks are used when rendering.
Quick Reference Commands FREEWEB Creates a free web light which is similar to a web light without a specified target. LIGHT Creates a light. WEBLIGHT Creates a web light. System Variables LIGHTGLYPHDISPLAY Turns on and off the display of light glyphs. LIGHTINGUNITS Controls whether generic or photometric lights are used, and specifies the lighting units for the drawing. LIGHTSINBLOCKS Controls whether lights contained in blocks are used when rendering.
Distant Lights in Standard Lighting Workflow A distant light emits uniform parallel light rays in one direction only. You specify a FROM point and a TO point anywhere in the viewport to define the direction of the light. Spotlights and point lights are each represented by a different light glyph. Distant lights are not represented by glyphs in the drawing because they do not have a discrete position and affect the entire scene.
way to assign a shape to the light. The shape affects the rendering and shadows in the same way that a panel light casts different light than a tube light in the real world. The Shape Property The Shape property is available in the Properties Inspector. Under ShadowDetail, there is a Type property. Whether the Shape property is displayed depends on the Type property that is selected. The following types are available: Soft (shadow) map, Sharp (default), Soft (sampled).
Displaying light glyphs in the plotted drawing is optional; light glyph display is controlled with the plot glyph property setting. With the plot glyph property, you specify light glyph to display one light at a time. The plot glyph setting for a viewport affects all the lights globally. Quick Reference Commands DISTANTLIGHT Creates a distant light. LIGHT Creates a light. POINTLIGHT Creates a point light that radiates light in all directions from its location.
NOTE Rotating a targeted light is useful for aligning the area shadow region appropriately. Also, the orientation of the area shadow light is reset when the position or the target of the light is changed. Location (Point Lights and Spotlights) You can use the grip labeled Position to move a point light or a spotlight, or you can set the location in the Properties Inspector. The Position grip moves the light but does not change the target. To move both the light and its target, drag the light glyph itself.
POINTLIGHT Creates a point light that radiates light in all directions from its location. SPOTLIGHT Creates a spotlight that emits a directional cone of light. TARGETPOINT Creates a target point light. WEBLIGHT Creates a web light. System Variables DEFAULTLIGHTING Turns on and off default lighting in place of other lighting. DEFAULTLIGHTINGTYPE Specifies the type of default lighting, old or new. LIGHTGLYPHDISPLAY Turns on and off the display of light glyphs.
SUNSTATUS Turns on and off the lighting effects of the sun in the current viewport. Control Light Properties Every light in the drawing has general and specific lighting properties that can be changed after the light is placed. When a light is selected, its properties can be changed in the Properties Inspector. You can use grip tools to move or rotate a selected light and change other properties such as the hotspot and falloff cone in spotlights.
■ Hotspot cone angle. Defines the brightest part of a light beam. Also known as the beam angle. ■ Falloff cone angle. Defines the full cone of light. Also known as the field angle. ■ Rapid decay area. Consists of the region between the hotspot and falloff angles. The greater the difference between the hotspot and falloff angles, the softer the edge of the light beam. If the hotspot and falloff angles are near equal, the edge of the light beam is sharp. Both values can range from 0 to 160 degrees.
If you select Web in the Type property for a photometric light, additional properties are offered in the Photometric Web and Web offsets panel in the Lighting category. ■ Web file. Specifies the data file describing the intensity distribution of the light. ■ Web preview. Displays a 2D slice through goniometric data. ■ Rotation of X. Specifies a rotational offset of the web about the optical X axis. ■ Rotation of Y. Specifies a rotational offset of the web about the optical Y axis. ■ Rotation of Z.
Another way to control the start point and end point of light is to use limits. Limits work like clipping planes to control where light is first emitted and where it stops. Using limits can increase performance by removing the need for the program to calculate light levels where the light is already practically invisible. Quick Reference Commands DISTANTLIGHT Creates a distant light. FREESPOT Creates free spotlight which is similar to a spotlight without a specified target.
POINTLIGHT Creates a point light that radiates light in all directions from its location. SPOTLIGHT Creates a spotlight that emits a directional cone of light. TARGETPOINT Creates a target point light. WEBLIGHT Creates a web light. System Variables DEFAULTLIGHTING Turns on and off default lighting in place of other lighting. DEFAULTLIGHTINGTYPE Specifies the type of default lighting, old or new. LIGHTGLYPHDISPLAY Turns on and off the display of light glyphs.
SUNSTATUS Turns on and off the lighting effects of the sun in the current viewport. Incorporate Luminaire Objects A luminaire object is a helper object that assembles a set of objects into a light fixture. A luminaire object groups and manages the components of a light as a whole. Light fixtures can be represented by embedding photometric lights in blocks that also contain geometry. A luminaire object assembles a set of light objects into a light fixture. An example of a luminaire object.
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Materials and Textures 37 Materials define the shininess, bumpiness, and transparency of object’s surfaces to give them a realistic appearance. Overview of Materials Add materials to objects in your drawings to provide a realistic effect in any rendered view. Autodesk provides a large library of predefined materials for you to use. Use the Materials Browser to browse materials and apply them to objects in your drawing. Textures add complexity and realism to a material.
MATERIALSCLOSE Closes the Materials Browser. System Variables CMATERIAL Sets the material of new objects. MATBROWSERSTATE Controls the state of the Materials Browser. Browse Material Library You can browse and attach materials from the Materials Browser. Materials Browser Use the Materials Browser to navigate, sort, search, and select materials for use in your drawing. The browser contains the following main components: ■ Browser toolbar. Contains the Show or Hide Library Tree button and the search box.
Quick Reference Commands MATBROWSERCLOSE Closes the Materials Browser. MATBROWSEROPEN Opens the Materials Browser. MATERIALS Opens the Materials Browser. MATERIALSCLOSE Closes the Materials Browser. System Variables MATBROWSERSTATE Controls the state of the Materials Browser.
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Render 3D Objects for Realism 38 A realistic rendering of a model can often give a product team or prospective client a clearer vision of a conceptual design than a plotted drawing. Overview of Rendering Rendering creates a 2D image based on your 3D scene. It shades the scene's geometry using the lighting you've set up, the materials you've applied, and environmental settings such as background and fog.
The renderer is a general-purpose renderer that generates physically correct simulations of lighting effects, including ray-traced reflections and refractions, and global illumination. A range of standard rendering presets, reusable rendering parameters, are available. Some of the presets are tailored for relatively quick preview renderings while others are for higher quality renderings. Quick Reference Commands RENDER Creates a photorealistic or realistically shaded image of a 3D solid or surface model.
direction in which a face is pointing is defined by a vector called a normal. The direction of the normal indicates the front, or outer surface of the face. When normals are unified and point in the same outward direction, the renderer processes each face and renders the model. If any normals are flipped, facing inward, the renderer skips them and leaves triangular or quadrilateral “holes” in the rendered image. If a face is missing, you’ll need to manually reconstruct it.
The time saved is in proportion to the number of faces discarded out of the total number of faces. Every object in a scene is processed by the renderer, even objects that are off camera and are not going to be present in the rendered view. A model that is built with the intent of rendering will benefit from good layer management. By turning off layers containing objects that are not in the view, you can increase rendering speed substantially.
When edges do not appear to be as precise as you want, use Boolean operations like union, intersect, and subtract. A much cleaner and precise edge is created to better reflect the object’s appearance. Coplanar Faces Faces that overlap and lie in the same plane, coplanar faces, can produce ambiguous results, especially if the materials applied to the two faces differ. In the following example, artifacts appear when faces occupy the same location.
This situation is often encountered when trying to fix a model that has a hole in its surface. For example, when corner points are selected for the new face, the points are crossed instead of being placed around the hole in a counter-clockwise direction. Avoid this problem by choosing corner points in the proper order. Quick Reference Commands RENDER Creates a photorealistic or realistically shaded image of a 3D solid or surface model.
Control Display of Circles and Arcs The VIEWRES command controls the display accuracy of curved 2D linework like circles and arcs in the current viewport. In the following example, line segments are more apparent as VIEWRES decreases - Upper left = 1000, Middle = 100, Lower right = 10. These objects are drawn on the screen using many short straight line segments. Smoother arcs and circles display with higher VIEWRES settings, but they take longer to regenerate.
When you raise and lower the value of VIEWRES, objects controlled by both VIEWRES and FACETRES are affected. When you raise and lower the value of FACETRES, only solid objects are affected. In the following example, smoother geometry is displayed when FACETRES is set to higher values. FACETRES = 5. See also: ■ Create Meshes on page 511 To alter the render resolution of solid geometry 1 At the Command prompt, enter facetres. 2 Do one of the following: ■ Enter a value greater than .
Quick Reference Commands VIEWRES Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport. System Variables FACETRES Set Up the Renderer You can control many of the settings that affect how the renderer processes a rendering task, especially when rendering higher quality images. Control the Rendering Environment You can use environmental features to set up atmospheric effects or background images.
The RENDERENVIRONMENT command is used to set up fog or depth cue parameters. The key parameters you’ll set are the color of the fog or depth cueing, the near and far distances, and the near and far fog percentages. Fog and depth cueing are based on the front or back clipping planes of your camera coupled with the near and far distance settings on the Render Environment dialog box. For example, the back clipping plane of a camera is active and located 30 feet from the camera location.
process is faster when you render smaller portions of a view, rendering the entire view lets you see how all objects are oriented to one another. If your current drawing contains named views, you can quickly display them by using the VIEW command. The following example shows a rendering of a named view. For a complete description of the Render Window, see RENDER in the Command Reference. Quick Reference Commands RENDER Creates a photorealistic or realistically shaded image of a 3D solid or surface model.
Depending on the render settings and render preset you’ve chosen, rendering can be a time-consuming process. However, redisplaying a previously rendered image is instantaneous. Once rendering is complete, you can save the image or save a copy of the image to one of the following file formats: BMP, TGA, TIF, PCX, JPG, or PNG. Quick Reference Commands RENDER Creates a photorealistic or realistically shaded image of a 3D solid or surface model.
Use Models with Other Applications You can use other Autodesk products to further enhance the quality of your models. ® Autodesk products continually improve their ability to share drawings and ® ® ® models, including 3ds Max , Autodesk VIZ, and AutoCAD Architecture. 3ds Max or Autodesk VIZ With these products, you can make greater improvements on your models. You have the option of opening DWG or DXF files without converting or you can use the File Link Manager to create a live link with a drawing file.
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Glossary Commands associated with definitions are shown in parentheses at the end of the definition. A CUIx file that is typically controlled by a CAD manager. It is often accessed by many users and is stored in a shared network location. The file is read-only to users to prevent the data in the file from being changed. A CAD manager creates an enterprise CUxI file by modifying a main CUIx file and then saving the file to the support location defined in the Options dialog box, Files tab.
adjacent cell selection A selection of table cells that share at least one boundary with another cell in the same selection. alias A shortcut for a command. For example, CP is an alias for COPY, and Z is an alias for ZOOM. You define aliases in the acad.pgp file. aliasing The effect of discrete picture elements, or pixels, aligned as a straight or curved edge on a fixed grid appearing to be jagged or stepped. See also anti-aliasing.
on the current annotation scale setting and automatically displayed at the correct size. annotational constraint Dimensional constraint used to control the size of the geometry as well as annotate the drawing. See also parameter constraint, and dynamic constraint annotations Text, dimensions, tolerances, symbols, notes, and other types of explanatory symbols or objects that are used to add information to your model. annotative A property that belongs to objects that are commonly used to annotate drawings.
associative dimension A dimension that automatically adapts as the associated geometry is modified. Controlled by the DIMASSOC system variable. See also nonassociative dimension and exploded dimension. associative hatch Hatching that conforms to its bounding objects such that modifying the bounding objects automatically adjusts the hatch. (BHATCH) associative surfaces Associative surfaces automatically adjust their location and shape when the geometric objects associated with them are modified.
base point 1. In the context of editing grips, the grip that changes to a solid color when selected to specify the focus of the subsequent editing operation. 2. A point for relative distance and angle when copying, moving, and rotating objects. 3. The insertion base point of the current drawing. (BASE) 4. The insertion base point for a block definition. (BLOCK) baseline An imaginary line on which text characters appear to rest. Individual characters can have descenders that drop below the baseline.
bump map A map in which brightness values are translated into apparent changes in the height of the surface of an object. BYBLOCK A special object property used to specify that the object inherits the color or linetype of any block containing it. See also BYLAYER. BYLAYER A special object property used to specify that the object inherits the color or linetype associated with its layer. See also BYBLOCK. callout block A block used as symbol to reference another sheet.
command line A text area reserved for keyboard input, prompts, and messages. compass A visual aid that indicates the directions North, South, East, and West in the current model. composite solid A solid created from two or more individual solids. (UNION, SUBTRACT, INTERSECT) constraint bar Displays the geometric constraints associated with objects or with points on objects.
crossing selection A rectangular area drawn to select objects fully or partly within its borders. CTB file SA color-dependent plot style table. ctrl-cycle Method for cycling between different behaviors while editing geometry, either in a command or when grip-editing. Pressing and releasing the Ctrl key cycles the behavior. For constrained geometry, Ctrl-cycling switches between enforcing and relaxing constraints.
default value The value that is accepted when you press Enter at a sub-prompt. The default value is displayed in angle brackets <>. See also default. definition points Points for creating a dimension. The program refers to the points to modify the appearance and value of a nonassociative dimension when the dimensioned object is modified. Also called defpoints and stored on the special layer DEFPOINTS. definition table The nongraphical data area of a drawing file that stores block definitions.
Mac window and on how many toolbars and other elements are displayed. See also AutoCAD for Mac window. drawing extents The smallest rectangle that contains all objects in a drawing, positioned on the screen to display the largest possible view of all objects. (ZOOM) drawing limits See grid limits. drawing template A drawing file with preestablished settings for new drawings such as acad.dwtand acadiso.dwt however, any drawing can be used as a template. See also initial environment.
edge The boundary of a face. edge modifiers Effects such as overhang and jitter that control how edges are displayed in a shaded model. elevation The default Z value above or below the XY plane of the current user coordinate system, which is used for entering coordinates and digitizing locations. (ELEV) empty selection set A selection set that contains no objects. environment map A bitmap that is used to simulate reflections in materials that have reflective properties.
face style A setting in the visual style that defines the shading on a face. facet The underlying structure of the face of a 3D solid, surface, or mesh. Facets can be quadrilateral or triangular. Smoothing a mesh object increases the number of facets for each face. feature control frame The tolerance that applies to specific features or patterns of features.
geometric constraint Rules that define the geometric relationships of objects (or points of objects) elements and control how an object can change shape or size. Geometric constraints are coincident, collinear, concentric, equal, fix, horizontal, parallel, perpendicular, tangent, and vertical. geometry All graphical objects such as lines, circles, arcs, polylines, and dimensions. Nongraphical objects, such as linetypes, lineweights, text styles, and layers are not considered geometry. See also named object.
grips Small squares and triangles that appear on objects you select. After selecting the grip, you edit the object by dragging it with the pointing device instead of entering commands. ground plane The XY plane of the user coordinate system when perspective projection is turned on. The ground plane displays with a color gradient between the ground horizon (nearest to the horizon) and the ground origin (opposite the horizon). See also sky and underground.
interface element A user interface object that can be customized, such as a pull-down menu or tool set. interpolation points Defining points that a B-spline passes through. See also approximation points and fit points. island An enclosed area within another enclosed area. Islands may be detected as part of the process of creating hatches, polylines, and regions. (BHATCH, BOUNDARY) ISO For International Standards Organization.
lineweight A width value that can be assigned to all graphical objects except ® TrueType fonts and raster images. LL84 coordinate system Common latitude longitudinal-based coordinate system where latitude and longitude are both measured from -90 to 90 degrees. Longitude begins at 0 degrees at the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, England and is measured from -180 to 180. Latitude is 0 degrees at the equator and is measured from -90 to 90.
model space. A final layout of specific views and annotations of this model is placed in paper space. See also paper space. (MSPACE) model viewports A type of display that splits the drawing area into one or more adjacent rectangular viewing areas. See also layout viewports, TILEMODE, and viewport. (VPORTS) multileader A leader object that creates annotations with multiple leader lines.
object snap override Turning off or changing a running Object Snap mode for input of a single point. See also Object Snap mode and running object snap. ObjectARX (AutoCAD for Mac Runtime Extension) A compiled-language programming environment for developing AutoCAD for Mac applications. opacity map Projection of opaque and transparent areas onto objects, creating the effect of a solid surface with holes or gaps. origin The point where coordinate axes intersect.
any custom plotter calibration or custom paper size information. See also PMP file, STB file, and CTB file. perspective view Objects in 3D seen by an observer positioned at the viewpoint looking at the view center. Objects appear smaller when the distance from the observer (at the view point) to the view center increases. Although a perspective view appears realistic, it does not preserve the shapes of objects. Parallel lines seemingly converge in the view.
plot style table A set of plot styles. Plot styles are defined in plot style tables and apply to objects only when the plot style table is attached to a layout or viewport. PMP file Plot Model Parameter. File containing custom plotter calibration and custom paper size information associated with plotter configuration file. point 1. A location in three-dimensional space specified by X, Y, and Z coordinate values. 2. An object consisting of a single coordinate location.
procedural materials Materials that generate a 3D pattern in two or more colors, and apply it to an object. These include marble and wood. Also called template materials. procedural surface A 3D surface object that has history and analytic information, but no control vertices. Procedural surfaces are the only type of surface that can be associative. See also generic surface and NURBS surface.
reflection color The color of a highlight on shiny material. Also called specular color. reflection mapping Creates the effect of a scene reflected on the surface of a shiny object. refraction How light distorts through an object. regenerate To update a drawing's screen display by recomputing the screen coordinates from the database. See also redraw. (REGEN) region Two-dimensional enclosed areas that have physical properties such as centroids or centers of mass.
scale representation The display of an annotative object based on the annotation scales that the object supports. For example, if an annotative object supports two annotations scales, it has two scale representations script file A set of commands executed sequentially with a single SCRIPT command. Script files are created outside the program using a text editor, saved in text format, and stored in an external file with the file extension .scr.
snap grid The invisible grid that locks the pointer into alignment with the grid points according to the spacing set by Snap. Snap grid does not necessarily correspond to the visible grid, which is controlled separately by GRID. (SNAP) Snap mode A mode for locking a pointing device into alignment with an invisible rectangular grid. When Snap mode is on, the screen crosshairs and all input coordinates are snapped to the nearest point on the grid. The snap resolution defines the spacing of this grid.
surface associativity See associative surfaces surface normal Positive direction perpendicular to the surface of an object. swept solid/surface A solid or surface created in the shape of the specified profile (the swept object) swept along the specified path. (SWEEP) symbol A representation of an item commonly used in drawings. Symbols are inserted in drawings as blocks. symbol table See definition table and block definition table. system variable A name that is recognized as a mode, size, or limit.
thaw A setting that displays previously frozen layers. See also freeze. (LAYER) thickness The distance certain objects are extruded to give them a 3D appearance. (PROPERTIES, CHPROP, ELEV, THICKNESS) tiled viewports See model viewports. TILEMODE A system variable that controls whether viewports can be created as movable, resizable objects (layout viewports), or as nonoverlapping display elements that appear side-by-side (model viewports). See also viewport.
up direction A vector defining what direction is Up. By default this is the positive Z – axis (0,0,+1). The up direction and the north direction are always constrained such that they are perpendicular to each other. user coordinate system (UCS) A user-defined coordinate system that defines the orientation of the X, Y, and Z axes in 3D space. The UCS determines the default placement of geometry in a drawing. See also world coordinate system (WCS).
viewport configuration A named collection of model viewports that can be saved and restored. (VPORTS) virtual screen display The area in which the program can pan and zoom without regenerating the drawing. visual style A collection of settings that control the display of edges and shading in a viewport. volumetric shadows A photorealistically rendered volume of space cast by the shadow of an object. watertight A closed 3D solid or mesh that has no gaps. WCS See world coordinate system (WCS).
Index 2D Cartesian coordinates 199 coordinate filters 241 entering 201 2D coordinates Cartesian 199 entering 200 polar 199 2D isometric views 951 2D objects flattened views of 3D objects 650 sectioning 647 simplified display 192 simulating 3D 951 2D polar coordinates 199, 203 2D UCS icon 221 2D wireframe visual style 93 3D arrays 329 3D Cartesian coordinates coordinate filters 241 defining 3D views 90 entering 205 3D coordinates Cartesian coordinates 205 cylindrical coordinates 207 entering 205 spherical co
subobjects 570 thickness 544 types of 441 viewing 548 visual styles 93 weblights 967 wireframes 542 3D Move gizmo 549, 554 3D objects aligning 325 arrays 329 AutoCAD LT functionality 935 coordinates 205 edge display 101 exporting 926 extending 340 filleting 347 flattened views of 650 live sectioning 642 lofting 568 mirroring 336 modifying 547 rendering 993 rotating 324 shadows 100 simulating in 2D 951 smoothness 999 subobjects 570 surfaces 485 sweeping 567 thickness 544 trimming 340 visual styles 93 wirefra
types 465 types of 447 validating 586 vertices 570 wireframes 542 3D space 3D models 441 coordinates 205 elevations 216 object snaps 228 UCSs 214 workplanes 214 3D surfaces 485, 547 composite solids 581 composite surfaces 584 edges 576, 589 editing 594 extending 598 faces and 573 filletting 599 modifying 570 NURBS surfaces 600 properties 591 reconstructing 601 separating into original shapes 585 surface analysis 602 trimming 596 vertices 580 3D UCS icon 221 3D views architectural design conventions 90 chang
calculating 252 constraints 386 defining 3D views with 90 polar angles 239 polar coordinates 203 rotating objects by 323 snap angle 235 spotlights 982 unit types 200 angular constraints 387 angular dimensions breaks in 822 creating 814 definition points 833 spacing between 825 angular units 56 anisotropic light distributions 967 annotation objects annotative styles 662 blocks as 667 creating 660 defined 657 dimensions as 665, 801 hatches as 669 leaders as 666 model space and 131 multileaders as 666 orientat
associative hatches creating 680 defined 676 exploding 354 extents 699 associative surfaces about 486 creating 449, 505 associative text 724 atmospheric rendering effects 1001 attached xrefs demand loading and 891 Internet-based xrefs 948 relocated xrefs 889 updating 890 attaching block attributes 420, 424 files to drawings 907 raster images 911 xrefs 883, 886 attenuation of lights 984 attribute definitions 423 attribute extraction templates 426 attribute tags 423 attributes of blocks 420 auditing drawings
Block Attribute Manager duplicate tags 435 reordering prompts 424 block attributes about 420 annotative 660 attaching 424 attribute definitions 423 attribute extraction templates attribute tags 423, 427, 435 attribute values 435 constant 421 definitions 434 editing 424 error handling 431 exporting data 426 extracting data from 425 invisible 421 modifying 433 nested blocks 431 removing 435 stand-alone 425 updating 435 variable 421 block definitions about 413 annotations 655, 667 base points 413 block attribu
boxes 3D solids 465 mesh boxes 516 modifying 590 breaking objects 351 breaks in dimensions 822 brightness 915 bringing objects to front 196 bulge magnitude 488 bulleted lists 715 bullets 715 Buzzsaw location shortcuts 947 Buzzsaw project collaboration service 947 Buzzsaw sites 947 BYBLOCK setting block definitions 417 properties 163 BYLAYER setting 163 C calculating angles 252 areas 253 circumferences 254 command prompt calculator 258 distances 252 model space scale factors 133 perimeters 254 point coordin
xrefs 894 clipping boundaries blocks 894 layout viewports 146 raster images 913–914 xrefs 884, 894 clipping planes 3D views and 110 closed areas 587 closed curves 505 closed meshes 537 closed polylines 276 code pages 945 coincident grips 357 collaborative web sites 947 collected leader lines 726 color books 179 color libraries 176 color palettes 176 color-dependent plot style tables 858 about 874 plot styles in 873 color-dependent plot styles 873 colors 3D solids 575 ACI colors 176 application window elemen
modifying 590 configuring Render 1001 conflicting xref names 900 conical helixes 286 constant block attributes 421 Constrained Orbit tool 108 constraining object movement 554 object rotation 557 object scaling 558 constraint bars 380 constraint icons 379 constraint points 375 constraints annotational constraints 391 applying 389 applying automatically 384 AutoCAD LT functionality 935 constraint bars 380 contraint points 375 dimensional constraints 386 displaying 379, 394 dynamic constraints 390 editing 377,
hatch properties 697 multiple copies of objects 327 object properties 165 objects 310, 326 objects to other drawings 67 offsetting objects 333 corners beveled 348 chamfering 348 filleting 344 correcting mistakes 307 spelling 754 CPolygon selection 296 creases limiting distortion 629 mesh objects 620–621 cross sectioning 2D and 3D sections 647 live sectioning 642 lofting objects and 456, 568 section objects 635 crosshairs coloring 43 crossing selections 296 CTB files 858, 873 current viewports 124 cursor Dyn
hidden surfaces 994 layer property overrides 174 layers 170, 172 linetypes 181 multiline vertices 365 objects 309–310 objects from groups 306 points in splines 360 text styles 739 unused named objects 309 vertices 581 demand loading (xrefs) about 904 temporary xref file copies 905 updating xrefs 891 density of mesh objects 617 depth cueing 1001 deselecting objects 294, 297 DesignCenter blocks in 419 copying block definitions 432 inserting blocks from 408 raster images in 911 detaching raster images 913 xref
previous release formats and 929, 932 radial 809 scale 801 spacing between 825 styles 773, 827 text 769, 783, 830 text styles 790 types 767, 803 units of measurement 790, 792 values 792 direct distance entry 200, 247 direction axes 214 disassociated dimensions 833 discontinuities 601 display drivers 105 display performance 192, 921 displaying 3D solid history 582 alignment paths 245 annotative objects 670 constraints 379 dimensional constraints 394 draw order 196 drawing properties 60 drawing units 131 gizm
polygons 265, 276 polyline arcs 276 polylines 262 polysolids 475 precision 199 pyramids 472 rays 287 rectangles 265 reference points 286 revision clouds 291 spheres 471 splines 281 squares 266 tangent arcs and lines 273 tori 474 triangles 266 viewports and 124 wedges 466 wide polylines 276 drawing extents 82, 850, 861 drawing files (DWG) backups 77 converting other files to 908 file locations 73 finding 60, 72 inserting as blocks 407 opening 61 previous release formats 928 repairing 75 saving 67–68 drawing
saving 67, 944 saving as templates 58 scaling 131 sharing 943 starting 53 switching between 65 templates 58 text in 706 unconstrained drawings 368 underconstrained drawings 368 viewports 121 views 81 xrefs 881 duplicating objects 326 DWG to PDF driver 877 DWT files saving layouts as 157 starting drawings 58 DXB files converting to DWG 908 DXF files (drawing interchange format) converting to DWG 908 exporting 923 exporting block attribute data 429 saving 68 DXX files 429 dynamic block definitions about 409 A
objects 293, 311 polylines 355 revision clouds 292 separating solids into shapes 585 spirals 363 splines 360 surfaces 547, 570, 573, 584, 594 tables 757, 762 text 749 text styles 738 vertices 580 visual styles 94 xrefs 897 educational products 884 elevation 216 ellipses calculating geometric data for 254 drawing 280 grips on 315 modifying 293 PostScript rendering 925 elliptical arcs modifying 293 PostScript rendering 925 EPS files exporting 925 equations parametric constraints 398 erasing objects 309 errors
reloading 890 relocated xrefs 889 temporary file copies 905 unloading 905 updating 881, 890 External References palette loading or unloading images 921 raster image information 917 externally referenced dimension styles 774 extracting block attribute data 425–426 geometric data 252 extruding faces 631 mesh faces 622 objects 567, 587 extruding objects 450 F face counts 998 face normals 994 face views 116 faces of 3D solids colors 575 coplanar faces 997 copying 574 creases 621 edge display 101 extruding 622,
modifying 697 PostScript rendering 925 properties 693 solid fills 676, 685 turning off display 192 wipeout objects 702 filter colors of lighting 982 filtering layers 170 subobject selection filters 565, 630 finding commands 11, 13, 22 drawing files 60, 72 raster images 919 text 753 fit points in splines 360 fit points on splines 283, 504 fitting dimension text 783 Fix constraints 376 fixed-length extension lines 778 fixtures (lighting) 956, 987 flat lighting 96 flatshot objects 650 flattened views of 3D obj
applying 373 applying automatically 384 constraint points 375 displaying 379 editing 377 editing constrained objects 381 fix constraints 376 illustrated 367 inferring 384 multiple constraints 376 relaxing 369 removing 369, 373 surfaces 508 geometric tolerances 837 composite tolerances 841 datum reference frames 840 lateral tolerances 797 material conditions 839 projected tolerances 840 geometry object geometric data 252 projecting 597 rendering 996 trimming edges with 597 gizmos 3D meshes 613 3D models 561
H handdrawn effects 102 hanging indents 718 hardware acceleration 105 linetypes and 180 hatches alignment 698 annotations and 655, 669 associative 676, 680 background colors 685 boundaries 680, 701 bounded hatches 676 chamfering boundaries 348 customizing 685 density 691 draw order 696 editing 353 exploding 354 file locations 73 filleting boundaries 345 gradient fills 685 islands within 680–681 ISO patterns 685 large or complex drawings and 682 model space settings 132 modifying 697 nonassociative 681 orien
imprinting objects on 3D solids 589 In-Place Text Editor columns 722 fonts in 741 indents and 718 multiline text 711 table text and 759, 764 incremental saves 69 indenting paragraphs 718 inferring constraints 384 infinite lines 287 inheritance blocks 417 joined objects 357 initializing layouts 858 inserting blocks 407, 762 drawing files as blocks 407 fields in text 733 formulas 764 objects at equal intervals 249 inspection dimensions 821 inspection rates 822 installation color books 179 intensity of light 9
lamp intensity 963, 965, 983 landings dimension text 809 multileader leader lines 724, 726 landscape orientation 849, 864 languages previous release file formats 930 Unicode text 945 working internationally 945 large objects 63, 70 lateral tolerances displaying 797 stacked text in 720 layer properties blocks and 417 xref properties 884 Layer Properties Manager layer names 170 property overrides 173 layers about 165 block elements and 406 colors 168, 171, 178 creating 169 current 170 default properties 168 d
plot scale 852 plot settings 845, 861, 865 plot style tables 874 plotting 857 previewing 64 shaded viewports 867 switching to model space 66 work process 142 leaders (leader lines) annotations 655, 666 associativity and 724, 726 automatically creating 784 blocks in 729 breaks in 822 creating 725 defined 724 landings 726 modifying 725 multileaders 725 multiline text in 729 ordinate dimensions and 817 styles 728 leading (line spacing) 719 least material condition values 839 legacy mesh types 534, 537 lengthen
multilines 267 occluded 102 Ortho mode 237 polyline arcs 276 table gridlines 761 tangent to arcs 273 Linetype Manager scale settings 184 linetypes about 180 applying 182 blocks 416–417 current 182 defaults 168 deleting 181 displaying on short segments 185 file locations 73 filtering selection sets by 299 freehand sketches 269 hardware linetypes 180 layers and 165, 171, 183 layout viewports and 153 loading 181 model space settings 132 polylines 185 reapplying 183 scaling 153, 184 lineweights about 186 applyi
object snaps 229 point markers 250–251 tracking points 244 markups revision clouds 291 masking objects 702 mass properties 256 master drawings 881 material condition symbols 839 MaxArray system registry variable 329 maximum material condition values 839 measurement units about 54 coordinates 200 dimension text 790 dimensions 792 model space 131 plot scale 866 measurements dimensions 767 equal intervals 249–251 tolerances 837 memory (RAM) allocating 105 memory tuning 106 merge extend surfaces 598 merging cel
lineweight display in 186, 188 live sectioning and 642 moving objects to paper space 142 plot scale 865 plotting from 132, 862, 870 switching to layouts 66 viewports 121 model space viewports assigning UCSs to 219 creating 121 UCSs in 216 modifying 3D models 547 3D solids 547, 573, 580 block attribute definitions 424 block attributes 433–434 block definitions 431, 897 block references 431, 897 colors 178 columns of text 722 complex objects 353 composite solids 584 constrained objects 381, 396 constraints 39
columns 722 creating 711 editing 751 finding 753 formatting 714 height 715, 746 indenting 718 justification 713 leader objects and 724 line spacing 719 lists in 715 obliquing angle 747 orientation 748 previous release file formats and 929 properties 712 replacing 753 stacked 720 styles 714, 738 tabs 718 text wrap 712 multilines drawing 267 editing commands 365 intersections 365 modifying 364 styles 267 vertices 365 multiple drawings opening 64 switching between 67 multiple hot grip selection 314 multiple-vi
dimensions 792 rounding 795 suppressing zeros 796 NURBS curves 281, 601, 603 NURBS surfaces about 486 analyzing 608 creating 442, 502 editing 594, 600 rebuilding 601 O object enablers 938 object properties about 161 assigning 161 blocks 416 colors 176, 178 copying 165 layer defaults 168 linetypes 180 lineweights 187 object snap tracking 244 object snaps 3D space 228 about 226 angles of 235 AutoSnap 229 base points 235 constraints and 384 grid snap 232 isometric drawings 951 object snap tracking 244 overrid
saving 68 scaling 342 section objects 635 selecting 293 separating into original shapes 585 simplified display 192 snapping 226 stretching 342 subobjects 570 textures 989 transparency 194 visibility 149 oblique extension lines 808 oblique text 747 obscured edges 101 occluded lines 102 offset snaps 318 offsetting construction lines 288 copying objects 318 objects 333 plot offsets 851, 864 surfaces 498 temporary reference points 248 opacity transparency settings 194 visual styles 97 open curves 505 open meshe
panning 3D views 109 about 81 dynamic 81 layout viewports 144 Pantone color books 177 paper size fitting drawings on 866 layout settings 848 plot scale and 865 scaling drawings to fit 852 settings 862 paper space 137 about 137 blocks and 415 dimensioning in 801 drawing in 137 hiding objects 870 layout work process 142 lineweight display in 188 moving objects to model space 142 object visibility 149 plotting options 870 UCS limitations 217 paper-saving features 863 paragraphs (multiline text) 711 parallel di
resolution 999 shadow display and 100, 982 software acceleration 105 text display 192 perimeters 254 perpendicular lines 237 perspective view 117 perspective views about 85 AutoCAD LT functionality and 937 defining 87 photometric lights distant lights and 977 goniometric diagrams 968 IES data files 968, 971 lamp values 975 luminous intensity distribution (LID) 972 overview 959 point lights 963 properties 963, 983 spotlights 965 weblights 967, 984 workflow 956 photorealistic rendering 993 pickbox cursor 293
screened objects 151 section objects 650 selecting output devices 861 test plot performance 192 text frames 193 transparent objects 195, 870 wipeout objects 703 PNG files (Portable Network Graphics) exporting 924 importing 908 point clouds AutoCAD LT functionality 937 point lights artifical lighting 960 attenuation rates 984 location 980 overview 962 target points 962 point markers 250–251 pointer input 223 points block base points 413 control points 360 coordinates 252 direct distance entry 247 drawing 286
previewing drawings 64, 72 layouts 64 object selections 301 plotted drawings 876 weblights 984 previous releases converting files 928 fields and 736 lineweights and 190 saving drawings as 931 primitive solids about 465 grips 567 modifying 590 spheres 471 primitives mesh primitives 515 solids 465 printable areas 845, 848, 851, 861, 863 printers offsetting plots 864 selecting 848, 861 printing page setups 845 procedural surfaces about 486 converting objects to 501 creating 442, 491 editing 594 profile toleran
Q quadrant grips 315 quadrants in dimensioning Quick Text mode 193 Quick View tools 64 815 R radial dimensions 809, 822 radius (fillet) 345 radius dimensions 809, 833 RAL color sets 177 RAM allocating 105 memory tuning 106 rapid decay area of spotlights 982 Rapid prototyping 927 raster images about 908 attaching 911 bitonal 916 clipping boundaries 913 display options 915 display speed 920–921 file formats 909 file paths 911 finding files 919 hiding 921 image information 917 Internet-based files 911 loadin
3D coordinates 206 copying objects with 326 cylindrical coordinates 208 entering 199 spherical coordinates 209 relative paths xrefs 887–888 relaxing constraints 369 relocated xrefs 889 removing 3D solid history 582 back faces 994 blips 309 block attributes 435 block definitions 411 constraints 369 creases 622 dimension breaks 824 edges 577 faces 574 fillets 346 geometric constraints 373 group definition 307 hidden surfaces 994 layer property overrides 174 multiline vertices 365 objects 310 objects from grou
revolved meshes 531 revolving solids 568 surfaces 568 revolving objects 459 RFS symbol (regardless of feature size) 839 right-hand rule 214 RLC files 908 rotated dimensions 807 rotating 3D objects 324 3D Rotate gizmo 549, 556 3D subobjects 570 3D views 90 constraining rotation 557 dimension text 830 dimensions 807 edges 576 faces 573 grip methods for 314 hatches 698 lights 979 objects 313, 323 snap angles 235 UCSs 210 vertices 580 views in layout viewports 155 rotation snaps 318 rounding corners 344 edges 5
drawings to fit paper 852 edges 576 faces 573 grip methods for 314 hatch patterns 691, 698 linetypes 153, 184 lineweights 853 model space settings 131–132 objects 313, 342 plot scale 865 raster images 912 scaling by reference 343 tables 757–758 text 750–751 text scale ratios 133 vertices 580 views in layout viewports 148 scenes lighting 960 rendering 1002 schedules tables 757 screen display cleaning up 309 clearing 44 performance 192 quality 921 updating 193 screening layout viewports 151 scripts customizin
suppressing highlighting 922 tables or table elements 759 selection fences 296 selection filters 565, 630 selection preview 294 selection windows 295 self-intersections 632 sending objects to back 196 servers proxy servers 943 setting up pages 845 shaded images AutoCAD LT functionality 935 customizing shading 95 edge display 101 rendering 999 visual styles 93 shaded UCS icon 221 shaded viewports plotting options 854, 867–868, 870 resolution settings 869 Shaded visual style 93 Shaded with Edges visual style
previous release formats and 929 special characters block attribute extraction files 429 bullets in lists 715 file names 69 fractions 721 inserting 711 tolerance stacks 721 Unicode text 945 xref symbols 900 spelling check 754 spheres 3D solids 471 mesh spheres 523 modifying 590 spherical coordinates 209 spinning mesh edges 613 spirals drawing 285 modifying 363 spline-fit polylines extending 340 trimming 340 splines B-splines 502 calculating geometric data for 254 control points 360 drawing 281 editing 360 f
associative 449, 505 blending 495 bulge magnitude 488 chamfering 577 composite solids 581 composite surfaces 584 constraints 508 continuity 488 converting meshes to 632 converting objects to 446, 501 converting to 3D solids 478, 480 converting to meshes 534 creating 486 edges 576, 589 editing 594 extending 598 extruding 447, 450, 567 faces and 573 filleting 577, 599 grips 567 hidden 994 interferences 484 lighting and 961 lofting 456, 568 meshes 528 modifying 547, 570 network surfaces 492–493 NURBS surfaces
row height 758 selecting elements 759 table styles 761 text in 762 title rows 761 tabs in text 718 tabulated meshes 531 tangential objects arcs and lines 273 circles 274 tapering polylines 277 TARGA files 908 target point lights 962, 984 targeted weblights 968 teams master drawings 881 templates attribute extraction templates drawing templates 58 layout templates 157 saving 68 temporary files 73 tessellation about 512 curved solids 999 mesh objects 615 refinement 513 smoothing 513 test plots 192 testing par
tiling 922 tiling images 922 tints 685 titles tables 761 tolerances alignment 798 annotations 655, 665 composite tolerances 841 datum reference frames 840 deviation tolerances 797 geometric tolerances 837 inspection dimensions 821 lateral tolerances 797 limits 798 material conditions 839 multiline text 720 projected tolerances 840 rounding values 795 suppressing zeros 798 symbols 797 symmetrical tolerances 797 tone mapping 959 tools precision drawing tools 199 tooltips AutoSnap 229 Dynamic Input 223 dynamic
paper space and 217 preset systems 216 restoring 217 saving 217 UCS icon 221 workplanes 214 unbounded hatches 675, 694 unconstrained drawings 368 underconstrained drawings 368 undoing actions correcting mistakes 307 layer changes 171 Unicode fonts 742 Unicode text 711, 930, 945 unions 3D solids 481 regions 289 separating into original shapes 585 units of measurement about 54 coordinate unit types 200 dimensions 790, 792 model space 131 plot scale 866 unloaded raster images 918 unloading raster images 921 xr
visual styles in 94, 174 views 2D isometric 951 3D projection styles 85 3D views 107 aligning in viewports 154 changing 81 cross sections 635 flattened 3D objects 650 layout viewports 147 live sectioning 646 model space 3D views 89 modifying 144 multiple-view drawing layouts 137 panning 81 performance issues and 105 plot options 850 preset 3D views 89 properties 84 rendering 1002 restoring 84 rotating 155 saving 84 scaling 148 viewports 121 zooming 81 visibility annotations 670 layers 144, 167 layout viewpo
wipeout objects 702 Wireframe visual style 93 wireframes about 542 plot options 854 plotting 868 witness lines 777 workflows surface modeling 600 workplanes 199, 214 world coordinate system (WCS) WPolygon selection 296 wrinkled surfaces 601 X X axis 43 X-ray visual style 93 X, Y coordinates 199 xlines 287 filleting 347 modifying 293 1078 | Index xrefs (external references) 881 XY planes (workplanes) 91, 199 Y Y axis 43 Z 210 Z axis 43 zebra analysis 606 zero suppression dimensions 796 tolerances 798
