AutoCAD 2013 User's Guide January 2012
© 2012 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.
Contents Chapter 1 Get Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Find the Information You Need . . . . . . . . . . . . Access and Search the Product Help . . . . . . . Learn the Product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View the Product Readme . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the Customer Involvement Program . . . . Join the Customer Involvement Program . Get Information from Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . Obtain General Drawing Information . . . . . . Chapter 2 . . . . . . . .
About Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . Control the Drawing Area Interface . . . . . . . . . Interface Themes and Background Color . . . . Interface Themes and Background Color . Cursors in the Drawing Area . . . . . . . . . . Selection Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The UCS Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewport Label Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . The ViewCube Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Coordinates Display . . . . . . . . . . . . Model Space and Layouts . . . . .
Chapter 4 Control the Drawing Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Change Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pan or Zoom a View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Save and Restore Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Control the 3D Projection Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of Parallel and Perspective Views . . . . . Define a Perspective Projection (DVIEW) . . . . . . . Define a Parallel Projection . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scale Linetypes in Layout Viewports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Align Views in Layout Viewports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Rotate Views in Layout Viewports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Reuse Layouts and Layout Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Work with Layouts in a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Quick Start for Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Understand the Project Manager Interface . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display Lineweights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Set the Current Lineweight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Change the Lineweight of an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Control the Display Properties of Certain Objects . . . . . . . . 145 Control the Display of Polylines, Hatches, Gradient Fills, Lineweights, and Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Control the Transparency of Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Control How Overlapping Objects Are Displayed . . . . . .
Use the Command Prompt Calculator . . . Create Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Linear Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Polylines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Rectangles and Polygons . . . . . . . Draw Multiline Objects . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Freehand Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Curved Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Arcs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Circles . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Constrain Objects Geometrically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of Geometric Constraints . . . . . . . . . . Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints . . . . . . . Display and Verify Geometric Constraints . . . . . . Modify Objects with Geometric Constraints Applied . Infer Geometric Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Constrain Distances and Angles between Objects . . . . . . Overview of Dimensional Constraints . . . . . . . . Apply Dimensional Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of 3D Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Create Solids and Surfaces from Lines and Curves . Overview of Creating Solids and Surfaces . . . Create a Solid or Surface by Extruding . . . . Create a Solid or Surface by Sweeping . . . . . Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting . . . . . . Create a Solid or Surface by Revolving . . . . Create Solids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of Creating 3D Solids . . . . . . . . Create 3D Solid Primitives . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Composite Solids and Surfaces . . . . . . . . Shell and Remove Redundancies in 3D Objects . . . . Pressing or Pulling Areas and Faces . . . . . . . . . . Add Facets to Faces on Solids and Surfaces . . . . . . Modify the Properties of 3D Solids, Surfaces, and Meshes . Modify Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of Modifying Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . Trim and Untrim Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Extend a Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set Property Overrides for Hatches and Fills . . Control the Display of Hatch Boundaries . . . . Control the Draw Order of Hatches and Fills . . Modify Hatches and Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modify Hatch Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modify Hatch Alignment, Scale, and Rotation . Reshape a Hatch or Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re-create the Boundary of a Hatch or Fill . . . . Create a Blank Area to Cover Objects . . . . . . . . . Notes and Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Dimensioning . . . . . . . . Parts of a Dimension . . . . . . . . . . . . Associative Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . Use Dimension Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of Dimension Styles . . . . . . . Compare Dimension Styles and Variables . Control Dimension Geometry . . . . . . . Control Dimension Text . . . . . . . . . . Control Dimension Values . . . . . . . . Set the Scale for Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . Create Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Select a Printer or Plotter . . . . . . . . . . . . . Specify the Area to Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Set Paper Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Position the Drawing on the Paper . . . . . . . . Specify the Printable Area . . . . . . . . . . Set the Position of the Plot . . . . . . . . . Set Drawing Orientation . . . . . . . . . . Control How Objects Are Plotted . . . . . . . . . Set Plot Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Set Shaded Viewport Options . . . . . . . .
Resolve Missing External References . . . . . . . . . . . . 661 Resolve Circular External References . . . . . . . . . . . . 662 Resolve Name Conflicts in External References . . . . . . . 662 Track External Reference Operations (Log File) . . . . . . . 663 Increase Performance with Large Referenced Drawings . . . . . . 666 Overview of Demand Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 666 Unload Xrefs in Large Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 666 Work with Demand Loading in Large Drawings . . . . . .
Work with Xrefs over the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 708 Chapter 13 Render Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 711 Draw 2D Isometric Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Set Isometric Grid and Snap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Isometric Circles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Add Lighting to Your Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow . . . . .
adaptive degradation . . . . . . adaptive sampling . . . . . . . adjacent cell selection . . . . . alias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . aliasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . aligned dimension . . . . . . . alpha channel . . . . . . . . . . ambient color . . . . . . . . . . ambient light . . . . . . . . . . angular dimension . . . . . . . angular unit . . . . . . . . . . . annotational constraint . . . . annotations . . . . . . . . . . . annotation scale . . . . . . . . annotative . . . . . . . . . . . .
B-spline curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 757 bulge magnitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 757 bump map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 757 BYBLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 758 BYLAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 758 camera target . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
customization (CUIx) file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 762 custom object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 762 CV hull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 762 decimal degrees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 762 default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763 default drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
face color mode . . . . . face style . . . . . . . . facet . . . . . . . . . . . feature control frame . . fence . . . . . . . . . . field . . . . . . . . . . . fill . . . . . . . . . . . . filters . . . . . . . . . . final gathering . . . . . fit points . . . . . . . . fit tolerance . . . . . . . floating viewports . . . . font . . . . . . . . . . . footcandle . . . . . . . . footcandle . . . . . . . . frame . . . . . . . . . . freeze . . . . . . . . . . front faces . . . . . . . . G0 continuity . . . . .
Illuminance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 772 indirect bump scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 772 indirect illumination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 772 initial environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 773 interface element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 773 interpolation points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
named object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777 named objects, dependent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777 named view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777 node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777 non-associative dimension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777 normal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
point filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 782 polar array . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 782 Polar Snap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 782 polar tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 782 polyface and polygon mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 782 polygon window selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
shadow maps . . . ShapeManager . . shortcut keys . . . shortcut menu . . sky . . . . . . . . . smoothness . . . . smooth shading . . snap angle . . . . . snap grid . . . . . Snap mode . . . . snap resolution . . solid history . . . . solid object . . . . solid primitive . . spatial index . . . specular reflection spline-fit . . . . . . split face . . . . . . STB file . . . . . . stretch frame . . . subdivision . . . . subobject . . . . . sub-prompt . . . . surface . . . . . . .
transparency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 791 transparent command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 791 two sided material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 791 UCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 791 UCS definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 791 UCS icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Get Information 1 Find the Information You Need There are various ways to find information about how to use this program, and multiple resources are available. Access and Search the Product Help The Help system uses a Web browser and is available online and offline. You can access the Help system by doing one of the following: ■ Press Fn-F1 or Cmd-/. If you press Fn-F1 or Cmd-/ when a command is active, the appropriate help topic is opened in the Web browser.
■ 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. When on the Home page, the left side contains a listing of the guides in the current documentation set. ■ Middle - The middle of the page contains the content for the current topic.
e-Learning Autodesk e-Learning for Autodesk Subscription customers features interactive lessons organized into product catalogs. Autodesk Developer Network The Autodesk Developer (ADN) program provides support for full-time, professional developers who want to build software based on Autodesk products. Consulting Autodesk Consulting provides services that help set up processes and provide critical training that will help increase productivity so you can capitalize on the power of your products.
encounter, and other information helpful to the future direction of the product. See the following links for more information. ■ Learn more about the Autodesk Customer Involvement Program: http://www.autodesk.com/cip ■ Read the Autodesk Privacy Statement: http://www.autodesk.com/cipprivacy When you join, you will be able to view reports that can help you optimize your use of AutoCAD.
This information can help you document a drawing, displays a variety of drawing settings such as the total number of objects in the drawing, and total amount of time spent in the drawing file.
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The User Interface 2 Start a Command Use the menu bar, Tool Sets palette, and Command Line to access many frequently used commands. Parts of the User Interface The user interface consists of palettes and bars around the drawing area. Also, several controls are displayed within the drawing area.
■ 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 Reference Manager palette on and off ■ Cmd-8 turns the Materials Browser palette on and off ■ 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. You can also undock them by dragging and dropping.
■ Tool groups ■ Tool sets The size of the icons on the Tool Sets palette can be adjusted by using the Tool Set & Status Bar Icons slider on the Look & Feel tab of the Application Preferences dialog box (OPTIONS command). 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.
If you right-click the Tool Sets palette, a menu displays that you can use to turn off any tool groups that you don’t need. 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 Customize dialog box to customize any tool set, or create your own tool sets.
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. Enter Commands on the Command Line You can enter a command by using the keyboard.
NOTE When Dynamic Input is turned on and is set to display dynamic prompts, you can enter commands and options in tooltips near the cursor. Dynamic Input can be turned on an off from the status bar. Display Valid Commands and System Variables By default, AutoCAD automatically completes the name of a command or system variable as you type it. Additionally, a list of valid choices is displayed from which you can choose. Use the AUTOCOMPLETE command to control which automatic features that you want to use.
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.
objects automatically replaces the current selection set, or whether they are added to the current selection set. 2 If necessary, press Fn-F1 to view the documentation for that system variable. 3 Enter the setting that you want to use. In the example of PICKADD, enter 0, 1, or 2 to determine how you select multiple objects. 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.
You can expand and collapse the Command History in the Command Line using the indicated control. Within the Command History, use the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys, the scroll bar, or other scrolling method to locate and then highlight previously entered commands, system variables, and text. By default, pressing Cmd-C copies highlighted text to the Clipboard. Pressing Cmd-V pastes text from the Clipboard to the Command Line.
About Keyboard Shortcuts Keyboard shortcuts allow for quick access to drafting aids, file management commands, and the Clipboard. The shortcut keys that AutoCAD supports are: Keyboard Shortcut Description Fn-F1 or Cmd-/ Launches the default Web browser and displays the Landing page or a specific Help topic based on the current context of the program. Fn-F2 Expands or collapses the display of the Command Window. Fn-F3 Toggles object snap mode on and off. Fn-F4 Toggles 3D object snap mode on and off.
Keyboard Shortcut Description Cmd-5 or Cmd-I Opens or closes the Properties Inspector palette. Cmd-6 Toggles the display of the status bar on and off. Cmd-7 Opens or closes the Reference Manager palette. Cmd-8 Opens or closes the Material Browser palette. Cmd-0 or Shift-Cmd-F Toggles CleanScreen on and off. Cmd-A or Control-A Selects all objects in the current layout. Cmd-B or Control-B Toggles grid snap mode on and off. Cmd-C or Control-C Copies the selected objects to the Clipboard.
Keyboard Shortcut Description Cmd-N or Control-N Displays the Select Template dialog box. Select a template to create a new drawing. Cmd-O or Control-O Displays the Select File dialog box. Select a drawing file to open. Cmd-P or Control-P Displays the Print dialog box, and creates a hard copy or PDF file of the current layout. Cmd-Q or Control-Q Closes the program. Cmd-R Regenerates the current viewport. Cmd-S or Control-S Saves the current drawing.
Keyboard Shortcut Description Cmd-, Displays the Application Preferences dialog box. Cmd-. Displays the Quick View dialog box. Cmd-/ Launches the default Web browser and displays the Landing page or a specific Help topic based on the current context of the program. Shift-Cmd-A Toggles group selection mode on and off. Shift-Cmd-C Displays the Color Palette. Select a new color to make it the current color for new objects. Shift-Cmd-D Toggles Dynamic Input mode on and off.
Keyboard Shortcut Description Shift-Cmd-Z Reverses the most recent undo. Shift-Cmd-; Displays the Check Spelling dialog box. Control-A Selects all objects in the current layout. Control-B Toggles grid snap mode on and off. Control-C Copies the selected objects to the Clipboard. Control-D Toggles Dynamic UCS mode on and off. Control-E Toggles grid display on and off. Control-F Toggles object snap mode on and off. Control-G Toggles grid display on and off.
Keyboard Shortcut Description Control-P Displays the Print dialog box, and creates a hard copy or PDF file of the current layout. Control-Q Closes the program. Control-S Saves the current drawing. If the drawing has not been saved yet, the Save Drawing As dialog box is displayed. Control-U Toggles polar tracking on and off. Control-V Pastes the contents of the Clipboard to the current layout. Control-X Removes the selected from the drawing and adds them to the Clipboard.
Keyboard Shortcut Description Shift-Control-C Copies the selected objects to the Clipboard with a specified base point. Shift-Control-D Toggles Dynamic UCS mode on and off. Shift-Control-F Toggles object snap mode on and off. Shift-Control-G Toggles grid display on and off. Shift-Control-I Toggles Infer Constraints mode on and off. Shift-Control-J Repeats the previous command. Shift-Control-M Repeats the previous command. Shift-Control-O Toggles ortho mode on and off.
The default color of the icons and palettes are dark gray. If you prefer, you can change this theme to a light color. The default background color of the drawing area is a medium gray, which is optimum for displaying objects with different colors. Nevertheless, some people prefer a white or a black background color depending on their tasks and preferences.
Cursors in the Drawing Area In the drawing area, the appearance of the cursor changes depending on what you are doing.
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 icon with the UCS command, or by clicking and dragging the icon using the grips that are displayed.
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 3DORBIT command to drag 3D views, and right-click for additional 3D viewing options. See also: Use 3D Navigation Tools (page 73) 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. The display of the coordinates in the active viewport can be toggled in the Units & Guides tab (Application Preferences dialog box).
While you can plot from model space, layouts are more convenient for scaling views, changing the location of views, and controlling the area and settings used in plotting. To switch between model space and a layout, click the drop-down near the left side of the status bar.
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. The size of the icons and controls on the status bar can be adjusted by using the Tool Set & Status Bar Icons slider on the Look & Feel tab of the Application Preferences dialog box (OPTIONS command).
■ The current layer only Cmd-4 turns the Layers palette on and off. 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. Right-click the column header in the Layers list to control which layer properties are displayed.
Display Layer Groups Layer groups are displayed in the Layer list and allow you to group layers together by what they represent in the drawing or similar layer properties. Grouping layers together allows you to change the layer status of all the layers in the group, and to access the current state or function of layers in the drawing through the use of dynamic layer groups. Dynamic layer groups automatically maintain a listing of all the layers that meet a specific set of rules or criteria.
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. In the expanded Layers palette, you can right-click a layer to display a menu, or you can double-click on the layer name. To filter the list of layers 1 If necessary, click the disclosure triangle to expand the Layers palette. 2 Enter one of more characters in the Search area at the bottom of the palette.
For object properties, clicking either the Essentials button or the All button controls the number of properties displayed. Object/Current Properties Tab The Properties Inspector with the Object/Current button clicked can complete one of three actions depending on what is selected. ■ With no objects selected, it displays the default properties to be used for all new objects. You can change these defaults by clicking a property in the palette, and specifying a different value.
The Content Palette The Content palette allows you to access and manage content libraries. From the Content palette you can ■ Create custom content libraries to organize frequently used blocks ■ Add and remove blocks from the Favorites library or a custom library ■ Insert blocks from the current drawing, Favorites library, or a custom library Content Libraries Libraries are used to help organize and access the blocks that you frequently use.
Set Interface Options You can adjust the application interface and drawing area to match the way you work. Set Up the Drawing Area You can adjust the color and display schemes used in the application and drawing windows, and control the behavior of general features such as grip editing behavior. Many of the settings are available from shortcut menus and the Application Preferences dialog box.
See also: User Interface Customization in the Customization Guide Specify the Behavior of Palettes Palettes, such as Tool Set, status 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. ■ Resize. Drag an edge of the palette to change its size. If one or more palettes are docked, dragging one of the palettes adjusts the size of the other docked palettes.
You can use command line switches to specify several options when you start the program. For example, you can run a script or start with a specified drawing template. Command line switches are parameters you can use to create custom shell scripts to start AutoCAD in a specific way. 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.
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Start and Save Drawings 3 Start a Drawing 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.
Customize a Drawing Template File By customizing your own drawing template file, you save yourself a lot of work changing settings, and you also ensure that the settings are standardized. You can create several drawing template files for different projects, and you can choose one when you click New.
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. See also: Set the Scale for Dimensions (page 583) 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.
Understand Rounding and Precision When you specify the display precision of units, the values for coordinates and distances are rounded off. However, the internal precision of coordinates and distances is always maintained regardless of the display precision. For example, if you set the display precision of decimal-format units to 1 (or 0.0), the display of coordinates is rounded to one place after the decimal point. Thus, the coordinates 0.000,1.375 are displayed as 0.0,1.
■ Linetypes (page 137) ■ Lineweights (page 141) ■ Layouts (page 89) ■ Page setups (page 617) 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. Add Identifying Information to Drawings You can keep track of your drawings more easily if you add keywords or other information to them.
■ Double-click a drawing in Finder to launch AutoCAD® and open the drawing. If the program is already running, the drawing opens in the current session. ■ Drag a drawing from Finder onto the AutoCAD icon in the Dock. If you drop a drawing anywhere outside the drawing area—for example, the command line or the blank space next to the toolbars— the drawing is opened.
The following table outlines some of the references that might be missing and describes how to handle them. Missing Reference Types Description External references Missing external references are the result of AutoCAD not being able to resolve the last known location of an xref, raster image, or underlay. To resolve a missing external reference, locate the file and update its location using the Reference Manager palette.
file is corrupt, you might be able to recover it. See Repair, Restore, or Recover Drawing Files (page 52). Change the Default Drawing Folder Each time you start AutoCAD, the Documents folder is the default path in each standard file selection dialog box. Alternatively, you can start AutoCAD in the current folder from the Terminal window. Set REMEMBERFOLDERS to 0 and then start AutoCAD from the current folder.
Switch Between Open Drawings Switch between open drawings. You can use one of the following methods to switch between open drawings: ■ On the menu bar, click the Window menu and choose a drawing from the bottom of the menu. ■ In the Mac OS Dock, right-click the AutoCAD icon and choose a drawing from the top of the menu. ■ In the Mac OS Dock, right side, click the thumbnail that represents the open drawing. ■ On the status bar, click the Show Drawings & Layouts button.
■ Copy and paste between drawings. ■ Use object snaps and the Copy with Basepoint (COPYBASE) command to ensure accurate placement. Save a Drawing You save drawing files for later use just as you do with other applications. You can also set up automatic saving and backup files and save only selected objects. When you work on a drawing, you should save it frequently. Saving protects you from losing work in the event of a power failure or other unexpected event.
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). However, if you need to exchange drawings with other users, and layout fidelity is most important, then visual fidelity should be turned on (set SAVEFIDELITY to 1). NOTE The SAVEFIDELITY system variable does not effect saving a drawing to the AutoCAD 2010 drawing or DXF file formats.
Work Internationally If you share drawing files with companies in other countries and regions, the drawing file names might contain characters that are not used in other languages. If a drawing file is created in a different language version of the operating system, the following will occur: ■ If support for the language is installed, the file name characters are visible in Finder. ■ If support for the language is not installed, the file name characters appear as a series of boxes in Finder.
compressed, might be 75MB in size while the same object when uncompressed might be 257MB. In these situations, the drawing cannot be saved to an AutoCAD 2007 or earlier file format until the issues are resolved. You can resolve the size limits by breaking the drawing or objects up into several drawings or objects.
The Application tab (Application Preferences dialog box) is where you set the search path that is used by the program to find drawing support files such as text fonts, drawings, linetypes, and hatch patterns. The MYDOCUMENTSPREFIX system variable stores the location of the Documents folder for the current user. The working search path for drawing support files lists paths that are valid and exist in the current system folder structure (including system network mapping).
Repair and Recovery When an error occurs, diagnostic information is recorded in the acad.err file, which you can use to report a problem. A drawing file is marked as damaged if corrupted data is detected, or if you request that the drawing be saved after a program failure. If the damage is minor, sometimes you can repair the drawing simply by opening it. A recovery notification is displayed while opening drawing files that are damaged and need recovery. You can ■ RECOVER.
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. By saving your work frequently, you can ensure a minimum of lost data if your system fails for any reason. If a problem occurs, you can restore a drawing backup file.
See also: Recover from a System Failure (page 55) Recover from a System Failure A hardware problem, power failure, or software problem can cause this program to terminate unexpectedly. If this happens, you can restore the drawing files that were open. Resolve Drawing Files After a program or system failure, the Files Recovered dialog box opens the next time you start AutoCAD.
doing at the time of the error. The REPORTERROR system variable controls whether the error-reporting feature is available.
Control the Drawing Views 4 Change Views 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. See also: Rotate Views in Layout Viewports (page 100) 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.
ZOOM All displays either the user-defined grid limits or the drawing extents, whichever view is larger. See also: Scale Views in Layout Viewports (page 95) 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. A named view created with the VIEW command consists of a specific magnification, position, and orientation.
Save a View When you name and save a view, the following settings are saved: ■ Magnification, center point, and view direction ■ View category that you assign to the view (optional) ■ The location of the view (the Model or a specific named layout) ■ Layer visibility in the drawing at the time the view is saved ■ User coordinate system ■ 3D perspective ■ Live section ■ Visual style ■ Background Restore a Named View You can use named views to do the following: ■ Restore a view that you use fre
The following illustration shows the same model in both a parallel projection and perspective projection. Both are based on the same viewing direction. 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. A perspective view remains in effect until the perspective effect is turned off or until a new view is defined in its place.
Choose Preset 3D Views You can select predefined standard orthographic and isometric views by name or description. A quick way to set a view is to choose one of the predefined 3D views. You can select predefined standard orthographic and isometric views by name or description. These views represent commonly used options: Top, Bottom, Front, Left, Right, and Back.
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. A plan view is a view aimed toward the origin (0,0,0) from a point on the positive Z axis. This results in a view of the XY plane. You can restore the view and coordinate system that is the default for most drawings by setting the UCS orientation to World and then setting the 3D view to Plan View.
The following predefined visual styles are supplied with the product: ■ 2D Wireframe. Displays objects using lines and curves to represent the boundaries. NOTE Raster images, linetypes, and lineweights are visible. ■ Conceptual. Displays objects using smooth shading and the Gooch face style. The Gooch face style transitions between cool and warm colors, rather than dark and light. The effect is less realistic, but it can make the details of the model easier to see. ■ Hidden.
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. Any changes you make to the current visual style are saved in the drawing. 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.
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.
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. Display Backgrounds and Shadows The visual style also controls the display of backgrounds and shadows in the viewport.
Backgrounds You can use a color, a gradient fill, an image, or the sun & sky as a background in the viewport in any 3D visual style, even one that does not shade objects. When Background is set to On in the current visual style, the background is displayed. NOTE AutoCAD 2013 does not support the ability to create a named view with a background or assign a background to the current view. If a background is assigned to the current view or a named view, it does display in the current viewport.
See also: Overview of Lighting (page 713) Control the Display of Edges Different edge types can be displayed using different colors and linetypes. You can also add special effects, such as jitter and line extensions. In a shaded or wireframe model, the visual style sets the visibility and appearance of isolines, facet edges, silhouette edges, occluded edges, and intersection edges.
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. In 2D View, you can change the display of occluded linetype with OBSCUREDLTYPE system variable and occluded color with OBSCUREDCOLOR system variable.
IMPORTANT After you have changed the settings for occluded lines, use the HIDE command to regenerate the drawing and display the changes. 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.
AutoCAD requires at least 2 GB of physical memory (RAM) for working in 2D. For 3D modeling, at least 4 GB of RAM is required. The size and complexity of a model often defines how efficiently an application runs. If you notice increased hard drive activity, it means that physical memory has been exceeded and data is being passed to a swap file (virtual memory). A swap file is an area on the hard drive that the operating system uses as if it were physical memory (RAM).
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. Use 3D Navigation Tools 3D navigation tools allow you to view objects in a drawing from different angles, heights, and distances. Use the following 3D tools to orbit, swivel, adjust distance, zoom, and pan in a 3D view. ■ 3D Orbit. Moves around a target.
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. Alternatively, if you press Enter without selecting any objects, 3D Dynamic View displays a model of a small house instead of your actual drawing. You can use this house to define the viewing angle and distance.
Overview of ViewCube Tool ViewCube tool is a navigation tool that is displayed when you are working in 2D model space or 3D visual style. With ViewCube tool, you can switch between standard and isometric views. The ViewCube tool is a persistent, clickable and draggable interface that you use to switch between standard and isometric views of your model. When you display the ViewCube tool, it is shown in one of the corners of the window over the model in an inactive state.
the cardinal direction letters or the compass ring to interactively rotate the model around the pivot point. ViewCube Menu Use the ViewCube menu to restore and define the Home view of a model, switch between view projection modes, and change the interactive behavior and appearance of the ViewCube tool. The ViewCube menu has the following options: ■ Home. Restores the Home view saved with the model. ■ Parallel. Switches the current view to parallel projection. ■ Perspective.
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.
■ 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. ■ When the object is unselected and a pivot point is defined and used by another navigation tool before using the ViewCube tool, drag the ViewCube tool to reorient the object’s view around the defined pivot point. Roll a Face View When you view a model from one of the face views, two roll arrow buttons are displayed near the ViewCube tool.
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. Perspective projected views are calculated based on the distance from a theoretical camera and target point.
Home View You can define a Home view for a model so you can restore a familiar view when you use the navigation tools. The Home view is a special view stored with a model that makes it easy to return to a known or familiar view. You can define any view of the model as the Home view. The saved Home view can be applied to the current view by clicking the Home button above the ViewCube tool or from the ViewCube menu.
You can orient the ViewCube tool with the current UCS or WCS. By orienting the ViewCube tool with the current UCS, you know in which direction you are modeling. Orienting the ViewCube tool with the WCS, you can navigate 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 .
Viewports are areas that display different views of your model. As you work on the Model layout, you can split the drawing area into one or more adjacent rectangular views known as model space viewports. In large or complex drawings, displaying different views reduces the time needed to zoom or pan in a single view. Also, errors you might miss in one view may be apparent in the others. Viewports created on the Model layout completely fill the drawing area and do not overlap.
■ Name a viewport arrangement so that you can reuse it on the Model layout or insert it on a named layout. Setting up different coordinate systems in individual viewports is useful if you typically work on 3D models. See Assign UCS Definitions to Viewports (page 151). Split and Join Model Space Viewports The illustrations below show several default model space viewport configurations. You can easily modify model space viewports by splitting and joining them.
To draw a line using two model space viewports, you start the line in the current viewport, make another viewport current by clicking within it, and then specify the endpoint of the line in the second viewport. In a large drawing, you can use this method to draw a line from a detail in one corner to a detail in a distant corner. Save and Restore Model Layout Viewport Arrangements Arrangements of model viewports can be saved and restored by name.
Organize Drawings and Layouts 5 Create Single-View Drawings (Model Space) 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. 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 (page 490).
Specify the Display Style of Drawing Units Once you have determined a drawing unit for the drawing, you need to specify the style for displaying the drawing unit, which includes the unit type and precision. For example, a value of 14.5 can be displayed as 14.500, 14-1/2, or 1'2-1/2". Specify the display style of drawing units with the UNITS command. The default drawing unit type is decimal.
For example, if you plan to plot at a scale of 1/4 inch = 1 foot, you would calculate the scale factor 48 as follows: 1/4" = 12" 1 = 12 x 4 1 (plotted unit) = 48 (drawing units) Using the same calculation, the scale factor for 1 centimeter = 1 meter is 100, and the scale factor for 1 inch = 20 feet is 240. Sample Scale Ratios The sample architectural scale ratios in the table can be used to calculate text sizes in model space.
297 x 20 = 5900 mm See also: Specify Units and Unit Formats (page 40) Create Multiple-View Drawing Layouts (Paper Space) 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.
You design the subject of your drawing in model space and prepare it for output on a named layout in paper space. A drawing always has at least one named layout. Before you can use a layout, it must be initialized. A layout does not contain any page setup information before it is initialized. Once initialized, layouts can be drawn upon and output. Process Summary When you prepare a layout, you typically step through the following process: ■ Create a model of your subject in model space.
Work in Model Space By default, you start working in a limitless drawing area called model space. In model space, you draw, view, and edit your model. You first decide whether one unit represents one millimeter, one centimeter, one inch, one foot, or whatever unit is most convenient or customary in your business. You then create your model at 1:1 scale. In model space, you can view and edit model space objects. The crosshairs cursor is active over the entire drawing area.
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. ■ Pan the view inside the layout viewport and change layer visibility. The method you use to access model space depends on what you plan to do.
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 and Modify Layout Viewports You can create a single layout viewport that fits the entire layout or create multiple layout viewports in the layout. Once you create the viewports, you can change their size, their properties, and also scale and move them as needed.
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. The object that defines the viewport boundary is associated with the viewport after the viewport is created ■ With the Polygonal option, you can create a nonrectangular layout viewport by specifying points.
Scale Views in Layout Viewports To scale each displayed view in output accurately, set the scale of each view relative to paper space. 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.
NOTE Viewport scale locking is also available for nonrectangular viewports. To lock a nonrectangular viewport, you must perform an extra step in the Properties Inspector to select the viewport object rather than the viewport clipping boundary. Annotative Objects and Scaling Annotative objects are defined at a paper height instead of a model size and assigned one or more scales.
Thawing the layer restores visibility. The easiest way to freeze or thaw layers in the current viewport is to use the Layers palette. In the Layers palette, on the right side, use the column labeled VP Freeze to freeze one or more layers in the current layout viewport. To display the VP Freeze column, you must be on a layout. Specify the current layout viewport by double-clicking anywhere within its borders.
To assign a screening value to an object, you must assign a plot style to the object, and then define the screening value in that plot style. You can assign a screening value from 0 to 100. The default setting, 100, means no screening is applied, and the object is displayed with normal ink intensity. A screening value of 0 means the object contains no ink and is thus invisible in that viewport.
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 the PSLTSCALE 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.
For angled, horizontal, and vertical alignments, you can move each layout viewport relative to distances defined by the model-space geometry displayed. To adjust the views on a layout with precision, you can create construction geometry, use object snaps on the model space objects displayed in layout viewports, or use one of the drafting aids on the status bar. Rotate Views in Layout Viewports You can rotate an entire view within a layout viewport with the VPROTATEASSOC system variable.
When VPROTATEASSOC is set to 1, the view within a viewport is rotated with the viewport. When VPROTATEASSOC is set to 0, the view remains when the viewport is rotated. You can also rotate an entire view within a layout viewport by changing the UCS and using the PLAN command. With the UCS command, you can rotate the XY plane at any angle around the Z axis. When you enter the PLAN command, the view rotates to match the orientation of the XY plane.
Save a Layout Template Any drawing can be saved as a drawing template (DWT file), including all of the objects and layout settings. You can save a layout to a new DWT file by choosing the Save As option of the LAYOUT command. The template file is saved in the drawing template file folder as defined in the Application tab (Application Preferences dialog box). The layout template has a .dwt or .
With the Project Manager, you can manage drawings as projects. A project is an organized and named collection of layouts, or sheets, from several drawing files. You can import a layout from any drawing into a project or create new sheets from a the Project Manager which creates a new drawing with a named layout. You can manage and publish projects as a unit. Understand the Project Manager Interface Using the controls in the Project Manager, you can create, organize, and manage layouts in a project.
Create Action Button. Displays a popup menu that allows you to perform one of the following actions: ■ Add a new layout to the project or selected group ■ Imports all named layouts from an existing drawing ■ Create a new group ■ Create a new project file Remove Button. Removes the selected group or layout from the project. Removing a layout does not delete the associated drawing file. Show/Hide Details Button. Toggles the display of the Details panel. Project Action Button.
Create a Project You can create a project from scratch or use an existing project to define the properties, items, and structure for a new project. Layouts from specified drawing files can be imported into the project. The associations and information that define a project are stored in a project data (DST) file. When creating a new project, a new folder is created as the default project storage location. This new folder, named AutoCAD Projects, is located in the Documents folder.
NOTE Although it is possible to use several layouts from the same drawing file in a project, it is not recommended. This makes concurrent access to each layout by multiple users impossible. This practice can also reduce your management options and can complicate the organization of layouts in the project. Create a Blank Project In the New Project dialog box, when you choose to create a blank project, you provide the minimal information needed to create a new project.
Create and Modify Layouts in a Project There are several options in the Project Manager for creating and modifying layouts directly in the interface or through a shortcut menu. Following are descriptions of common operations when working with layouts in the Project Manager. You can access commands by right-clicking an item in the tree view to display the relevant shortcut menu. ■ Add layout from drawing. After you create a project, you can add one or more layouts from existing drawings.
NOTE You can quickly confirm whether a layout is in the expected folder by looking at the path information of the Drawing Location property and comparing it with the path displayed in the Found Location property of the Details panel. ■ Add label blocks to views. With the Project Manager, you can label views and details automatically as you place them. Label blocks contain data associated with the referenced view. ■ Add callout blocks to layouts.
insert a placeholder field as the value, select the Preset option, and specify a tag. NOTE If you create your own label blocks and callout blocks, set any attribute definitions to Preset to avoid prompts when placing these blocks in a drawing. For more information about fields, see Insert Fields (page 536). See also: Create Multiple-View Drawing Layouts (Paper Space) (page 89) Use Fields in Text (page 536) Work with Views on Layouts Layouts can contain viewports that show named model space views.
Use Groups in Projects Project groups are often associated with a discipline such as architecture or mechanical design. For example, in architecture, you might use a group named Structural; and in mechanical design, you might use a group called Standard Fasteners or Brackets. In some cases, you might also find it useful to create groups associated with a review or completion status. After you create or add layouts or groups, you can reorder them by dragging them in the Project tree view.
Place Project Information on a Layout Information about a project, or the layouts and views in a project can be inserted as a field onto a layout that a project references. When the information in a project is changed, the fields that reference the project are updated to reflect the latest value when the layout is saved, printed, or published. Placeholder fields are used to reference project information in a drawing template or block.
NOTE With page setup overrides, you can use the PUBLISHCOLLATE system variable to control whether printing a layout set can be interrupted by other plot jobs or not. Use Projects in a Team You can use projects in a team that can involve network access and online collaboration. The team can also include people who use software that does not include the Project Manager.
NOTE If two or more users access the same project through different logical drives on a network, each will in turn be prompted to resave the project using their own logical drive. To avoid unnecessary saving, users should map the same logical drives, if possible. Status data for layouts in the current project are also available to other team members. This status data is displayed in the tree view and indicates one of the following conditions: The layout is available for editing. The layout is locked.
Use Projects in a Multiple Operating System Environment Project (DST) files can be used across both the Mac OS X and Windows operating systems. Project files can be used in releases of AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT that support the Sheet Set Manager on Windows or the Project Manager on Mac OS X. The project (DST) file is an XML based file which allows the files to be used between both platforms.
Mac OS X Term Windows Term Description layout sheet A layout selected from a drawing file and assigned to a project. group subset A group of layouts in a project that is often organized by discipline or workflow stage. named view sheet view A named model space view placed on a layout.
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Create and Modify Objects 6 Control the Properties of Objects 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.
■ When a property is set to a specific value, that value overrides the value set for the layer. For example, if a line drawn on layer 0 is assigned the color Blue, and layer 0 is assigned the color Red, the line is blue. See also: Control the Color and Linetype Properties in Blocks (page 319) Display and Change the Properties of Objects You can display and change the current properties for any object in your drawing.
Copy Properties Between Objects You can copy some or all properties of one object to other objects using Match Properties. 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.
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.
such as electrical parts or dimensions. Also, you can lock a layer to prevent objects on that layer from being accidentally selected and modified. Control the Visibility of Objects on a Layer You can make drawing layers invisible either by turning them off or by freezing them. Turning off or freezing layers is useful if you need an unobstructed view when working in detail on a particular layer or set of layers or if you don't want to plot details such as reference lines.
If you set a specific color to the Properties Inspector palette when no objects are selected, that color is used for all new objects, overriding the default color for the current layer. The same is true for Linetype, Lineweight, Transparency, and Plot Style properties on the Properties Inspector palette. The BYBLOCK setting should be used only for creating blocks. See Control the Color and Linetype Properties in Blocks (page 319).
Create and Name Layers You can create and name a new layer for each conceptual grouping (such as walls or dimensions) and assign common properties to each layer. By organizing objects into layers, you can control the visibility and object properties of a large number of objects separately for each layer and make changes quickly. 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.
Remove Layers You can remove unused layers from your drawing with PURGE or by deleting the layer from the Layers palette. You can delete only unreferenced layers. Referenced layers include layers 0 and DEFPOINTS, layers containing objects (including objects in block definitions), the current layer, and xref-dependent layers. WARNING Be careful about deleting layers if you are working on a drawing in a shared project or one based on a set of layering standards.
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.
Property override settings for color and lineweight were set on the Wiring layer for the viewport on the left. Notice the wiring is a different color and lineweight than in the right viewport.
Viewport Property Overrides and Visual Styles Layer property overrides for color, linetype, and lineweights are displayed in viewports regardless of the visual style that is current. Although plot style overrides can be set when the visual style is set to Conceptual or Realistic style, they are not displayed or plotted. Identify Layers with Property Overrides Layers containing property overrides are identifiable in the Layers palette when accessed from a layout.
Group and Sort the List of Layers You can control which layer names are listed in the Layers palette and sort them by name or by property, such as color or visibility. A layer group organizes the display of layer names in the Layers palette. In a large drawing, you can use layer groups to list the layers you need to work with. There are two kinds of layer groups ■ Layer dynamic group Includes layers that have names or other properties in common.
Define a Dynamic Layer Group A layer group rule is defined in the New Dynamic Group dialog box, where you select any of the following properties you want to include in the layer group definition: ■ Layer names, colors, linetypes, lineweights, and plot styles ■ Whether layers are in use ■ Whether layers are turned on or off ■ Whether layers are frozen or thawed in the active viewport or all viewports ■ Whether layers are locked or unlocked ■ Whether layers are set to be plotted You use wild-card ch
filters layers by name (*site*) and then using the Invert Group Rules toggle on the layer group in the Layers list. Sort Layers Once you have created layers, you can sort them by name or other properties. In the Layers palette, click the column heading to sort layers by the property in that column. Layer names can be sorted in ascending or descending alphabetical order. Wild-Card Characters You can use wild-card characters to sort layers by name.
Character Definition ` (reverse quote) Reads the next character literally; for example, `~AB matches ~AB NOTE To filter on a layer name that contains a wild-card character, precede the character with a reverse quote (`) so that it is not interpreted as a wild-card character. See also: Reconcile New Layers (page 131) Reconcile New Layers Unreconciled layers are new layers that have been added to the drawing and have not yet been acknowledged by the user and manually marked as reconciled.
NOTE You can reconcile multiple unreconciled layers at the same time. Work with Layer States You can save layer settings as named layer states. You can then restore, edit, import them from other drawings and files, and export them for use in other drawings. Save, Restore, and Edit Layer States You can save the current layer settings in a drawing as a named layer state and restore them later.
of the -LAYER command. The layer property settings that are not selected remain unchanged in the drawing. NOTE To be notified when new layers are added to the drawing, use the LAYEREVAL and LAYERNOTIFY system variables. When restoring layer states, the following additional behaviors can occur ■ When restoring a layer state, the layer that was current when the layer state was saved is made current. If that layer no longer exists, the current layer does not change.
When importing a layer state from an LAS file or from another drawing that are duplicates of layer states in the current drawing, you can choose to overwrite the existing layer state or not import it. Layer states can be imported into a previous release of the program. 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.
True Colors True colors use 24-bit color definitions to display over 16 million colors. When specifying true colors, you can use either an RGB or HSL color model. With the RGB color model, you can specify the red, green, and blue components of the color; with the HSL color model, you can specify the hue, saturation, and luminance aspects of the color. Color Books AutoCAD includes several standard PANTONE color books. You can also import other color books such as the DIC color guide or RAL color sets.
Change the Color of an Object You can change the color of an object by reassigning it to another layer, by changing the color of the layer the object is on, or by specifying a color for the object explicitly. 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.
Install Color Books Color book files must contain an .acb file extension in order to be recognized by this program. To access color book colors from the Color Palette dialog box, you must first copy your color book files to a specified color book location. On the Application tab of the Application Preferences dialog box, you can define the path where color book files are stored. Multiple locations can be defined for the color book path. These locations are saved in your user profile.
Some linetype definitions include text and symbols. You can define a custom linetype that will orient the imbedded text to keep it readable automatically. For more information about controlling text in linetypes, see Text in Custom Linetypes. See also: Custom Linetypes in the Customization Guide Load Linetypes At the start of a project, you load the linetypes that are required for the project so that they are available when you need them.
Set the Current Linetype All objects are created using the current linetype. You can set the current linetype with the: ■ Linetype property on the Properties Inspector palette ■ Linetype Manager If the current linetype is set to BYLAYER, objects are created with the linetype assigned to the current layer. If the current linetype is set to BYBLOCK, objects are created using the CONTINUOUS linetype until the objects are grouped into a block.
If you want to set a specific linetype for all subsequently created objects, change the Linetype property on the Properties Inspector palette when no objects are selected from BYLAYER to a specific linetype. See also: Override Layer Properties in Viewports (page 125) 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. By default, both global and individual linetype scales are set to 1.0.
In a layout, you can adjust the scaling of linetypes in different viewports with PSLTSCALE. Display Linetypes on Short Segments and Polylines You can center the pattern of a linetype on each segment of a polyline, and you can control how the linetype is displayed on short segments. If a line is too short to hold even one dash sequence, the result is a continuous line between the endpoints, as shown below. You can accommodate short segments by using a smaller value for their individual linetype scales.
Overview of Lineweights Lineweights are width values that are assigned to graphical objects as well as some types of text. Using lineweights, you can create heavy and thin lines to show cuts in sections, depth in elevations, dimension lines and tick marks, and differences in details. For example, by assigning varying lineweights to different layers, you can easily differentiate between new, existing, and demolition construction.
See also: Draw Polylines (page 196) 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.
plotting and scaling in your drawing in the Print dialog box or the Page Setup Dialog Box. Set the Current Lineweight The current lineweight is the lineweight used for any objects you draw until you make another lineweight current. All objects are created using the current lineweight.
When you change the lineweight assigned to a layer, all objects on that layer assigned the BYLAYER lineweight are updated automatically. ■ Specify a lineweight for an object to override the layer's lineweight. You can specify the lineweight of each object explicitly. If you want to override the layer-determined lineweight of an object with a different one, change an existing object's lineweight from BYLAYER to a specific lineweight.
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.
Use TrueType Fonts (page 543) Control the Transparency of Objects You can control the transparency level of objects and layers. Control the Transparency of Objects Set the transparency level of selected objects or layers to enhance drawings or reduce the visibility of areas that are included for reference only. Transparency can be set to ByLayer, ByBlock, or to a specific value. IMPORTANT For performance reasons, plotting transparency is disabled by default.
Added control is available for certain objects: ■ The draw order of all text, dimensions, and leaders in the drawing can be specified separately. (TEXTTOFRONT) ■ The draw order of all hatches and fills in the drawing can also be specified separately. (HATCHTOBACK) NOTE Overlapping objects cannot be controlled between model space and paper space. They can be controlled only within the same space. Control the Display of Objects Control the display of objects by isolating or hiding a selection set.
origin and its X, Y, and Z axes to suit your needs.
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.
Assign UCS Definitions to Viewports To facilitate editing objects in different views, you can define a different UCS (User Coordinate System) for each view. Multiple viewports provide different views of your model. For example, you might set up viewports that display top, front, right side, and isometric views. To facilitate editing objects in different views, you can create a different UCS definition for each view.
The second figure shows the change that occurs when the lower-left, or front, viewport is made current. The UCS in the isometric viewport is updated to reflect the UCS of the front 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.
In the illustration on the left, the UCS is not aligned with the angled face. Instead of relocating the UCS, you turn on the dynamic UCS on the status bar or by pressing Fn-F6. When you move the pointer completely over an edge as shown in the middle illustration, the cursor changes to show the direction of the dynamic UCS axes. You can then create objects on the angled face easily as shown in the illustration on the right.
If Grid and Snap mode are turned on, they align temporarily to the dynamic UCS. The limits of the grid display are set automatically. You can temporarily turn off the dynamic UCS by pressing Fn-F6 or Shift-Z while moving the pointer over a face. NOTE The dynamic UCS is available only while a command is active. Control the Display of the User Coordinate System Icon The user coordinate system icon (UCS icon) helps you visualize the current orientation of the UCS.
You can also hide the UCS icon based on the current visual style, and whether perspective is turned on. Three system variables are available: ■ Use UCS2DDISPLAYSETTING to hide the UCS icon when the current visual style is 2D Wireframe. ■ Use UCS3DPARADISPLAYSETTING to hide the UCS icon when perspective (PERSPECTIVE) is turned off in a viewport with a 3D visual style. ■ Use UCS3DPERPDISPLAYSETTING to hide the UCS icon when perspective is turned on in a viewport with a 3D visual style.
direction. This icon warns you not to use your pointing device to specify coordinates. When you use the pointing device to locate a point, it's normally placed on the XY plane. If the UCS is rotated so that the Z axis lies in a plane parallel to the viewing plane—that is, if the XY plane is edge-on to the viewer—it may be difficult to visualize where the point will be located. In this case, the point will be located on a plane parallel to your viewing plane that also contains the UCS origin point.
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.
Command: line From point: #-2,1 To point: #3,4 The line is located as follows: 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 @3,4 specifies a point 3 units along the X axis and 4 units along the Y axis from the last point specified. The following example draws the sides of a triangle.
Enter Cartesian Coordinates To enter absolute Cartesian coordinates (2D) ■ At a prompt for a point, enter coordinates in the tooltip using the following format: #x,y If dynamic input is turned off, enter coordinates on the command line using the following format: x,y To enter relative Cartesian coordinates (2D) ■ At a prompt for a point, enter coordinates using the following format: @x,y Enter Polar Coordinates You can use absolute or relative polar coordinates (distance and angle) to locate points when
1<-45. You can change the angle conventions for the current drawing with UNITS. Absolute polar coordinates are measured from the UCS origin (0,0), which is the intersection of the X and Y axes. Use absolute polar coordinates when you know the precise distance and angle coordinates of the point. With dynamic input, you can specify absolute coordinates with the # prefix. If you enter coordinates on the command line instead of in the tooltip, the # prefix is not used.
The following example shows two lines drawn with relative polar coordinates. In each illustration, the line begins at the location labeled as the previous point.
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). In addition to specifying X and Y values, you also specify a Z value using the following format: X,Y,Z NOTE For the following examples, it is assumed that dynamic input is turned off or that the coordinates are entered on the command 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. Use Absolute and Relative Coordinates As with 2D coordinates, you can enter absolute coordinate values, which are based on the origin, or you can enter relative coordinate values, which are based on the last point entered. To enter relative coordinates, use the @ sign as a prefix.
from the UCS origin, an angle from the X axis in the XY plane, and a Z value. You specify a point using absolute cylindrical coordinates with the following syntax: X<[angle from X axis],Z NOTE For the following examples, it is assumed that dynamic input is turned off or that the coordinates are entered on the command line. With dynamic input, you specify absolute coordinates with the # prefix.
For example, @4<60,2 represents a location that is 4 units along the X axis from the last point measured at 60 degrees from the positive X axis and at 2 units in the positive Z direction. Enter Spherical Coordinates 3D spherical coordinates specify a location by a distance from the origin of the current UCS, an angle from the X axis in the XY plane, and an angle from the XY plane. Spherical coordinate entry in 3D is similar to polar coordinate entry in 2D.
When you need to define a point based on a previous point, enter the relative spherical coordinate values by preceding them with the @ sign.
Turn On or Turn Off Dynamic Input Click the dynamic input button on the status bar to turn dynamic input on and off. Dynamic input has three components: pointer input, dimensional input, and dynamic prompts. Right-click the dynamic input button and click Settings to control what is displayed by each component when dynamic input is on. Pointer Input When pointer input is on and a command is active, the location of the crosshairs is displayed as coordinates in a tooltip near the cursor.
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).
Use Object Snaps Use object snaps to specify precise locations on objects. For example, you can use an object snap to draw a line to the center of a circle or to the midpoint of a polyline segment. You can specify an object snap whenever you are prompted for a point. By default, a marker and a tooltip are displayed when you move the cursor over ™ an object snap location on an object. This feature, called AutoSnap , provides a visual clue that indicates which object snaps are in effect.
You can specify one or more running object snaps on the Object Snaps tab in the Drafting Settings dialog box, which is accessible from the Tools menu. If several running object snaps are on, more than one object snap may be eligible at a given location. Press Tab to cycle through the possibilities before you specify the point. Click the object snap button on the status bar or press Fn-F3 to turn running object snaps on and off.
Set Visual Aids for Object Snaps (AutoSnap) ™ Object snaps include a visual aid called AutoSnap to help you see and use object snaps more efficiently. AutoSnap displays a marker and a tooltip when you move your cursor over an object snap location. AutoSnap Tools AutoSnap consists of the following snap tools: ■ Marker. Displays the object snap location when the cursor moves over or near an object. Marker shape is dependent on the snap it is marking. ■ Tooltip.
The keys in the following illustration are the default keys, but you can change key assignments and add your own as needed.
Temporary override keys are also available for the other drawing aids that you set in the Drafting Settings dialog box. See also: Adjust Grid and Grid Snap (page 173) Use Orthogonal Locking (Ortho Mode) (page 176) Use Polar Tracking and PolarSnap (page 177) Use Dynamic Input (page 166) Restrict Cursor Movement Several tools are available that you can use to restrict or lock the movement of your cursor.
The LIMITS command controls the drawing area covered by the grid. As an option, you can override the limits to make the grid cover the entire XY plane of the user coordinate system (UCS). You can access this option in the Drafting Settings dialog box or use the GRIDDISPLAY system variable. NOTE When you use dynamic UCS, the grid limits are set automatically relative to the size of the selected face of the solid and the drawing area available.
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.
As you create or move objects, you can use Ortho mode to restrict the cursor to the horizontal or vertical axis. As you move the cursor, the rubber-band line follows the horizontal or vertical axis, whichever is nearest the cursor. The orientation of the current user coordinate system (UCS) determines the horizontal and vertical directions. In 3D views, Ortho mode additionally restricts the cursor to the up and down directions. In that case, the tooltip displays a +Z or -Z for the angle.
Polar angles are relative to the orientation of the current user coordinate system (UCS) and the setting for the base angle convention in a drawing. The angle base direction is set in the Drawing Units dialog box (UNITS). Use PolarSnap™ to snap to specified distances along the alignment path. For example, in the following illustration you draw a two-unit line from point 1 to point 2, and then draw a two-unit line to point 3 at a 45-degree angle to the line.
The orientation of 0 depends on the angle you set in the Drawing Units dialog box. The direction of snap (clockwise or counterclockwise) depends on the units direction you specify when setting units of measurement. You can turn polar tracking on and off temporarily by using an override key. The direct distance entry method is not available while you are using the temporary override key for polar tracking.
Angle Override: 30 Specify next point or [Undo]: Specify a point The angle you specify will lock the cursor, overriding Grid Snap, Ortho mode, and PolarSnap. Coordinate entry and object snaps have precedence over an angle override. Combine or Offset Points and Coordinates To specify a new point location, you can combine coordinate values from several points or you can specify offsets from existing objects.
Here is the Command prompt sequence: Command: circle Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tangent tangent radius)]: .x of: mid of: Select the horizontal line on the lower edge of the holding plate of: (need YZ): mid of: Select the vertical line on the left side of the holding plate of: Diameter/ Specify the radius of the hole Coordinate filters work only when the program prompts you for a point. If you try to use a coordinate filter at the Command prompt, you see an error message.
Combine Coordinate Values (Coordinate Filters) 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.
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. When you turn on AutoTrack, temporary alignment paths help you create objects at precise positions and angles. AutoTrack includes two tracking options: polar tracking and object snap tracking.
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.
Track to Offset Point Locations (Tracking) You can use tracking to specify a point by offsetting vertically and horizontally from a series of temporary points. You can use the tracking method whenever you are prompted for a point. Tracking uses the pointing device to specify a point by offsetting vertically and horizontally from a series of temporary points.
the distance from the first point. You can enter calculated distances and points using the AutoCAD calculator (CAL). You can use direct distance entry to specify points for all commands requiring more than one point. When Ortho mode or polar tracking is on, this method is an efficient way to draw lines of specified length and direction, and to move or copy objects.
■ Specify the number of equal segments (DIVIDE) 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.
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.
To determine the relation between points, you can display the ■ Distance between them ■ Angle between the points in the XY plane ■ Angle of the points from the XY plane ■ Delta, or changed, X, Y, and Z distances between them The ID command lists the X, Y, and Z coordinate values of a specified point. See also: Overview of Coordinate Entry (page 156) Obtain Area and Mass Properties Information You can obtain the area, perimeter, and mass properties defined by selected objects or a sequence of points.
Use Commands to Calculate Area With the MEASUREGEOM and AREA commands, you can specify a series of points or select an object to calculate area. If you need to calculate the combined area of multiple objects, you can keep a running total as you add or subtract one area at a time from the selection set. You cannot use window selection or crossing selection to select objects. Total area and perimeter are saved in the AREA and PERIMETER system variables.
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. Example: Subtraction of Areas from a Calculation In the following example, the closed polyline represents a metal plate with two large holes. The area of the polyline is first calculated and then the area of each hole is subtracted.
You can also use REGION to convert the plate and the holes to regions, subtract the holes, and then use the Properties Inspector palette or the LIST command to find the area of the plate. TIP Use the CAL command to convert from one system of area units to another. Calculate Mass Properties With the MASSPROP command, you can analyze 3D solids and 2D regions for their mass properties including volume, area, moments of inertia, center of gravity, and so on.
■ Use object snaps as variables in an expression ■ Convert points between a UCS and the WCS ■ Filter the X, Y, and Z components of a vector ■ Rotate a point around an axis Evaluating Expressions CAL evaluates expressions according to standard mathematical rules of precedence.
Here is the command prompt sequence: Command: circle Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]: 'cal >> Expression: (mid+cen)/2 >> Select entity for MID snap: Select the notch line (1) >> Select entity for CEN snap: Select the large circle (2) Diameter/: 'cal >> Expression: 1/5*rad >> Select circle, arc or polyline segment for RAD function: Select the large circle (3) Use the Command Prompt Calculator To start the Command prompt calculator Do one of the following: ■ At the Com
Draw Lines You can close a sequence of line segments so that the first and last segments are joined. You can assign properties to lines including color, linetype, and lineweight. For more information about properties, see Work with Object Properties (page 117). You specify the locations that define the endpoints of each line with precision. You can ■ Enter the coordinate values for an endpoint, using either absolute or relative coordinates ■ Specify an object snap relative to an existing object.
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.
The Width and Halfwidth options set the width of the next polyline segments you draw. Widths greater than zero produce wide lines, which are filled if Fill mode is on and outlined if Fill mode is off. Intersections of adjacent wide segments are usually beveled. However, nontangent arc segments, acute angles, or segments that use a dash-dot linetype are not beveled. Create Polylines from the Boundaries of Objects You can create a polyline from the boundaries of objects that form a closed area with BOUNDARY.
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 (page 196) Infer Geometric Constraints (page 293) Draw Multiline Objects Multilines are composed of parallel lines, called elements.
Create Multiline Styles You can create named styles for multilines to control the number of elements and the properties of each element.
For any sketch type, set the minimum length (increment) of the line segments. Small line segments allow greater accuracy, but they can greatly increase the drawing file size. Before sketching, check the CELTYPE system variable to make sure the current linetype is BYLAYER. When you sketch with dot or dash linetypes, smaller line segments can become invisible. Draw Curved Objects Curved objects are arcs, circles, polyline arcs, donuts, ellipses, and splines.
Draw Arcs by Specifying Start, Center, End You can create an arc using a start point, center, and a third point that determines the endpoint. The distance between the start point and the center determines the radius. The endpoint is determined by a line from the center that passes through the third point. 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 included angle determines the endpoint of the arc. Use the Start, End, Angle method when you know both endpoints but cannot snap to a center point. Draw Arcs by Specifying Start, Center, Length You can create an arc using a start point, center, and the length of a chord. The distance between the start point and the center determines the radius. The other end of the arc is determined by specifying the length of a chord between the start point and the endpoint of the arc.
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 Arcs by Specifying Start, End, Direction You can create an arc using a start point, endpoint, and a tangent direction at the start point.
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.
Draw a Circle Tangent to Other Objects The tangent point is a point where an object touches another object without intersecting it. To create a circle that is tangent to other objects, select the objects and then specify the radius of the circle. In the illustrations below, the bold circle is the one being drawn, and points 1 and 2 select the objects to which it is tangent.
Draw Polyline Arcs A polyline is a connected sequence of line segments created as a single object. You can create straight line segments, arc segments, or a combination of the two. 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.
The Width and Halfwidth options set the width of the next polyline segments you draw. Zero (0) width produces a thin line. Widths greater than zero produce wide lines, which are filled if Fill mode is on and outlined if Fill mode 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.
Modify Polylines (page 272) Break and Join Objects (page 270) Control Lineweights (page 141) Infer Geometric Constraints (page 293) 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.
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. First you need to turn on Isometric Snap in the Drafting Settings dialog box (DSETTINGS command).
SPLINE and BLEND create curves called nonuniform rational B-splines (NURBS), referred to as splines for simplicity. By default, a spline is a series of blended curve segments of degree 3 (also called cubic) polynomials. Cubic splines are the most common, and mimic the splines that are created manually using flexible strips that are shaped by weights at data points. In the following example, SPLINE was used to create the highlighted boundary of the concrete walkway.
CVSHOW and CVHIDE determine whether the control vertices are displayed on a spline even when the spline is not selected. Use the triangular grip on a selected spline to switch between displaying control vertices and displaying fit points. You can use the round and square grips to modify a selected spline. For more information, see Modify Splines (page 274). IMPORTANT Switching the display from control vertices to fit points automatically changes the selected spline to degree 3.
Create Splines Using Fit Points When you create splines using fit points, the resulting curve passes through the specified points, and is influenced by the spacing of mathematical knots in the curve. You can choose the spacing of these knots with the knot parameterization option, which will result in different curves as shown in the example. NOTE There is no best choice for knot parameterization for all cases.
created with 4 control vertices have the same shape as Bezier curves of degree 3 as shown on the right. You can close a spline so that the start point and end point are coincident and tangent. By default, closed splines are mathematically periodic, meaning that they have the smoothest (C2) continuity at the point of closure. In the example, both splines are closed, and the point of closure is marked with a dot.
When you create a helix, you can specify the following: ■ Base radius ■ Top radius ■ Height ■ Number of turns ■ Turn height ■ Twist direction If you specify the same value for both the base radius and the top radius, then a cylindrical helix is created. By default, the top radius is set to the same value as the base radius. You cannot specify 0 for both the base radius and top radius. If you specify different values for the top radius and the base radius, then a conical helix is created.
You can set the style of the points and their size relative to the screen or in absolute units. Changing the style of points ■ Makes them more visible and easier to differentiate from grid dots ■ Affects the display of all point objects in the drawing ■ Requires using REGEN to make the change visible 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.
■ Offset. Creates a construction line parallel to a baseline you specify. You specify the offset distance, select the baseline, and then indicate on which side of the baseline to locate the construction line. Rays A ray is a line in three-dimensional space that starts at a point you specify and extends to infinity. Unlike construction lines, which extend in two directions, rays extend in only one direction. Using rays instead of construction lines can help reduce visual clutter.
You can create regions from objects that form closed loops. Loops can be combinations of lines, polylines, circles, arcs, ellipses, elliptical arcs, and splines that enclose an area. You create regions using the REGION command to convert a closed object into a region, and the BOUNDARY command to create a region from an area enclosed by objects. You can combine regions by unifying, subtracting, or intersecting them.
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.
You can create a revision cloud from scratch, or you can convert objects, such as a circle, ellipse, polyline, or spline, to a revision cloud. When you convert an object to a revision cloud, the original object is deleted if DELOBJ is set to 1 (the default). 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.
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. You can control the size of the pickbox in the Application Preferences dialog box, Cursor & Selection tab. Select Overlapping or Close Objects It is sometimes difficult to select objects that overlap or are close together.
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. The background inside the area changes color and becomes transparent. The direction that you drag your cursor from the first point to the opposite corner determines which objects are selected. ■ Window selection.
Specify an Irregularly Shaped Selection Area Specify points to define an irregularly shaped area. Use window polygon selection to select objects entirely enclosed by the selection area. Use crossing polygon selection to select objects enclosed or crossed by the selection area. Specify a Selection Fence In a complex drawing, use a selection fence. A selection fence looks like a polyline and selects only the objects it passes through. The circuit board illustration shows a fence selecting several components.
You can also remove objects from the current selection set by holding down Shift and selecting them again, or by holding down Shift and then clicking and dragging window or crossing selections. You can add and remove objects repeatedly from the selection set. Prevent Objects from Being Selected You can prevent objects on specified layers from being selected and modified by locking those layers. Typically, you lock layers to prevent accidental editing of particular objects.
vertex is selected, SELECTSIMILAR selects other mesh objects, not just the mesh vertices. See also: Customize Object Selection (page 225) Work with Layers (page 119) Customize Object Selection You can control several aspects of selecting objects, such as whether you enter a command first or select objects first, the size of the pickbox cursor, and how selected objects are displayed.
Select Objects First You can use one of two methods to select objects before starting a command: ■ Use the SELECT command, and enter ? to display all selection options. All objects selected are put into the Previous selection set. To use the Previous selection set, enter p at the Select Objects prompt of any subsequent command. ■ When noun/verb selection is turned on, select objects at the Command prompt before entering a command such as MOVE, COPY, or ERASE.
■ Change the size of the pickbox. (PICKBOX) ■ Select all objects in a group when you select one object in that group. ■ Include the boundary in the selection set when you select a hatch. 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.
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. 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.
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. If you need to edit objects within a group, turn off group selection or use grips to edit individual objects.
Undo a Single Action The simplest method of backtracking is to use the UNDO or U commands to undo a single action. Many commands include their own U (undo) option so that you can correct mistakes without leaving the command. When you are creating lines and polylines, for example, enter u to undo the last segment. NOTE By default, the UNDO command is set to combine consecutive pan and zoom commands into a single operation when you undo or redo.
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. With PURGE you can also remove zero-length geometry and empty text objects.
Copy Objects You can use the Clipboard to copy part or all of a drawing into a document created by another application. The objects are copied in vector format, which retains the high resolution in other applications. The information stored in the Clipboard can then be pasted in other programs. Paste Objects Applications use different internal formats to store Clipboard information. When you copy objects to the Clipboard, information is stored in all available formats.
Methods Descriptions dialog box or editor that is specific to that type of object. Grips Use grips to reshape, move, rotate and manipulate objects: ■ Grip modes. Select an object grip to work with the default grip mode—stretch—or press Enter or Spacebar to cycle through the additional grip modes—move, rotate, scale, and mirror. ■ Multi-functional grips. For many objects, you can also hover over a grip to access a menu with object-specific, and sometimes grip-specific, editing options.
Overview You can use grips in different ways: ■ Use grip modes. Select an object grip to work with the default grip mode—stretch—or press Enter or Spacebar to cycle through the additional grip modes—move, rotate, scale, and mirror. You can also right-click a selected grip to see all available options on a shortcut menu. ■ Use multi-functional grips. For many objects, you can also hover over a grip to access a menu with object-specific, and sometimes grip-specific, editing options.
Tips for Stretching with Grips ■ When you select more than one grip on an object to stretch it, the shape of the object is kept intact between the selected grips. To select more than one grip, press and hold the Shift key, and then select the appropriate grips. ■ Grips on text, block references, midpoints of lines, centers of circles, and point objects move the object rather than stretching it.
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. Multiple copies continue being made until you turn off grips.
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. Control Grips in Blocks You can specify whether a block displays a single grip or multiple grips.
See also: Use Object Grips (page 233) 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.
Use a Stretch-Move You can also use STRETCH to move objects if all their endpoints lie entirely within the selection window. Turn on Ortho mode or polar tracking to move the objects at a specific angle. 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.
■ Nudge objects with Snap mode turned on: Objects are moved in increments specified by the current snap spacing; movement is orthogonal to the X and Y axes of the current UCS and relative to the view direction. See also: Modify Objects Using Grips (page 233) Rotate Objects You can rotate objects in your drawing around a specified base point. 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 to an Absolute Angle With the Reference option, you can rotate an object to align it to an absolute angle. For example, to rotate the part in the illustration so the diagonal edge rotates to 90 degrees, you select the objects to be rotated (1, 2), specify the base point (3), and enter the Reference option. For the reference angle, specify the two endpoints of the diagonal line (4, 5). For the new angle, enter 90.
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.
Specify Distance with Two Points Copy an object using the distance and direction specified by a base point followed by a second point. In this example, you copy the block representing an electronic component. Select the original object to be copied. Specify the base point for the move (1) followed by a second point (2). The object is copied the distance and direction of point 1 to point 2.
See also: Modify Objects Using Grips (page 233) Enter Direct Distances (page 185) Array Objects (page 244) Array Objects Create multiple copies of objects that are evenly distributed in a rectangular or circular pattern, or along a specified path. Overview of Arrays Create copies of objects arranged in a pattern called an array.
Control Array Associativity Associativity allows you to quickly propagate changes throughout an array by maintaining relationships between items. Arrays can be associative or non-associative. ■ Associative. Items are contained in a single array object, similar to a block. Edit the array object properties, such as the spacing or number of items. Override item properties or replace an item’s source objects. Edit an item’s source objects to change all items that reference those source objects.
NOTE Although you cannot create the objects in this example in AutoCAD LT, you can create an array with multiple levels. By dragging the array grips, you can increase or decrease the number and spacing of the rows and columns in the array. You can rotate the array around the base point in the XY plane. At creation, the row and column axes are orthogonal to each other; for associative arrays, you can later edit the axis angles.
Control Item Distribution The distribution of items along the path can be measured or divided. ■ Measure. The array follows the path when it is edited but the number of objects and spacing do not change. If the path is edited and becomes too short to display all objects, the count is automatically adjusted. ■ Divide. The number of objects and the length of the path determine the spacing of the objects in the array. The objects are always spaced evenly along the entire length of the path.
NOTE Although you cannot create the objects in this example in AutoCAD LT, you can create an array that is aligned along an axis of rotation. The direction in which the array is drawn depends on whether you enter a positive or negative value for the fill angle. For associative arrays, you can change the direction in the Properties Inspector. Edit Associative Arrays Modify associative arrays by editing the array properties, applying item overrides, replacing selected items, or editing source objects.
Array Grips The type of grips and dynamic menu options displayed depend on the type of array. Apply Item Overrides Ctrl-click items in the array to erase, move, rotate, or scale the selected items without affecting the rest of the array. Reset the array to remove all item overrides.
Replace Items Replace selected items with other objects. Any item overrides are maintained. You can also replace all items that reference the original source objects, rather than selecting individual items. Edit Source Objects To edit an item’s source objects, activate an editing state for a selected item. All changes (including the creation of new objects) are instantly applied to all items referencing the same set of source objects. Save or discard your changes to exit the editing state.
Limit the Size of Arrays The number of array elements that can be generated by one ARRAY command is limited to approximately 100,000. This limit is controlled by the MaxArray setting in the registry. If you specify a large number of rows and columns for an array, it may take a long time to create the copies. You can change the limit by setting the MaxArray system registry variable using (setenv “MaxArray” “n”) where n is a number from 100 through 10000000 (ten million).
TIP An effective drawing technique is to offset objects and then trim or extend their ends. Use OFFSET to offset the following object types: ■ 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.
Splines are trimmed automatically when the offset distance is larger than can otherwise be accommodated. Offset the Edges of Faces on Solids and Surfaces The OFFSETEDGE command creates a closed polyline or a spline from the edges of a planar face on a 3D solid or surface. Splines result when one or more edge segments cannot be represented as lines, arcs, or a circle. For example ■ In the left illustration, the edge of the top surface of the solid was offset, resulting in the closed, yellow polyline shown.
With the Corner option, you can specify sharp corners or rounded corners for the polyline. External and internal corners create rounded corners differently depending whether the corners are concave or convex—the radius of the arcs maintain the specified offset distance. Mirror Objects You can flip objects about a specified axis to create a symmetrical mirror image.
By default, when you mirror text, hatches, attributes, and attribute definitions, they are not reversed or turned upside down in the mirror image. The text has the same alignment and justification as before the object was mirrored. If you do want text to be reversed, set the MIRRTEXT system variable to 1. MIRRTEXT affects text that is created with the TEXT, ATTDEF, or MTEXT commands; attribute definitions; and variable attributes.
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. Objects you select as cutting edges or boundary edges are not required to intersect the object being trimmed.
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. NOTE You can extend objects without exiting the TRIM command. Press and hold Shift while selecting the objects to be extended. Extend Objects Extending operates the same way as trimming.
Extending a spline preserves the shape of the original portion of the spline, but the extended portion is linear and tangent to the end of the original spline. NOTE You can trim objects without exiting the EXTEND command. Press and hold Shift while selecting the objects to be trimmed. Trim and Extend Wide Polylines 2D wide polylines trim and extend at their centerlines. The ends of wide polylines are always square.
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.
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 annotative 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.
An inside corner is called a fillet and an outside corner is called a round; you can create both using the FILLET command. You can fillet ■ Arcs ■ Circles ■ Ellipses and elliptical arcs ■ Lines ■ Polylines ■ Rays ■ Splines ■ Xlines ■ 3D solids FILLET can be used to round all corners on a polyline using a single command. Also, you can use the Multiple option to fillet more than one set of objects without leaving the command.
You can press and hold Shift while selecting the objects to override the current fillet radius with a value of 0. Trim and Extend Filleted Objects You can use the Trim option to specify whether the selected objects are trimmed or extended to the endpoints of the resulting arc or left unchanged. Control the Location of the Fillet Depending on the locations you specify, more than one possible fillet can exist between the selected objects.
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. Fillet an Entire Polyline You can fillet an entire polyline or remove fillets from an entire polyline. If you set a nonzero fillet radius, FILLET inserts fillet arcs at the vertex of each polyline segment that is long enough to accommodate the fillet radius.
If two linear segments in a polyline are separated by an arc segment between them, FILLET removes the arc segment and replaces it with a new arc segment of the current fillet radius. If you set the fillet radius to 0, no fillet arcs are inserted. If two linear polyline segments are separated by one arc segment, FILLET removes that arc and extends the linear segments until they intersect. Fillet Parallel Lines You can fillet parallel lines, xlines, and rays.
You can chamfer ■ Lines ■ Polylines ■ Rays ■ Xlines CHAMFER can be used to bevel all corners of a polyline using a single command. NOTE Chamfering 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 chamfered are on the same layer, the chamfer line is created on that layer. Otherwise, the chamfer line is created on the current layer.
In the following example, you set the chamfer distance to 0.5 for the first line and 0.25 for the second line. After you specify the chamfer distance, you select the two lines as shown. Trim and Extend Chamfered Objects By default, objects are trimmed when chamfered, but you can use the Trim option to specify that they remain untrimmed.
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. In this example, the chamfer distances are set to equal values. When you chamfer an entire polyline, only the segments that are long enough to accommodate the chamfer distance are chamfered.
Break and Join Objects You can break an object into two objects with or without a gap between them. You can also join objects to create single object or multiple objects. Break Objects Use BREAK to create a gap in an object, resulting in two objects with a gap between them. BREAK is often used to create space for block or text. To break an object without creating a gap, specify both break points at the same location.
NOTE You can also use the Join option of the PEDIT command to combine a series of lines, arcs, and polylines into a single polyline See also: Modify Polylines (page 272) Modify Splines (page 274) Modify Multilines (page 280) Disassociate Compound Objects (Explode) You can convert a compound object, such as a polyline, dimension, hatch, or block reference, into individual elements.
Explode External References An external reference (xref) is a drawing file linked (or attached) to another drawing. You cannot explode xrefs and their dependent blocks. Modify Polylines Change the shape and display of polyline objects with polyline editing options. You can also join separate polylines. You can modify polylines using PEDIT, the Properties Inspector palette, or grips.
Option Animation 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. Manipulate the tangent directions to redefine the shape of a curve-fit polyline.
Join Polyline Segments You can join a line, an arc, or another polyline to an open polyline if their ends connect or are close to each other. If the ends are not coincident but are within a distance that you can set, called the fuzz distance, the ends are joined by either trimming them, extending them, or connecting them with a new segment. Spline-fit polylines return to their original shape when joined. Polylines cannot be joined into a Y shape.
The editing options available with multi-functional grips differ depending on whether the spline is set to display control vertices or fit points. The spline on the left displays control vertices, and the one on the right displays fit points. To switch between displaying control vertices and displaying fit points, click the triangular grip. IMPORTANT Switching from displaying control vertices to fit points automatically changes the selected spline to degree 3.
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. Edit Splines with SPLINEDIT SPLINEDIT provides additional editing options, such as adding a kink to the spline, and joining a spline to another contiguous object, such as a line, arc, or other spline.
specified base point on the spline. To display a menu of control options, right-click the gizmo. The gizmo in the illustration is the default setting, which is the Move Point Location option. The square grip is located at a specified base point on the spline, and is used to stretch a portion of the spline. The red and green axis arrow grips constrain the movement of the square grip in their respective directions. TIP Not visible in the illustration is a blue axis arrow grip that points toward you.
tangent to the end of the spline (C1 continuity). If the shape of the spline is later changed, the tangency of the linear portion is not maintained. Trimming a spline shortens it without changing the shape of the portion that remains. Filleting a spline creates an arc that is tangent to the spline and the other selected object. The spline might be extended with a linear portion to complete the fillet operation. For more information, see Modify Objects Using Grips (page 233).
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. Use the Properties Inspector palette to change the base radius independent of the top radius.
Constrained property Property to change Turn Height Effect on these helix properties Height Turns Turn Height Turn Height Changed Fixed Changed Height Changed Changed Fixed Turns Changed Changed Fixed Turn Height Fixed Changed Changed See also: Draw Helixes (page 214) Modify Multilines Multiline objects are composed of 1 to 16 parallel lines, called elements. To modify multilines or their elements, you can use common multiline editing commands.
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. Use Common Editing Commands on Multilines You can use most of the common editing commands on multilines except ■ BREAK ■ CHAMFER ■ FILLET ■ LENGTHEN ■ OFFSET To perform these operations, first use EXPLODE to replace the multiline object with separate line objects.
Add Constraints to Geometry 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.
With constraints, you can ■ Maintain design specifications and requirements by constraining the geometry within a drawing ■ Apply multiple geometric constraints to objects instantly ■ Include formulas and equations within dimensional constraints ■ Make design changes quickly by changing the value of a variable BEST PRACTICE It is recommended that you first apply geometric constraints to determine the shape of a design, and then apply dimensional constraints to determine the size of objects in a design
Remove or Relax Constraints There are two ways to cancel the effects of constraints when you need to make design changes: ■ Delete the constraints individually and later apply new constraints. While the cursor hovers over a geometric constraint icon, you can use the Delete key or the shortcut menu to delete the constraint. ■ Relax the constraints temporarily on selected objects to make the changes.
■ 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.
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.
When rolling over any icon, the constraint point markers are displayed indicating the constrained points. You do not need to roll over the icon to identify the constraints that are applied to the points of the selected 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.
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.
■ When you roll over an object that has geometric constraints applied to it, all constraint bars that are associated with the object are highlighted. 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.
Hiding geometric constraints is useful when you analyze a design and want to filter the display of geometric constraints. For example, you can choose to display the icons for Parallel constraints only. Next, you might choose to display the icons for Perpendicular constraints only. 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.
If the circle was an arc instead, the line or its extension would remain tangent to the arc or its extension. The results of modifying underconstrained objects are based on what constraints have already been applied and the object types involved. For example, if the Radius constraint had not been applied, the radius of the circle would have been modified instead of the tangent point of the line.
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. Objects are not repositioned as a result of inferring constraints.
■ CHAMFER applies coincident contraints between the newly created line and the existing trimmed or extended pair of lines.
Overview of Dimensional Constraints Dimensional constraints control the size and proportions of a design. They can constrain the following: ■ Distances between objects, or between points on objects ■ 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.
■ By default, dimensional constraints are not objects, display with only a single dimension style, maintain the same size during zoom operations, and are not outputted to a device 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 (page 296) for more detail.
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. Dynamic Constraints By default, dimensional constraints are dynamic. They are ideal for normal parametric drawing and design tasks.
After plotting, you can use the Properties Inspector to convert annotational constraints back to dynamic constraints. Reference Parameters A reference parameter is a driven dimensional constraint, either dynamic or annotational. This means that it does not control the associated geometry, but rather reports a measurement similar to a dimension object. You use reference parameters as a convenient way to display measurements that you would otherwise have to calculate.
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. By default, if you select an object associated with a hidden dynamic constraint, all dynamic constraints associated with that object are temporarily displayed.
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 example, you can change the length of the diagonal line by using the triangular grips on the Aligned dimensional constraint.
See also: Overview of Constraints (page 282) 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. Overview of Formulas and Equations Formulas and equations can be represented either as expressions within dimensional constraint parameters or by defining user variables.
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. Its purpose is to help you avoid accidentally overwriting parameters and formulas when the dimension name format is set to Value or Name, which suppresses the display of the parameters and formulas.
Operator Description () 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. To specify subtraction, include at least one space before or after the minus sign. For example, to subtract 9" from 5', enter 5' -9" rather than 5'-9".
Function Syntax 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) Square root sqrt(expression) Signum function (-1,0,1) sign(expression) Round to nearest integer round(expression) Truncate decimal trunc(expression) Round down floor(expression) Round up ceil(expression) Absolute value abs(expression) Largest el
Function Syntax 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 are also available for use in expressions.
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Define and Reference Blocks 7 Work with Blocks 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 A block can be composed of objects drawn on several layers with various properties. You can use several methods to create blocks.
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.
See also: Create Drawing Files for Use as Blocks (page 318) Overview of Blocks (page 307) Add Text and Blocks to Tables (page 559) Work with Dynamic Blocks in Drawings A dynamic block reference can be changed in a drawing while you work. Overview of Dynamic Blocks Dynamic block references contain grips or custom properties that change the way the reference is displayed in the drawing after it is inserted.
Work with Action Parameters Dynamic blocks that contain action parameters display grips that are associated with a point, object, or region in the block definition. When you edit the grip, an associated action is triggered that changes the way the block reference is displayed. You can hover over a grip to display a tooltip or prompt that explains the parameter related to the grip. The display of the tooltip is controlled by the GRIPTIPS system variable.
a value other than one specified in the definition, the parameter will adjust to the closest valid value. Work With Action Parameters in Blocks Use grips or the Properties palette to manipulate a block reference that contains action parameters. Use Grips to Change Blocks Containing Action Parameters You can manipulate a block that contains action parameters with custom grips. For example, when you drag the grip on the chair in the block reference below, the chair moves.
Grip Type How the Grip Can Be Manipulated in a Drawing Alignment Within a plane in any direction; when moved over an object, triggers the block reference to align with the object Lookup Clicked to display a list of items Work with Custom Properties When you select a dynamic block reference, custom properties are listed in the Properties Inspector under Custom. When you change the value of the custom property, the block reference is updated accordingly.
Reset a Block to Display Default Geometry When you reset a block reference, the block changes back to the default specified in the block definition. For example, you can make a block dynamic again if you non-uniformly scale or explode a dynamic block reference. Work With Constraint Parameters in Blocks Parameters in a block reference can be manipulated in the Block Editor. Constraint parameters are authored with mathematical expressions that affect the geometry of the block reference.
Block reference with constraint (gray) and constraint parameter (blue, with grip) You can select a block reference and list its editable parameters with -PARAMETERS. When you change the value of the parameter, the block reference is updated accordingly. 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.
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. Each block definition includes a block name, one or more objects, the coordinate values of the base point to be used for inserting the block, and any associated attribute data. The base point is used as a reference for positioning the block when you insert it.
You can also use the Block Editor to create blocks that are saved within a drawing. See also: Overview of Blocks (page 307) Create Drawing Files for Use as Blocks You can create individual drawing files for use as blocks. You can create drawing files for the purpose of inserting them into other drawings as blocks. Individual drawing files are easy to create and manage as the source of block definitions. Collections of symbols can be stored as individual drawing files and grouped in folders.
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.
Assign Color and Linetype Properties Generally when you insert a block, the color, linetype, and lineweight of objects in the block retain their original settings regardless of the current settings in the drawing. However, you can create blocks with objects that inherit the current color, linetype, and lineweight settings. These objects have floating properties. You have three choices for how the color, linetype, and lineweight properties of objects are treated when a block reference is inserted.
If you want objects in a Create objects on these Create objects with block to layers these properties Inherit individual properties first, then layer properties Any BYBLOCK Floating properties also apply to nested blocks when the nested block references and the objects they contain use the settings required for floating properties.
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. AutoCAD detects the nested entity or valid constraint point for the nested entity regardless of the nesting level of the object. NOTE Constraints can only be applied between nested objects in the block and objects in the drawing file, not between pairs of nested objects in the block reference.
Create Block Libraries A block library is a collection of block definitions stored in a single drawing file. You can use block libraries supplied by Autodesk or other vendors or create your own. You can organize a set of related block definitions by creating the blocks in the same drawing file. Drawing files used this way are called block, or symbol, libraries. These block definitions can be inserted individually into any drawing that you are working on.
Overview of Block Attributes An attribute is a label or tag that attaches data to a block. Examples of data that might be contained in an attribute are part numbers, prices, comments, and owners' names. The tag is equivalent to a column name in a database table. The following illustration shows a block with four attributes: type, manufacturer, model, and cost. The attributes in the illustration are single-line attributes.
See also: Modify a Block Attribute Definition (page 335) Modify the Data in Block Attributes (page 334) Scale Annotations (page 490) Define Block Attributes To create an attribute, you first create an attribute definition, which stores the characteristics of the attribute.
■ Multiple line attributes display four grips similar to MTEXT objects, while single-line attributes display only one grip. ■ When a drawing is saved to AutoCAD 2007 or earlier, a multiple-line attribute is converted to several single-line attributes, one for every line of text in the original multiple-line attribute. If the drawing file is opened in the current release, these single line attributes are automatically merged back into a multiple-line attribute.
Block Attribute Manager to change the order in which you are prompted for attribute information when you insert the block reference. When you open a block definition in the Block Editor, you can use the Attribute Order dialog box (BATTORDER command) to change the order in 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.
Extract Block Attribute Data (Advanced) Using an attribute extraction template file, you can extract attribute information from a drawing and create a separate text file for use with database software. You can extract attribute information from a drawing and create a separate text file for use with database software. This feature is useful for creating parts lists with information already entered in the drawing database. Extracting attribute information does not affect the drawing.
BL:NAME Cwww000 (Block name) BL:LEVEL Nwww000 (Block nesting level) BL:X Nwwwddd(X coordinate of block insertion point) BL:Y Nwwwddd(Y coordinate of block insertion point) BL:Z Nwwwddd(Z coordinate of block insertion point) BL:NUMBER Nwww000 (Block counter; the same for MINSERT) BL:HANDLE Cwww000 (Block handle; the same for MINSERT) BL:LAYER Cwww000 (Block insertion layer name) BL:ORIENT Nwwwddd(Block rotation angle) BL:XSCALE Nwwwddd(X scale factor) BL:YSCALE Nwwwddd(Y scale factor) BL:ZSCALE Nwwwddd(Z sca
Field (C)haracter or (N)umeric data Maximum field length Decimal places Manufacturer C 006 000 Model C 015 000 Cost N 006 002 You can create any number of template files, depending on how you'll use the data. Each line of a template file specifies one field to be written in the attribute extraction file. Follow these additional guidelines: ■ Be sure to place a space between the attribute tag and the character or numeric data. Use Spacebar, not Tab, to enter the space.
■ Space-delimited format (SDF) ■ Drawing interchange format (DXF) The CDF format produces a file containing one record for each block reference in a drawing. A comma separates the fields of each record, and single quotation marks enclose the character fields. Some database applications can read this format directly. The SDF format also produces a file containing one record for each block reference in a drawing.
If you specified an SDF format using the sample template, the file might be similar to the following example. (NAME) (X) (Y) (SUPPLIER) (MODEL) (PRICE) 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 The order of the fields corresponds to the order of the fields in the template files.
This could happen, for example, if you have a BL:NAME field with a width of 8 characters and a block in your drawing has a name 10 characters long. Modify Blocks You can modify a block definition or a block reference already inserted in the drawing. Modify a Block Definition When you redefine block definitions in your current drawing, both previous and future insertions of the block in the drawing are affected. You can redefine block definitions in your current drawing.
Update a Block Definition That Originated from a Library Drawing (Advanced) Content palette (page 34) does not overwrite an existing block definition in a drawing with one that comes from another drawing. To update a block definition that came from a library drawing, use WBLOCK to create a separate drawing file from the library drawing block. Then, use INSERT to overwrite the block definition in the drawing that uses the block. NOTE Block descriptions are stripped off when using INSERT.
You can also change the location of attributes in a block using grips. With multiple-line attributes, you can also move grips to resize the width of the text. See also: Modify a Block Definition (page 333) Modify a Block Attribute Definition You can edit the values and other properties of all attributes that are already attached to a block and inserted in a drawing. You can modify attributes in block definitions with the Block Attribute Manager.
Remove Block Attributes You can remove attributes from block definitions and from all existing block references in the current drawing. Attributes removed from existing block references do not disappear in the drawing area until you regenerate the drawing using REGEN. You cannot remove all attributes from a block; at least one attribute must remain. If you need to remove all attributes, redefine the block.
After making the changes, you can ■ Create a new block definition ■ Redefine the existing block definition ■ Leave the component objects uncombined for other uses When you explode a block reference, the block reference is disassembled into its component objects; however, the block definition still exists in the drawing for insertion later. You can automatically explode block references as you insert them by selecting the Explode option in the Insert Block dialog box.
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Work with 3D Models 8 Create 3D Models 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.
Start with primitive solids such as cones, boxes, cylinders, and pyramids and modify and recombine them to create new shapes. Or draw a custom 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.
You create surface models using some of the same tools that you use for solid models: sweeping, lofting, extruding, and revolving. You can also create surfaces by blending, patching, offsetting, filleting, and extending other surfaces. 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.
Use mesh models to provide the hiding, shading, and rendering capabilities of a solid model without the physical properties such as mass, moments of inertia, and so on. Advantages of 3D Modeling Modeling in 3D has several advantages.
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. If you select a closed curve and click EXTRUDE, SWEEP, LOFT, and REVOLVE on the ribbon, you create: ■ A solid if the Mode option is set to Solid. ■ A surface if the Mode option is set to Surface.
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 one
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 (page 342). Create Associative Surfaces Surfaces can be associative while solids cannot.
if surface associativity is on, the DELOBJ setting is ignored and the generating curves are not deleted. See also: Create a Solid or Surface by Extruding (page 346) Create a Solid or Surface by Sweeping (page 348) Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting (page 350) Create a Solid or Surface by Revolving (page 352) 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.
■ Expression. Enter a mathematical expression to constrain the height of the extrusion. See Create Geometric Relationships between Associative Surfaces (page 381). 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.
■ 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 (page 381).
Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting Create a 3D solid or surface by lofting a profile through a set of two or more cross-section profiles. The cross-section profiles define the shape of the resulting solid object. Cross-section profiles can be open or closed curves. Open curves create surfaces and closed curves create solids or surfaces. See Overview of Creating Solids and Surfaces (page 342). Options for Lofting ■ Mode. Sets whether the loft creates a surface or a solid. ■ Cross-section profiles.
plane of the first cross section and end it on the plane of the last cross section. ■ Guide curves. Specify guide curves to match points on corresponding cross sections. This method prevents undesired results, such as wrinkles in the resulting 3D object.
Create a Solid or Surface by Revolving Create a 3D object by revolving curves about an axis. When the Mode option is set to Surface, you will create a surface and if Mode is set to Solid you will create a solid regardless of whether the curve is open or closed. See Overview of Creating Solids and Surfaces (page 342) for more information. When revolving a solid, you can only use a revolve angle of 360 degrees. Options for Revolving ■ Mode. Sets whether the revolve creates a surface or a solid.
About Solid Primitives You can create several basic 3D shapes, known as solid primitives: boxes, cones, cylinders, spheres, wedges, pyramids, and tori. 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.
■ 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. Create 3D Solid Primitives Start with standard shapes known as solid primitives to create boxes, cones, cylinders, spheres, tori, wedges, and pyramids.
■ Start from the center point. Use the Center Point option to create a box using a specified center point. Create a Solid Wedge Create a solid 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.
■ Start from the center point. Use the Center Point option to create a wedge using a specified center point. Create a Solid Cone Create a pointed or frustum of a cone with a circular or elliptical base. 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.
■ Specify circumference and base plane. The 3P (Three Points) option of the CONE command defines the size and plane of the base of the cone anywhere in 3D space. ■ Define the angle of the taper. To create a conical solid that requires a specific angle to define its sides, draw a 2D circle. Then use EXTRUDE and the Taper Angle option to taper the circle at an angle along the Z axis. This method, however, creates an extruded solid, not a true solid cone primitive.
■ 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. ■ Construct a cylindrical form with special detail, such as grooves. Create a closed polyline (PLINE to represent a 2D profile of the base. Use EXTRUDE to define the height along the Z axis. The resulting extruded solid is not a true solid cylinder primitive. Create a Solid Sphere Create a solid sphere using one of several methods.
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. Create a Solid Torus Create a ring-shaped solid that resembles the inner tube of a tire. 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.
■ Set the circumference or radius. Use the 2P (Two Points) option to define the size of the torus anywhere in 3D space. The plane of the circumference matches the Z value of the first point. ■ Set the size and location of the torus based on other objects. Use the Ttr (Tangent, Tangent, Radius) option to define a torus that is tangent to two circles, arcs, lines, and some 3D objects. The tangency points are projected onto the current UCS.
■ 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. The DELOBJ system variable controls whether the path (a 2D object) is automatically deleted when you create a polysolid. ■ Close the gap between the first and last points. Use the Close option to create a connecting segment. ■ Set the height and width. Use the Height and Width options for the POLYSOLID command.
mesh and polyline with thickness converted to optimized 3D solids The DELOBJ system variable controls whether the objects you select are automatically deleted when the 3D object is created. 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.
■ Smoothed and not optimized. Each original mesh face is retained in the converted object. Edges of faces that are not coplanar are rounded. (SMOOTHMESHCONVERT = 1) ■ 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.
You cannot convert the following types of mesh objects to a 3D solid: ■ Mesh with gaps between faces. Gizmo editing can sometimes result in gaps, or holes between the faces. In some cases, you can close the gaps by smoothing the mesh object. ■ Mesh that has self-intersecting boundaries. If you have modified a mesh object so that one or more faces intersect faces in the same object, you cannot convert it to a 3D solid.
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. Composite solids are created from two or more solids, surfaces, or regions through any of the following commands: UNION, SUBTRACT, and INTERSECT. 3D solids record a history of how they were created.
■ 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. Combining a solid and a surface through intersection results in a surface.
If a selection set of mixed objects contains regions, the regions are ignored. Create 3D Solids by Slicing Create new 3D solids by slicing, or dividing, existing objects. When you use the SLICE command to slice a 3D solid, you can define the cutting plane in several ways. For example, you can specify three points, an axis, a surface, or a planar object to act as a cutting plane. You can retain one or both halves of the sliced object.
If the selection set contains both 3D solids and surfaces, the resulting interference object is a surface. You cannot check interference for mesh objects. However, if you select mesh objects, you can choose to convert them to a solid or surface object and continue the operation. During the checking operation, you can use the Interference Checking dialog box to cycle through and zoom to interference objects.
In addition to 3D solid and mesh objects, AutoCAD 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. Instead, they have control vertices that allow you to sculpt shapes in a more natural way. Use procedural surfaces to take advantage of associative modeling, and use NURBS surfaces to take advantage of sculpting with control vertices.
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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).
■ G2 (Curvature).Includes positional, tangential, and curvature continuity (G0 + G1+G2). The two surfaces share the same curvature. Bulge magnitude is a measure of how much surface curves or “bulges” as it flows into another surface. Magnitude can be between 0 and 1 where 0 is flat and 1 curves the most. Set Surface Properties Before and After Creation Set defaults that control a variety of surface properties before and after you create the surface objects. ■ Surface Modeling System Variables.
■ Properties Inspector. Modifies properties for both the surface objects and their subobjects after they are created. For example, you can change the number of isolines in the U and V directions. Create Procedural Surfaces Create procedural surfaces by blending, patching, and offsetting existing surfaces or by converting 3D solids, meshes and other planar geometry. Create Surfaces from Other Surfaces There are many ways to create procedural surfaces from existing surfaces.
Create non-planar, network surfaces with the SURFNETWORK command. Network surfaces are similar to lofted surfaces in that they are created in the space between several curves in the U and V directions. The curves can be surface or solid edge subobjects. When you create the surface you can specify the tangency and bulge magnitude of the surface edges. See also: Overview of Creating Surfaces (page 369) Blend a Surface Create a transition surface between two existing surfaces.
the offset distance with a mathematical expression. See Constrain a Design with Formulas and Equations (page 301). Surface Offset Options When you offset a surface, you can do the following: ■ Change the offset direction with the Flip option ■ Offset in both directions to create two new surfaces ■ 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 (page 301). See also: Overview of Creating Surfaces (page 369) Convert Objects to Procedural Surfaces Convert 3D solids, meshes, and 2D geometry to procedural surfaces.
Create NURBS Surfaces Create NURBS surfaces by enabling NURBS creation and using many of the same commands used to create procedural surfaces. You can also convert existing procedural surfaces into NURBS surfaces. NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines) surfaces are part of the suite of 3D modeling objects that AutoCAD offers (in addition to 3D solids, procedural surfaces, and meshes). NURBS surfaces are based on Bezier curves or splines.
Create Surfaces from Other Surfaces (page 374) Edit NURBS Surfaces (page 448) Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves (page 449) Draw Splines (page 210) Modify Splines (page 274) Using the Spline tool to create NURBS Surfaces and Splines The spline tool is optimized to work with NURBS modeling NURBS surfaces can be created from a number of 2D objects, including edge subobjects, polylines, and arcs. But the spline tool is the only object that has options that are compatible with creating NURBS surface.
See also: Draw Splines (page 210) Modify Splines (page 274) Create Associative Surfaces Associative surfaces automatically adjust to changes made to other, related objects. When surface associativity is on, surfaces are created with a relationship to the surface or profiles that created them. 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.
Create Geometric Relationships between Associative Surfaces Use geometric constraints to constrain and restrict surfaces. And use mathematical expressions to derive surface properties. Use Geometric Constraints with Surface Profiles Just as with 2D drafting, geometric constraints can be used to restrict the movement of 3D surfaces. For example, you can specify that a surface remain fixed in a perpendicular or parallel location to another object.
Type of Surface Surface properties that can be constrained. ■ Taper Fillet Surface Fillet Radius Loft Surface Bulge Magnitude Network Surface Bulge Magnitude Offset Surface Offset Distance Patch Surface Bulge Magnitude Revolve Surface Revolve Angle Create Meshes Create meshes from primitive forms or by filling between points on other objects. Overview of Creating Meshes Mesh tessellation provides enhanced capabilities for modeling object shapes in a more detailed way.
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). ■ Create mesh from other objects. Create ruled, tabulated, revolved, or edge-defined mesh objects, whose boundaries are interpolated from other objects or points (RULESURF, TABSURF, REVSURF, EDGESURF). ■ Convert from other object types.
■ Refinement.Quadruples the number of subdivisions in a selected mesh object or in a selected subobject, such as a face. Refinement also resets the current smoothness level to 0, so that the object can no longer be sharpened beyond that level. Because refinement greatly increases the density of a mesh, you might want to restrict this option to areas that require finely detailed modification. Refinement also helps you mold smaller sections with less effect on the overall shape of the model.
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. ■ Properties Inspector. Modifies properties for both the mesh object and its subobjects after they are created. For a selected mesh object, you can modify the level of smoothness. For faces and edges, you can apply or remove creasing, and modify crease retention levels. ■ Level of smoothness.
■ DIVMESHBOXWIDTH After a mesh primitive is created, the current level of smoothness for the object can be modified. Mesh Box Creation Options The Box option of the MESH command provides several methods for determining the size and rotation of the mesh boxes you create. ■ Create a cube. Use the Cube option to create a mesh box with sides of equal length. ■ Specify rotation. Use the Cube or Length option if you want to set the rotation of the box in the XY plane. ■ Start from the center point.
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.
■ DIVMESHCYLBASE ■ DIVMESHCYLHEIGHT After a mesh primitive is created, the current level of smoothness for the object can be modified. 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.
■ DIVMESHPYRHEIGHT ■ DIVMESHPYRLENGTH After a mesh primitive is created, the current level of smoothness for the object can be modified. Mesh Pyramid Creation Options The Pyramid option of the MESH command provides several methods for determining the size and rotation of the mesh pyramids you create. ■ Set the number of sides. Use the Sides option to set the number of sides for the mesh pyramid. ■ Set the length of the edges. Use the Edges option to specify the dimension of the sides at the base.
Create a Mesh Sphere Create a mesh sphere using one of several methods. When you start with the center point, the central axis of the mesh sphere parallels the Z axis of the current user coordinate system (UCS). The following system variables are used to control the number of divisions for each dimension of a new mesh sphere: ■ DIVMESHSPHEREAXIS ■ DIVMESHSPHEREHEIGHT After a mesh primitive is created, the current level of smoothness for the object can be modified.
■ Specify two points to set the circumference or radius. Use the 2P (Two Points) option to define the size of the sphere anywhere in 3D space. The plane of the circumference matches the Z value of the first point. ■ Set the location to be tangent to two objects. Use the Ttr (Tangent, Tangent, Radius) option to define points on two objects. Depending on the radius distance, the sphere is located as near as possible to the tangent points you specify.
■ Specify rotation. Use the Cube or Length option if you want to set the rotation of the mesh wedge in the XY plane. ■ Start from the center point. Use the Center Point option. Create a Mesh Torus Create a ring-shaped solid that resembles the inner tube of a tire. 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.
■ Set the circumference or radius. Use the 2P (Two Points) option to define the size of the mesh torus anywhere in 3D space. The plane of the circumference matches the Z value of the first point. ■ Set the location to be tangent to two objects. Use the Ttr (Tangent, Tangent, Radius) option to define points on two objects. Depending on the specified radius distance, the path of the torus is located as near as possible to the tangent points you specify.
(called a path curve) in a specified direction and distance (called a direction vector or path). ■ Revolved mesh.REVSURF creates a mesh that approximates a surface of revolution by rotating a profile about a specified axis. A profile can consist of lines, circles, arcs, ellipses, elliptical arcs, polylines, splines, closed polylines, polygons, closed splines, and donuts. ■ Edge-defined mesh.EDGESURF creates a mesh approximating a Coons surface patch mesh from four adjoining edges.
Create a Ruled Mesh There are several methods for creating meshes. With RULESURF, you create a mesh between two lines or curves. Use two different objects to define the edges of the ruled mesh: lines, points, arcs, circles, ellipses, elliptical arcs, 2D polylines, 3D polylines, or splines. Both objects that are used as the “rails” of a ruled mesh must be either open or closed. You can pair a point object with either an open or a closed object.
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 direction vector can be a line or an open 2D or 3D polyline. TABSURF creates the mesh as a series of parallel polygons running along a specified path.
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. A Coons patch is a bicubic surface (one curve in the M direction and another in the N direction) interpolated between the four edges. Create Meshes by Conversion Convert solids, surfaces, and legacy mesh types to mesh objects.
You can also convert other types of objects, although the conversion results may differ from what you expect. These objects include swept surfaces and solids, legacy polygon and polyface mesh objects, regions, closed polylines, and objects created with 3DFACE. For these objects, you can often improve results by adjusting the conversion settings.
Similarly, if you notice that a converted mesh object has a number of long, slivered faces (which can sometimes cause gaps), try decreasing the maximum edge length for new faces value (FACETERMAXEDGELENGTH system variable). If you are converting primitive solid objects, this dialog box also offers the option of using the same default settings used to create primitive mesh objects. When you select conversion candidates directly from this dialog box, you can preview the results before you accept them.
A mesh can be open or closed. If the start and end edges of the mesh do not touch, a mesh is open in a given direction, as shown in the following illustrations. 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.
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.
Create a Polyface Mesh The PFACE command produces a polyface (polygon) mesh, with each face capable of having numerous vertices. PFACE is typically used by applications rather than by direct user input. Creating a polyface mesh is like creating a rectangular mesh. To create a polyface mesh, you specify coordinates for its vertices. You then define each face by entering vertex numbers for all the vertices of that face.
Create Polyface Mesh Vertex by Vertex With the 3DFACE command, you can create three-dimensional polyface mesh by specifying each vertex. You can control visibility of each mesh edge segment. If you select a 3DFACE object during some mesh smoothing operations (such as with MESHSMOOTHMORE), you are prompted to convert 3DFACE objects to mesh objects. Create a Predefined 3D Mesh The 3D command creates the following 3D shapes: boxes, cones, dishes, domes, meshes, pyramids, spheres, tori (donuts), and wedges.
To view the objects you are creating with the 3D command more clearly, set a viewing direction with 3DORBIT, DVIEW, or VPOINT. 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.
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. Methods for Creating Wireframe Models You can create wireframe models by positioning any 2D planar object anywhere in 3D space, using the following methods: ■ Use the XEDGES command to create wireframe geometry from regions, 3D solids, surfaces, and meshes.
Tips for Working with Wireframe Models Creating 3D wireframe models can be more difficult and time-consuming than creating their 2D views. Here are some tips that will help you work more effectively: ■ Plan and organize your model so that you can turn off layers to reduce the visual complexity of the model. Color can help you differentiate between objects in various views. ■ Create construction geometry to define the basic envelope of the model.
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.
Overview of Modifying 3D Objects 3D modeling tools range from entering precise measurements in the Properties Inspector, 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. Convert to Other Object Types In many cases, you can convert from one object type to another to take advantage of specific editing capabilities.
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. To ensure that your modifications 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 Overview of Coordinate Entry.
Use Gizmos to Modify Objects Use gizmos to move, rotate, or scale objects and subobjects in a 3D view. Overview of Using Gizmos Gizmos help you move, rotate, or scale a set of objects along a 3D axis or plane. There are three types of gizmos: ■ 3D Move gizmo. Relocates selected objects along an axis or plane. ■ 3D Rotate gizmo. Rotates selected objects about a specified axis. ■ 3D Scale gizmo. Scales selected objects along a specified plane or axis, or uniformly along all 3 axes.
select a 3D object or subobject. Gizmos are also displayed during the 3DMOVE, 3DROTATE, and 3DSCALE commands. If the visual style is set to 2D Wireframe, entering 3DMOVE, 3DROTATE, or 3DSCALE automatically converts the visual style to 3D Wireframe. By default, the gizmo is initially placed in the center of the selection set. However, you can relocate it anywhere in 3D space. The center box (or base grip) of the gizmo sets the base point for the modification.
Change the Gizmo Settings The following settings affect the display of gizmos: ■ Default gizmo. The DEFAULTGIZMO system variable specifies which gizmo is displayed by default when an object is selected in a view with a 3D visual style. You can turn off display of the gizmo. This setting is also available on the status bar. ■ Default location. The GTLOCATION system variable sets the default location of the gizmo.
To move the objects freely, drag outside the gizmo or specify the axis or plane to which you will constrain the movement. Constrain the Movement to an Axis You can use the Move gizmo to constrain the movement to an axis. As the cursor hovers over an axis handle on the gizmo, a vector aligned with the axis is displayed, and the specified axis turns yellow. Click the axis handle. As you drag the cursor, movement of the selected objects and subobjects is constrained to the highlighted axis.
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. You can specify the plane of movement by moving the cursor over the rectangle. When the rectangle turns yellow, click it. As you drag the cursor, the selected objects and subobjects move only along the highlighted plane. Click or enter a value to specify the distance of the move from the base point.
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.
Scale 3D Objects Change the size of 3D objects uniformly or along a specified axis or plane. After you select the objects and subobjects to scale, constrain the object scaling by clicking the gizmo axis, plane, or the portion of the gizmo between all three axes. NOTE Non-uniform scaling (along an axis or a plane) is only available for meshes, it is not available for solids and surfaces. Scale a 3D Object Along an Axis Constrain mesh object scaling to a specified axis.
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.
Use Grips to Modify Solids and Surfaces Use grips to change the shape and size of solids and surfaces. Use 3D Subobject Grips Select faces, edges, and vertices on 3D objects. A subobject is a face, edge or vertex of a solid, surface, or mesh object. 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.
You can remove an item from the selection set by pressing and holding Shift and selecting it again. Select Subobjects on Composite 3D Solids Press and hold Ctrl to select faces, edges, and vertices on composite solids. If the History property of the composite solid is set to Record (On), the first “pick” might select the history subobject. (The history subobject is the portion of the original object that was removed during the union, subtract, or intersect operation.
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.
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. For example, you can change the height and base radius of a cone without losing the overall cone shape.
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 (page 352) Create a Solid Cone (page 356) 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.
you drag an edge to move it, the adjacent faces are adjusted so that they remain adjacent to the edge. Several results are possible when you modify a solid or surface. When you move, rotate, or scale subobjects, you can press Ctrl one or more times as you drag to cycle through modification options. The following illustration shows the modification options for moving a face.
Rules and Limitations When Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Subobjects You can only move, rotate, and scale subobjects on 3D solids if the operation maintains the integrity of the solid. The following rules and limitations apply to moving, rotating, and scaling subobjects: ■ When you use grips to modify subobjects, grips are not displayed on the subobjects that cannot be moved, rotated, or scaled. ■ In most cases, you can move, rotate, and scale both planar and non-planar faces.
Move, Rotate, and Scale Faces on 3D Solids and Surfaces You can select and modify faces of 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. If you move, rotate, or scale a face on a 3D solid primitive, the solid primitive’s history is removed.
■ Extend Adjacent Faces. When you move or rotate a face without pressing Ctrl, the shape and size of the face is maintained. However, the planes of adjacent faces might change. ■ Move Face. When you move a face and press and release Ctrl once while dragging, the position of the face is modified within the boundary, or footprint, of the adjacent faces. ■ Allow Triangulation. When you move or rotate a face and press and release Ctrl twice while dragging, the size and shape of the face is maintained.
Delete a Face If you specify two points, the first point is used as a base point and a single copy is placed relative to the base point. If you specify a single point and press 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.
Modify Edges on 3D Objects You can select and modify edges on a 3D solid or surface. 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.
■ Extend Adjacent Faces. 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. ■ Move 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. ■ Allow Triangulation.
Fillet and Chamfer 3D Solids Round, fillet, or bevel the edges of 3D solids using FILLETEDGE and CHAMFEREDGE. 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. TIP Use the Chain option of FILLETEDGE to limit selection to tangent edges. 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.
See also: Move, Rotate, and Scale 3D Subobjects (page 423) Use Gizmos to Modify Objects (page 410) Modify Objects (page 232) Move or Rotate Objects (page 238) Resize or Reshape Objects (page 260) Overview of Modifying Meshes (page 454) Modify Vertices on 3D Objects You can select and modify 3D object vertices. Move, rotate, scale, or drag the vertices of 3D solids and surfaces. wedge with two vertices moved You can modify the form of a 3D solid or surface by modifying one or more vertices.
■ Move Vertex. When you move a vertex and press and release Ctrl once, adjacent planar faces might be adjusted. ■ Allow Triangulation. When you move a vertex without pressing Ctrl, some adjacent planar faces may be triangulated (divided into two or more planar triangular faces). If you press and release Ctrl a second time, the modification returns to the first option, as if you had not pressed Ctrl.
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.
If the selected individual form does not contain its history, you can move, rotate, scale, or delete the form. Modify Complex Composites A composite object might be made up of other composite objects. You can select the history images of composite objects by holding down the Ctrl key as you click the forms. (For best results, set the subobject selection filter to Solid History.
After separation, the individual solids retain their original layers and colors. All nested 3D solid objects are restored to their simplest forms. See also: Modify Objects Using Grips (page 233) Overview of Modifying Meshes (page 454) Shell and Remove Redundancies in 3D Objects Convert 3D solids to shells and remove redundant lines and edges. Shell 3D Solids Convert a 3D solid to a hollow wall, or shell.
True 3D solid objects have properties, volume, and mass, that are not shared by objects created with thickness or closed surfaces. You can check whether an object is a valid 3D solid by verifying whether it is listed as “3D Solid” on the Properties Inspector. You can also use SOLIDEDIT to verify whether a solid object is a valid 3D solid object. Pressing or Pulling Areas and Faces Get visual feedback as you extrude objects and offset 3D solid faces.
In combination with imprinted faces, you can form complex shapes using press or pull operations to create extrusions and notches. Press or Pull to Create Surfaces Selecting an open object, such as a line, spline, or arc creates a surface. Press or Pull to Offset a 3D Solid Face If you select the face of a 3D solid object, the press or pull operation modifies the size of the solid object based on the offset distance you specify. You can select more than one face on the object.
With the IMPRINT command, you can add a new facet to a 3D solid by imprinting a coplanar object that overlaps a face. Imprinting provides additional edges that you can use to reshape the 3D object. For example, if a circle overlaps the face of a box, you can imprint it on the solid. You can delete or retain the original object when you imprint it. Objects that can be imprinted on 3D solids include arcs, circles, lines, 2D and 3D polylines, ellipses, splines, regions, bodies, and other 3D solids.
Modify the Properties of 3D Solids, Surfaces, and Meshes Modify 3D objects by changing their settings in the Properties Inspector. 3D solids, surfaces, and meshes, and their subobjects can be modified in the Properties Inspector. Modify Solid Objects by Changing Properties By changing settings in the Properties Inspector, you can modify basic size, height, and shape characteristics of primitive solids.
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. ■ 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 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.
Overview of Modifying Surfaces Fillet, extend, and trim surfaces or modify NURBS surfaces with control vertices. Procedural and NURBS surfaces can be edited with basic editing tools such as trimming, extending and filleting. NURBS surfaces can be modified with these tools as well, but they can also be reshaped by stretching control vertices. When your surface design is complete, use the surface analysis tools to ensure the quality of your model and to rebuild it if necessary.
■ 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.
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. The PROJECTGEOMETRY command creates a duplicate curve on the object that you can move and edit. You can also trim against 2D curves that do not actually touch the surface, but that appear to intersect the object in the current view.
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. Change the radius while you are creating the surface with the radius option or by dragging the fillet grip.
Use CVSHOW to display the control vertices for both NURBS surfaces and curves. Drag the control vertices to reshape the curve or surface; you can also add or delete control vertices in both the U and V directions. The typical surface modeling workflow is to: ■ Create a model that combines 3D solids, surfaces, and mesh objects. ■ Convert the model to procedural surfaces to take advantage of associative modeling.
Analyze Surfaces Surface analysis tools check the continuity, curvature and draft angles of surfaces. Use the surface analysis tools to validate surfaces and curves before manufacturing. Analysis tools include: ■ Zebra Analysis (page 451) - Analyzes surface continuity by projecting parallel lines onto the model. ■ Curvature Analysis (page 453) - Evaluates areas of high and low surface curvature by displaying a color gradient.
NOTE Analysis tools only work in the 3D visual styles; they will not work in 2D. 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.
■ G1 Tangency. The position and tangency of surfaces is the same. This indicates G1 (G0 + G1 or position + tangency). The zebra stripes line up, but they veer away from one another at sharp curves. ■ 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).
Analyze the Curvature of a NURBS Surface Displays a color gradient onto surfaces to evaluate areas of high, low and Gaussian curvature. The color gradient allows you to visualize Gaussian, minimum, maximum, and mean U and V surface curvature. Maximum curvature and a positive Gaussian value display as red, and minimum curvature and a negative Gaussian value display as blue. Positive Gaussian curvature means the surface is shaped like a bowl.
Modify Mesh Objects Model mesh objects by changing smoothing levels, refining specific areas, or adding creases. Overview of Modifying Meshes Modeling mesh objects differs from modeling 3D solids and surfaces in some important ways. Mesh objects do not have the mass and volume properties of 3D solids. However, they do offer unique capabilities that enable you to design less angular, more rounded models. Mesh objects are easier to mold and reshape than their solid and surface counterparts.
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.
About Mesh Modeling You can work with mesh objects in the following ways: ■ Add smoothness. Increase or decrease smoothness levels to round the overall shape of the model. The underlying density of the mesh facet grid increases as the mesh object smoothness level increases (MESHSMOOTHMORE and MESHSMOOTHLESS). ■ Refine the object to reset the baseline smoothness level. Refine a mesh object to convert the underlying facet grid to editable faces.
a specific subobject, which you can select without pressing and holding Ctrl. See Use 3D Subobject Grips (page 418). ■ Gizmo editing.When you select a mesh object or subobject, the 3D Move, Rotate, or Scale gizmo is displayed automatically. (You can set which gizmo is displayed by default.) Use these gizmos to modify the selection uniformly, or along a specified plane or axis. Form more information, see Use Gizmos to Modify Objects (page 410).
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.
In addition to increasing the number of faces, refining a mesh object resets its level of smoothness back to the baseline. Therefore, an object might appear to be smoothed, but its smoothness level can still equal 0 (zero). Refine a Mesh Face You can refine an entire mesh object as shown in the previous illustration, or select a specific face to refine. A refined face is subdivided into four faces and the surrounding faces are deformed slightly to accommodate the change.
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. If you refine an object or edge that has a crease value, the assigned crease value is lowered by the value of the original level of smoothing. Suppose that you add a crease with a crease value of 4 and then refine a mesh whose level of smoothness is 2. The new crease value is 2.
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. The selected face is flattened and all edges that bound that face are sharpened. Adjacent faces are deformed to accommodate the new shape of the face. ■ Vertex. The point of the vertex and all intersecting edges are sharpened.
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 (page 346). 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 (page 468) Create a Solid or Surface by Extruding (page 346) 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.
■ 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).
See also: Tips for Working with Mesh (page 468) Tips for Working with Mesh Learn some best practices for working with mesh models. Mesh, with its enhanced modeling capabilities, offers a way to create more fluid, free-form designs. Keep these tips in mind as you work. Mesh smoothing Mesh modeling is a powerful way to design, but higher levels of smoothness increase complexity and can affect performance.
Refine or split a face instead of refining the entire object Refinement is a powerful way to subdivide faces. However, by increasing the number of faces, you add to the overall complexity of the model. In addition, refining an entire mesh object resets the base level of smoothness to 0. This change can result in a dense grid that can no longer be simplified. For best results, avoid refining the object, and refine or split only the individual faces that require more detailed modeling.
Use gizmos to model faces, edges, and vertices 3D Move, 3D Rotate, and 3D Scale gizmos can be used to modify entire mesh objects, or specific subobjects. 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.
A filter is especially valuable for selecting mesh vertices, which are not highlighted as you move the mouse over them. 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.
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. Avoid switching between object types more than once, if possible. If you notice that the conversion modifies the shape of the object in an unacceptable way, undo the conversion and try again with different settings.
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 Drawings from 3D Models Create cross sections, cutting planes, flattened views, and 2D drawings of 3D objects. Work with Sections Create cross sections of 3D models.
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. Create Section Objects Create cross sections to show interior details of 3D objects.
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.
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. You do not have live sectioning capabilities when you use this legacy method to create cross sections.
Modify a Section View After you create a section, adjust its display or modify its shape and location to change the represented section view. 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.
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.
■ Direction grip.Controls the viewing direction of the 2D section. To reverse the viewing direction of the section plane, click the Direction grip. ■ Arrow grip.Modifies the section object by modifying the shape and position of the section plane. Only orthogonal movements in the direction of the arrow are permitted. (Section Boundary and Volume states only.) ■ Segment end grips.Stretches the vertices of the section plane. You cannot move segment end grips so that segments intersect.
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). Associate Section Objects with Named Views Associate section objects with named views.
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.
section block is inserted on the XY plane of the current UCS, including section blocks that extend into 3D space. Inserted section blocks are initially unnamed. You can set the scale, rotation, and base point upon insertion. You can modify and rename them later by editing the block with BEDIT. ■ Export section blocks to a file. Save and name the new section objects so they can be inserted later. ■ Save section block components on separate layers.
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. Create a Flattened View Create a flattened view of the 3D solids and regions in the current view. Create a 2D Presentation of a 3D Model With the FLATSHOT command, you can create a flattened, 2D representation of the 3D model projected onto the XY plane.
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. As you create the block, you can control how hidden lines are displayed by adjusting the Foreground and Obscured Lines settings in the Flatshot dialog box.
NOTE To create profile images of 3D solids in paper space, use the SOLPROF command. Modify a Block Created with Flatshot You can modify a flattened view that has been inserted as a block in the same way that you modify any other 2D block geometry.
Annotate Drawings 9 Work with Annotations 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 Scale Annotations You can automate the process of scaling annotations in various layout viewports and in model space. Overview of Scaling Annotations Objects that are commonly used to annotate drawings have a property called Annotative. This property allows you to automate the process of scaling annotations so that they plot or display at the correct size on the paper.
Save to Legacy Drawing File Format Set the system variable SAVEFIDELITY to 1 when you save a drawing that contains annotative objects to a legacy drawing file format (AutoCAD 2007 or earlier). This preserves the visual fidelity of the drawing when it is opened in a release earlier than AutoCAD 2008 by saving individual representations of each scale of each annotative object. The individual objects are saved to layers that are used to organize objects of the same scale.
You can reset the list of annotative scales in a drawing to the default list of either metric or imperial scales defined in the registry with the Default Scale dialog box. The unused scales in the drawing are purged and the customized list of scales from your user profile are merged into the drawing See also: The Status Bar (page 28) Create Annotative Objects Objects that are commonly used to annotate drawings have a property called Annotative.
Many of the dialog boxes used to create these objects contain an Annotative check box where you can make the object annotative. You can also change existing objects to be annotative by changing the annotative property in the Properties Inspector palette. When you hover the cursor over an annotative object that supports one annotation scale, the cursor displays a icon. When the object supports more than one annotation scale, it displays a icon.
See also: Work with Annotative Styles (page 494) Work with Annotative Styles You can minimize the steps to annotate a drawing by using annotative styles. Work with Annotative Styles Annotative text, dimension, and multileader styles create annotative objects. The dialog boxes used to define these objects contain an Annotative check box where you can make the styles annotative. Annotative styles display a special palette.
Work with Leader Styles (page 533) Create Annotative Leaders and Multileaders (page 497) Create Annotative Text Use annotative text for notes and labels in your drawing. You create annotative text by using an annotative text style, which sets the height of the text on the paper. Create Annotative Text The current annotation scale automatically determines the display size of the text in model space or paper space viewports.
Create Annotative Dimensions and Tolerances Annotative dimension styles create dimensions in which all the elements of the dimension, such as text, spacing, and arrows, scale uniformly by the annotation scale. 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).
Create Annotative Leaders and Multileaders Leaders and multileaders are used to add call outs to your drawings. You can create annotative leaders through an annotative dimension style and multileaders through an annotative multileader style. Create Annotative Leaders and Multileaders When you create a leader, you create two separate objects: the leader and the text, block, or tolerance associated with the leader. When you create a multileader, you create a single object.
at the time they are inserted. You should insert annotative block references with a unit factor of 1. You cannot change the Annotative property of individual block references. To set an annotative block’s paper size, you should define the block in paper space or on the Model layout with the annotation scale set to 1:1.
You can define annotative attributes for annotative and non-annotative blocks. Use annotative attributes with non-annotative blocks when you want the geometry in the block to display on the paper based on the scale of the viewport, but you want the attribute text to display at the Paper Text Height defined for the attribute. You can set the orientation of annotative blocks to match the orientation of the paper.
The orientation of annotative hatches always matches the orientation of the layout. See also: Overview of Hatch Pattern Definitions in the Customization Guide 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. Display Annotative Objects This reduces the need to use multiple layers to manage the visibility of your annotations.
You use the Annotation Visibility button on the right side of the application or drawing status bar to choose the display setting for annotative objects. Annotation visibility is turned on by default. When annotation visibility is turned on, all annotative objects are displayed. When annotation visibility is turned off , only annotative objects for the current scale are displayed.
grips to manipulate the current scale representation. All other scale representations of the object are displayed in a dimmed state when the SELECTIONANNODISPLAY system variable is set to 1 (default). Use the ANNORESET command to reset the location of all scale representations for an annotative object to that of the current scale representation. Set Orientation for Annotations Annotative blocks and text can be set so that their orientation matches the orientation of the layout.
Set Orientation for Annotations 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.
Hatches, Fills, and Wipeouts Use hatch patterns, a solid fills, or gradient fills to cover an area. Use wipeout objects to blank out areas. See also: Modify Objects (page 232) Overview of Hatch Pattern Definitions in the Customization Guide Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills A hatch object displays a standard pattern of lines and dots used to highlight an area, or to identify a material, such as steel or concrete. It can also display a solid fill or a gradient fill.
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. Moving or rotating the UCS is an alternate method for controlling hatch patterns. NOTE By default, a preview of the hatch displays as you move the cursor over enclosed areas.
■ Select objects that enclose an area. ■ Specify boundary points using the Draw option of -HATCH. NOTE Enclosed areas can be hatched only if they are in a plane parallel to the XY plane of the current UCS. Create Associative Hatches Associative hatches are automatically updated when their boundary objects are modified. Minor changes in the boundary of an associative hatch do not require erasing and re-creating the hatch.
■ No island detection (legacy behavior that is similar to the Ignore style) Using Normal island detection, if you specify the internal pick point shown, islands remain unhatched and islands within islands are hatched. 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.
Identify Gaps in Hatch Boundaries If the specified internal point is not within a fully enclosed area, red circles are displayed at the unconnected endpoints of the boundary to identify the gaps. The red circles remain displayed after you exit HATCH. They are removed when you specify another internal point for the hatch, or when you use REDRAW, REGEN, or REGENALL.
Control the Appearance of Hatches Specify a hatch pattern or fill, and control its alignment and scale. 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.
Control the Hatch Origin Point Each hatch pattern is aligned with an origin point. Changing the origin point shifts the pattern. By default, hatch patterns are aligned with the origin point of the user coordinate system. However, sometimes you need to move the origin point of the hatch object. For example, if you create a brick pattern, you can start with a complete brick in the lower-left corner of the hatched area by specifying a new origin point.
NOTE To prevent accidental creation of an enormous number of hatch lines, the maximum number of hatch lines created in a single hatch operation is limited. This limit prevents memory and performance problems. However, you can change the maximum number of hatch lines with the HPMAXLINES system variable. Similarly the number of enclosed areas in single hatch is limited by the HPMAXAREAS system variable.
■ Trim an existing hatch to objects that cross the edges of the hatch. After trimming, erase the objects. ■ 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.
Modify Hatch Properties Modify the properties of hatch objects directly or copy them from another hatch object. The following tools are available for modifying hatch properties: ■ Hatch visor controls. Display on the visor by selecting a hatch or fill object. ■ Hatch Edit dialog box. Access the dialog box with HATCHEDIT. ■ Properties Inspector. ■ Hatch shortcut menu. Access the menu by right-clicking a hatch object. ■ Hatch dynamic menu.
Reshape a Hatch or Fill Reshape an associative hatch by modifying the boundary objects. Reshape a nonassociative hatch by modifying the hatch object. Modify the Extents of Associative Hatches and Fills If you modify the boundary objects of an associative hatch, and the result maintains a closed boundary, the associated hatch object is automatically updated. If the changes result in an open boundary, the hatch loses its associativity with the boundary objects, and the hatch remains unchanged.
Modify the Extents of Non-associative Hatches and Fills When you select a non-associative hatch, multi-functional grips are displayed on the hatch. Use these grips to modify the hatch extents and some several hatch properties. When you hover over a grip on a nonassociative hatch object, a grip menu displays several edit options based on the type of grip. For example, a linear segment grip has an option to convert the segment to an arc, or to add a vertex.
Create a Blank Area to Cover Objects Create a polygonal area, called a wipeout to mask underlying objects with the current background color. A wipeout object covers existing objects with a blank area to make room for notes or to mask details. This area is defined by the wipeout frame, which you can turn on for editing, and turn off for plotting. Use the WIPEOUT command both for creating a wipeout object, and for controlling whether wipeout frames are displayed or hidden in the drawing.
Notes and Labels 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).
Single-Line Text For short entries that do not require multiple fonts or lines, create single-line text. Single-line text is most convenient for labels. Multiline Text For long, complex entries, create multiline, or paragraph text. Multiline text consists of any number of text lines or paragraphs that fit within a width you specify; it can extend vertically to an indefinite length.
determines what part of the text character aligns with the insertion point. Use the TEXT command to enter the text in-place, or enter -text to type text at the Command prompt instead of in-place. You can insert a field in single-line text. A field is text that is set up to display data that might change. When the field is updated, the latest value of the field is displayed. The text styles used for single-line text are the same as those used for multiline text.
See also: Use Fields in Text (page 536) 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.
The In-Place Text Editor allows you to adjust the bounding box that defines the size of the multiline text object, as well as create and edit tabs and indents on the ruler along the top. The editor is transparent, as you create text, you can see whether the text overlaps other objects. To turn off transparency while you work, right-click in the In-Place Text Editor and click Editor Settings ➤ Opaque Background from the shortcut menu.
Justify Multiline Text Justification of multiline text objects controls both text alignment and text flow relative to the text insertion point. Justification controls both text alignment and text flow relative to the text insertion point. Text is left-justified and right-justified with respect to the boundary rectangle that defines the text width. Text flows from the insertion point, which can be at the middle, the top, or the bottom of the resulting text object.
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. You can also set an obliquing angle, change the space between characters, and make characters wider or narrower.
NOTE If you do not want list formatting applied to all text that fits the criteria, clear the Allow Bullets and Lists option. (Right-click in the In-Place Text Editor, click Bullets and Lists ➤ Allow Bullets and Lists.) When Allow Bullets and Lists is not checked, you cannot create new formatted lists in the multiline text object. To create a list, use one of the following methods: ■ Apply list formatting to new or selected text. ■ Use Auto-list (on by default) and type the elements of a list.
Character Description : Colon ) Close parenthesis > Close angle bracket ] Close square bracket } Close curly bracket Paste a List from Another Document If you copy a nested bulleted list (a list within a list) from a word processor and paste the list into a multiline text, the bullets that are displayed as empty circles might not be formatted like other bullets in multiline text. This is because the bullet might be a letter, such as o, instead of a bullet for nested bulleted lists.
Specify the Line Spacing Within Multiline Text Line spacing for multiline text is the distance between the baseline (bottom) of one line of text and the baseline of the next line of text. The line space factor applies to the entire multiline text object, not to selected lines. You can set the spacing increment to a multiple of single line spacing, or as an absolute distance. Single spacing is 1.66 times the height of the text characters.
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.
See also: Work with Text Styles (page 540) 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.
height of the column is fixed. To delete the break, highlight and delete it or use the Backspace key right after the break. Editing Columns in the Properties Inspector You will be able to select Static or Dynamic columns, turn off columns and change column and gutter width through the Properties Inspector palette. Changing column width in the palette will exhibit results similar to changing width using grips. The palette is the only place that you can also change gutter setting.
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. When associative dimensioning is turned on and object snaps are used to locate the leader arrowhead, the leader is associated with the object to which the arrowhead is attached.
A multileader object, or mleader, comprises a leader and a note. It can be created arrowhead first, tail first, or content first. If a multileader style has been used, then the multileader can be created from that style Multileader objects can contain multiple leader lines, each of which can have one or more segments, so that one note can point to multiple objects in your drawing. You can modify the properties of leader segment in the Properties Inspector palette.
Associate Leaders with Objects When associative dimensioning is turned on (DIMASSOC system variable), the leader arrowhead can be associated with a location on an object using an 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.
■ ■ ■ Lengthen Landing to extend the Landing line. ■ Add Leader to add one or more leader lines. From a leader endpoint grip, you can choose: ■ Stretch to move the leader endpoint. ■ Add Vertex to add a vertex to the leader line. ■ Remove Leader to delete the selected leader line. From a leader vertex grip, you can choose: ■ Stretch to move the vertex. ■ Add Vertex to add a vertex on the leader line. ■ Remove Vertex to delete the vertex.
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. You can also offset a multiline text object by specifying a landing gap distance in the current leader style. You can create annotative multileaders with text as content. The text content will be scaled according to the specified scale representation.
Middle of text Middle of bottom line Bottom of bottom line Underline bottom line Underline all text Notes and Labels | 535
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.
is added to a project, the placeholder field displays the correct layout number and title. A field for which no value is available displays hyphens (----). For example, the PageSetupName field, which is set in the Page Setup Manager, may be blank. An invalid field displays pound signs (####). For example, the CurrentLayoutTitle field, which is valid only in paper space, displays pound signs if it is placed in model space.
FIELDEVAL controls whether fields are updated automatically or on demand. The Date field cannot be updated automatically regardless of the setting of FIELDEVAL. NOTE When the DEMANDLOAD system variable is set to 2, fields cannot be updated until you use FIELD or UPDATEFIELD. Contextual Fields in Blocks and Xrefs Some fields are contextual; that is, their value is different depending on which space or layout they reside in.
NOTE The Block Placeholder and Hyperlink fields are not available in AutoCAD 2013. The drawings created in AutoCAD that contain these fields can be opened and the cached value is displayed. For compatibility with previous releases, contextual fields in blocks and xrefs are not updated when you insert them in a drawing; instead, the field displays 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.
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. The current text style sets the font, size, obliquing angle, orientation, and other text characteristics.
The settings for the current text style are displayed at the Command prompts. You can use or modify the current text style or create and load a new text style. Once you've created a text style, you can modify its characteristics, change its name, or delete it when you no longer need it. Create and Modify Text Styles Except for the default STANDARD text style, you must create any text style that you want to use. Text style names can be up to 255 characters long.
Formatting Retained? Height No Italic No Stacking Yes Underlining Yes Annotative Text Styles Use annotative text for notes and labels in your drawing. You create annotative text by using an annotative text style, which sets the height of the text on the paper. For more information about creating and working with an annotative text, see Create Annotative Text (page 495).
Use TrueType Fonts Several factors affect the display of TrueType fonts in a drawing. TrueType fonts always appear filled in your drawing; however, when you plot, the TEXTFILL system variable controls whether the fonts are filled. By default TEXTFILL is set to 1 to plot the filled-in fonts. The In-Place Text Editor can display only fonts that are recognized by the operating system.
Asian Big Font SHX Files Asian alphabets contain thousands of non-ASCII characters. To support such text, the program provides a special type of shape definition known as a Big Font file. You can set a style to use both regular and Big Font files. Asian Language Big Fonts Included in the Product Font File Name Description @extfont2.shx Japanese vertical font (a few characters are rotated to work correctly in vertical text) bigfont.shx Japanese font, subset of characters chineset.
specifying the font file names, you can change one font without affecting the other, as shown in the following table. Specifying fonts and Big Fonts at the Command prompt Enter this ... To specify this ...
file pair: txt.shx and bigfont.shx. For more information, see Use Text Fonts for International Work (page 543). ® In previous releases, you could display PostScript fonts in the drawing. Because later releases cannot display PostScript fonts, Autodesk has supplied TrueType font equivalents. These PostScript fonts are mapped to the equivalent TrueType fonts in a font mapping file.
Font substitution File extension First mapping order Second mapping order Third mapping order Fourth mapping order .shx Use font mapping table Use font defined in text style Use FONTALT Prompt for new font .pfb Use font mapping table Use FONTALT Prompt for new font Display Proxy Fonts For third-party or custom SHX fonts that have no TrueType equivalent, one of several different TrueType fonts called proxy fonts is substituted.
TrueType Fonts For TrueType fonts, the value specified for text height represents the height of a capital letter plus an ascent area reserved for accent marks and other marks used in non-English languages. The relative portion of text height that is assigned to capital letters and ascent characters is determined by the font designer at the time the font is designed; consequently, it varies from font to font.
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. Each successive text line is drawn to the right of the preceding line. The normal rotation angle for vertical text is 270 degrees.
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. The MIRRTEXT system variable controls whether text is also reversed when you mirror objects in your drawing.
After you create multiline text, you can use the Properties Inspector palette to change the following: ■ Text style assignment ■ Justification ■ Width ■ Rotation ■ Line spacing 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.
When searching for text in a 3D view, the viewport will temporarily change to a 2D viewport so that text is not blocked by 3D objects in your drawing. With FIND, you can use wild-card characters in your search. Character Definition # (Pound) Matches any numeric digit @ (At) Matches any alphabetic character .
You can check the spelling of all text objects in your drawing, including ■ Single and multiline text ■ Dimension text ■ Multileader text ■ Text within block attributes ■ Text within xrefs With Check Spelling, your drawing or the areas of your drawing’s text that you specify are searched for misspelled words. If a misspelled word is identified, the word is highlighted and the drawing area zooms to that word in a scale that is easy to read.
You can underline text, add a line over text, and create stacked text. You can also change color, font, and text height. You can change the spaces between text characters or increase the width of the characters themselves. To apply formatting, use the format codes shown in the following table. Format codes for paragraphs Format code Purpose Enter this … \0...\o or {\0...} Adds a line above the characters Autodesk \OAutoCAD\o or Autodesk {\OAutoCAD} \L...\l or {\L...
Format codes for paragraphs Format code Purpose Enter this … \Hvaluex; Changes the text height to a multiple of the current text height Autodesk \H3x;AutoCAD \S...^...; Stacks the subsequent text at the /, #, or ^ symbol 1.000\S+0.010^-0.000; \Tvalue; Adjusts the space between characters. Valid values range from a minimum of .75 to 4 times the original spacing between characters. \T2;Autodesk \Qangle; Changes obliquing angle \Q20;Autodesk \Wvalue; Changes width factor to produce wide text \
Tables A table is a rectangular array of cells that contain annotation, primarily text but also multiple 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).
Break Tables into Multiple Parts A table with a large amount of data can be broken into primary and secondary table fragments. Use the table breaking grips found at the bottom of your table to make a table span multiple columns in your drawing or to manipulate the different table parts you have already created. Modify a Table Cell You can click inside a cell to select it. Grips are displayed in the middle of the cell borders. Click inside another cell to move selection to that cell.
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.
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.
Create Multiline Text (page 520) 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.
automatically entered by entering the first necessary date and dragging the AutoFill grip. Numbers will fill automatically by increments of 1 if one cell is selected and dragged. Similarly, dates will resolve by increments of one day if only one cell is selected. If two cells are manually filled with dates one week apart, the remaining cells are incremented by one week.
NOTE To simplify drawing organization and dimension scaling, it is recommended that you create dimensions on layouts rather than in model space. Parts of a Dimension Here is a list of the parts of a dimension along with their descriptions. Dimensions have several distinct elements: dimension text, dimension lines, arrowheads, and extension lines. Dimension text is a text string that usually indicates the measurement value. The text can also include prefixes, suffixes, and tolerances.
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. Extension lines, also called projection lines or witness lines, extend from the feature to the dimension line. A center mark is a small cross that marks the center of a circle or arc. Centerlines are broken lines that mark the center of a circle or arc. Associative Dimensions Dimensions can be associative, nonassociative, or exploded.
■ Use the LIST command to display the properties of the dimension. A dimension is considered associative even if only one end of the dimension is associated with a geometric object. The DIMREASSOCIATE command displays the associative and non-associative elements of a dimension.
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. Overview of Dimension Styles A dimension style is a named collection of dimension settings that controls the appearance of dimensions, such as arrowhead style, text location, and lateral tolerances.
Use Externally Referenced Dimension Styles The program displays externally referenced dimension style names using the same syntax as for other externally dependent named objects. When you view externally referenced dimension styles using the Dimension Style Manager, the name of the xref displays in the Styles list as Xref:”drawing name” with each xref style appearing below the drawing name. For example, if the drawing file baseplat.dwg has a dimension style called FRACTIONAL-1, and you attach baseplat.
■ Control the distance by which the dimension line extends beyond the extension lines for architectural tick (oblique stroke) arrowheads Control Extension Lines You can control extension line properties including color, lineweight, overshoot, and offset length.
■ Control the extension origin offset, the distance between the extension line origin, and the start of the extension line ■ 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 568 | Chapter 9 Annotate Drawings
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.
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.
NOTE The insertion point a block is defined with affects its placement as a custom arrowhead on a dimension or leader. For information on changing the insertion point of a block, see Create Drawing Files for Use as Blocks (page 318). If you use paper-space scaling, the scale factor is computed before applying it to the arrowhead size value.
The following illustrations show how the program applies a "best fit" for arrowheads and text. 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.
Control the Location of Dimension Text You can locate dimension text manually and specify its alignment and orientation. The program comes with several justification settings that facilitate compliance with international standards, or you can choose your own location for the text. Many of the settings are interdependent. Example images in the Dimension Style Manager are updated dynamically to illustrate how text appears as you change the settings.
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. To place text yourself when you create a dimension, use the Place Text Manually option on the Modify/New Dimension Style dialog box, Fit tab.
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. Position Dimension Text Vertically The position of the text relative to the dimension line is referred to as vertical text placement.
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
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.
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. The number of digits displayed after the decimal point depends on the precision set for primary and alternate units and lateral tolerance values.
number of inches is indicated as zero, no matter which option you select. Thus, the dimension 4'-3/4" becomes 4'-0 3/4".
the deviation tolerance values are equal, they are displayed with a sign and they are known as symmetrical. Otherwise, the plus value goes above the minus value. 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.
Along with vertical placement of tolerance values, you can also control the horizontal alignment of the upper and lower tolerance values. The upper and lower tolerance values can be aligned using either the operational symbols or decimal separators. You can also control zero suppression as you can with the primary and alternate units. Suppressing zeros in lateral tolerances has the same effect as suppressing them in the primary and alternate units. If you suppress leading zeros, 0.5 becomes .
These settings are available on the Modify/New Dimension Style dialog box, Primary Units tab. 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.
■ . This was the preferred method for complex, multiple-view drawings prior to AutoCAD 2002. Use this method when the dimensions in a drawing need to be referenced by other drawings (xrefs) or when creating isometric dimensions in 3D isometric views. To prevent the dimensions in one layout viewport from being displayed in other layout viewports, create a dimensioning layer for each layout viewport that is frozen in all other layout viewports.
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. Baseline (or parallel) and continued (or chain) dimensions are series of consecutive dimensions that are based on a linear dimension. In all four illustrations, the extension line origins are designated explicitly at 1 and 2, respectively. The dimension line location is specified at 3.
following illustration, a horizontal dimension is drawn by default unless you specify a vertical one. 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. The illustration shows two examples of aligned dimensioning. The object is selected (1), and the location of the aligned dimension is specified (2). The extension lines are drawn automatically.
Both baseline and continued dimensions are measured from the previous extension line unless you specify another point as the point of origin. TIP Hover over a dimension line endpoint grip to quickly access the Baseline or Continued commands from the grip menu. For more information, see Use MultiFunctional Dimension Line Grips (page 599). Create Rotated Dimensions In rotated dimensions, the dimension line is placed at an angle to the extension line origins.
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. New dimensions are not affected when you make an existing dimension oblique. Create Radial Dimensions Radial dimensions measure the radii and diameters of arcs and circles with optional centerlines or a center mark.
For horizontal dimension text, if the angle of the radial dimension line is greater than 15 degrees from horizontal, a hook line, also called a dogleg or landing, one arrowhead long, is created next to the dimension text. Control Extension Lines When an arc is dimensioned, the radial or diametric dimension does not have to be positioned along the arc directly.
Control Centerlines and Center Marks Depending on your dimension style settings, center marks and lines generate automatically for diameter and radius dimensions. They are created only if the dimension line is placed outside the circle or arc. You can create centerlines and center marks directly with the DIMCENTER command. You can control the size and visibility of centerlines and center marks on the New/Modify Dimension Style dialog box, Symbols and Arrows tab, under Center Marks.
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. Create Jogged Radius Dimensions With the DIMJOGGED command, you can create jogged radius dimensions, also called “foreshortened radius dimensions,” when the center of an arc or circle is located off the layout and cannot be displayed in its true location.
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.
NOTE You can create baseline and continued angular dimensions relative to existing angular dimensions. Baseline and continued angular dimensions are limited to 180 degrees or less. To obtain baseline and continued angular dimensions larger than 180 degrees, use grip editing to stretch the location of the extension line of an existing baseline or continued dimension. Dimension Lines If you use two straight, nonparallel lines to specify an angle, the dimension line arc spans the angle between the two lines.
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. These dimensions prevent escalating errors by maintaining accurate offsets of the features from the datum. Ordinate dimensions consist of an X or Y value with a leader line. X-datum ordinate dimensions measure the distance of a feature from the datum along the X axis. Y-datum ordinate dimensions measure the distance along the Y axis.
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. For example, you can create an X-datum ordinate dimension by specifying a location for the leader endpoint that is closer to vertical than horizontal. After creating an ordinate dimension, you can easily relocate the dimension leader and text using grip editing.
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. To differentiate them from linear or angular dimensions, arc length dimensions display an arc symbol by default. The arc symbol, also called a hat or cap, is displayed either above the dimension text or preceding the dimension text.
Modify A Dimension Dimensions can be modified to include more information than just the values of the dimension. Dimensions can also be modified visually by using breaks and by adjusting the spacing between them. Overview of Modifying Dimensions After you place a dimension, there are times when you need to modify the information that the dimension represents.
■ If the associated geometric object undergoes a boolean operation such as UNION or SUBTRACT ■ If grip editing is used to stretch a dimension parallel to its dimension line ■ If the association to a geometric object is specified using the Apparent Intersection object snap, and the geometric object is moved so that the apparent intersection no longer exists In other circumstances, a dimension may become partially associated.
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. Use Dimension Line Grips Hover over the grip on the endpoint of a dimension line to quickly access the following functionality: ■ Stretch.
to specify a different base point or copy the dimension line. This is the default grip behavior. ■ Continue dimension. Invokes the DIMCONTINUE command. ■ Baseline dimension. Invokes the DIMBASELINE command. ■ Flip arrow. Flips the direction of the dimension arrowhead. 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.
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. Association points determine the attachment of extension lines to locations on geometric objects.
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.
Use Dimension Text Grips Hover over a dimension text grip to quickly access the following functionality: ■ Stretch. This is the default grip behavior: ■ If the text is positioned on the dimension line, Stretch moves the dimension line farther away or closer to the object being dimensioned. Use command line prompts to specify a different base point or copy the dimension line.
Once you add a jog to a linear dimension, you can position it by using grips. To reposition the jog, select the dimension and then select the grip. Move the grip to another point along the dimension line. You can also adjust the height of the jog symbol on a linear dimension on the Properties Inspector under Lines & Arrows.
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. Inspection Rate Text used to communicate the frequency that the dimension value should be inspected, expressed as a percentage. The rate is located in the rightmost section of the inspection dimension.
■ Ordinate dimensions ■ Multileaders that use straight-line leaders The following dimension and leader objects do not support dimension breaks: ■ Multileaders that use spline leaders ■ Leaders created with the LEADER command The following table explains the conditions where dimension breaks do not work or are not supported. Dimension Break Exceptions Condition Description No break in xrefs or blocks Dimension breaks on dimensions or multileaders in xrefs and blocks are not supported.
■ Leader ■ Line ■ Circle ■ Arc ■ Spline ■ Ellipse ■ Polyline ■ Text ■ Multiline text ■ Blocks but limited to the previously mentioned objects in this list ■ Xrefs but limited to the previously mentioned objects in this list Automatic Dimension Breaks To create dimension breaks automatically, you select a dimension or multileader, and then use the Auto option of the DIMBREAK command.
Dimension breaks that are added manually by picking two points are not automatically updated if the dimension or multileader, or intersecting object is modified. So if a dimension or multileader with a manually added dimension break is moved or the intersecting object is modified, you might have to restore the dimension or multileader, and then add the dimension break again.
Apply a New Dimension Style to Existing Dimensions You can modify existing dimensions by applying a different dimension style. If you make changes to a dimension style, you can choose whether to update the dimensions associated with that dimension style. When you create a dimension, the current dimension style is associated with that dimension. The dimension retains this dimension style unless you apply a new dimension style to it or set up dimension style overrides.
Some dimension characteristics are common to a drawing or to a style of dimensioning and are therefore suited to be permanent dimension style settings. Others generally apply on an individual basis and can be applied more effectively as overrides. For example, a drawing usually uses a single type of arrowhead, so it makes sense to define the arrowhead type as part of the dimension style.
You add geometric tolerances in feature control frames. These frames contain all the tolerance information for a single dimension. Geometric tolerances can be created with or without leader lines, depending on whether you create them with TOLERANCE or LEADER. A feature control frame consists of two or more components.
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. Material conditions apply to features that can vary in size: ■ At maximum material condition (symbol M, also known as MMC), a feature contains the maximum amount of material stated in the limits.
Projected Tolerance Zones Projected tolerances are used to make the tolerance more specific. Projected tolerances are specified in addition to positional tolerances to make the tolerance more specific. For example, projected tolerances control the perpendicularity tolerance zone of an embedded part. The symbol for projected tolerance ( ) is preceded by a height value, which specifies the minimum projected tolerance zone.
In the following illustration, the point where datums A and B intersect is called the datum axis, the point from which the position of the pattern is calculated. A composite tolerance could specify both the diameter of the pattern of holes and the diameter of each individual hole, as in the following illustration.
Plot and Publish Drawings 10 Specify Settings for Plotting 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.
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.
Page setup name Description Draft Plot to the draft-quality plotter Final Plot to the high-quality plotter Fit-to-Paper Fit to Paper, A-size sheet Once you specify a named page setup for a layout, whenever you plot the layout, it is plotted with the settings you specified. 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.
layout. If your plotter is configured for raster output, you must specify the output size in pixels. Determine the Drawing Orientation of a Layout You can specify the orientation of the drawing on the paper using the Landscape and Portrait settings. Landscape orients the drawing on the paper so that the long edge of the paper is horizontal, and Portrait orients the paper so that the short edge is horizontal. Changing the orientation creates the effect of rotating the paper underneath the drawing.
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.
See also: Scale Views in Layout Viewports (page 95) Draw, Scale, and Annotate in Model Space (page 86) 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.
your three-dimensional designs to others. You can convey your design intent by choosing how viewports are plotted and by specifying resolution levels. Shaded Viewport Plotting Options With shaded plotting options, you can choose whether to plot a set of shaded objects using the As Displayed, Wireframe, Hidden, or Rendered option. Shaded viewport plotting options apply to all objects in viewports and model space.
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. Historically, printers would generate text only, and plotters would generate vector graphics. As printers became more powerful and could generate high-quality raster images of vector data, the distinction mostly disappeared.
Plot Styles A plot style is an optional method that controls how each object or layer is plotted. Assigning a plot style to an object or a layer overrides properties such as color, lineweight, and linetype when plotting. Only the appearance of plotted objects is affected by plot style. Plot style tables collect groups of plot styles, and save them in a file that you can later apply when plotting. There are two plot style types: color-dependent and named. A drawing can use only one type of plot style table.
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 Print dialog box, the settings from the page setup are added to the Print dialog box. You can choose to plot with those settings, or change any of the settings individually and then plot.
■ Display. Plots the view in the current viewport in the Model layout or the current paper space view on a named layout. ■ Model/Layout View. Plots a view saved previously with the -VIEW command. You can select a named view from the list provided. If there are no saved views in the drawing, this option is unavailable. ■ Window. Plots any portion of the drawing you specify. Click the Window button to use a pointing device to specify opposite corners of the area to be plotted, or enter coordinate values.
WARNING If you set your plotter to use paper-saving features such as plotting inked area or nesting, your plotter will probably not use the printable area and plot offset specifications. 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.
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. Set Plot Scale When you specify a scale to output your drawing, you can choose from a list of real-world scales, enter your own scale, or select Fit to Paper to scale the drawing to fit onto the selected paper size. Usually, you draw objects at their actual size.
Scale the Drawing to Fit the Page When you review drafts, a precise scale is not always important. You can use the Fit to Paper option to plot the view at the largest possible size that fits the paper. The height or width of the drawing is fit to the corresponding height or width of the paper. When you plot a perspective view from model space, the view is scaled to fit the paper even when you enter a scale.
Shaded viewport plotting options apply to all objects in viewports and model space. If you use the Shaded or Rendered options, plot style tables included in the page setup do not affect plots. If you use the Render option, two-dimensional wireframe objects, such as lines, arcs, and text, are not plotted. NOTE Shaded viewport plotting requires a raster-capable device. Most modern plotters and printers are raster-capable devices.
After you select an appropriate plotter, you can specify the level of quality for plotted output. The quality level determines the dots per inch (dpi). The dpi that corresponds to a quality level is based on the plotter you select. The maximum dpi available is also based on the plotter you select. You can specify a custom quality level and directly change the dpi to a setting between 100 and the maximum dpi of the plotter.
■ Plot Stamp On. Turns on plot stamps and places a plot stamp on a specified corner of each drawing and can add it to a log file. Plot stamp settings are 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. Use Plot Styles to Control Plotted Objects You can control many aspects of how an object is plotted by using plot styles.
NOTE Plot styles are not available for objects with the Jitter edge modifier applied (-VISUALSTYLES). Choose a Type of Plot Style Table A plot style table is a collection of plot styles assigned to a layout or the Model tab. There are two types of plot style tables: color-dependent plot style tables and named plot style tables. Color-dependent plot style tables (CTB) use an object's color to determine characteristics such as lineweight. Every red object in a drawing is plotted the same way.
Manage Plot Style Tables You can use the Plot Style Manager and Plot Style Table Editor to manage plot style tables. Color-dependent (CTB) and named (STB) plot style tables are stored in the Plot Styles folder by default. This folder is also known as the Plot Style Manager. You can use the Plot Style Manager to delete, rename, copy, and edit plot style tables.
Table Description monochrome.ctb Plots all colors as black None Applies no plot style table screening 100%.ctb Uses 100% ink for all colors screening 75%.ctb Uses 75% ink for all colors screening 50%.ctb Uses 50% ink for all colors screening 25%.ctb Uses 25% ink for all colors NOTE You can assign a color-dependent plot style table to a layout only if the drawing has been set to use color-dependent plot style tables.
have a plot style assigned to it that is not in every plot style table. In this case, the plot style as missing in the Select Plot Style dialog box; the object's default plotting properties are used. For example, named plot style table Style1 contains plot styles A and B. Named plot style table Style2 contains plot styles B and C. In a layout that uses Style1, any objects that use plot style C are listed as having a missing plot style.
Change Plot Style Settings You can modify plot styles using the Plot Style Table Editor. Changes you make to a plot style affect the objects to which that plot style is assigned. Overview of Plot Style Settings You can open the Plot Style Table Editor by double-clicking a CTB or STB file in the Plot Styles Manager. The Plot Style Table Editor displays the plot styles contained in the specified plot style table.
0 reduces the color to white. Selecting 100 displays the color at its full intensity. Screening is effective only if your plotter is configured to plot colors or grayscale. Also, dithering must be enabled. Use Dithering A plotter uses dithering to approximate colors with dot patterns, giving the impression of plotting with more colors than the ink colors available in the plotter. If the plotter does not support dithering, the dithering setting is ignored.
Assign Linetypes When you select the Linetype field in the Plot Style Table Editor, a list with a sample and a description of each linetype are displayed. The default setting for plot style linetype is Use Object Linetype. Whether you choose to assign a linetype as a property of the object or as a plot style, you can set the Adaptive option. This option adjusts the scale of the linetype to complete the linetype pattern. If you don't select Adaptive, the line might end in the middle of a pattern.
Assign Line Join Style The program includes the following line join style options: ■ Miter ■ Bevel ■ Round ■ Diamond The default setting for Line Join Style is Use Object Join Style, which is rounded. Assign a line join style in a plot style to override the object's default line join style at plot time. Assign Plotted Fill Styles You can assign a variety of fill style options when plotting wide polylines, donuts, objects hatched with a solid fill, and solids.
Preview a Plot It is good practice to generate a preview of the plotted drawing before sending the drawing to the printer or plotter. Generating a preview saves time and material. You can preview the drawing from the Print dialog box. The preview shows exactly how the drawing will look when plotted, including lineweights, fill patterns, and plot style options. When you preview your drawing, a new window is displayed that provides buttons to print, pan, and zoom the drawing.
Overview of Publishing Publishing provides an easy way to create a paper or an electronic drawing set. An electronic drawing set is the digital equivalent of a set of printed drawings. You create an electronic drawing set by publishing drawings to a PDF file. You can create a paper drawing set by publishing the layouts to the printer named in its page setup. Using the Publish dialog box, you can assemble a collection of drawings to publish.
Publish a Project From the Project Manager, you can easily publish an entire project, a group of a layouts, or a single layout. It is quicker to publish a project in the Project Manager rather than using the Batch Publish dialog box to add drawings individually and then publish them as a single set.
Share Data Between Files 11 Reference Other Drawing Files 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. See also: Reference Manager Palette Overview of Referenced Drawings (Xrefs) You can attach an entire drawing file to the current drawing as a referenced drawing (xref). With xrefs, changes made in the referenced drawing are reflected in the current drawing.
■ Merge (bind) attached referenced drawings permanently with your current drawing when the project is complete and ready to be archived. NOTE Like a block reference, an xref appears in the current drawing as a single object. However, you cannot explode an xref without binding it first. See also: Reference Manager Palette Attach and Detach Referenced Drawings You can perform several operations on referenced drawing files (xrefs).
Receive Notification of Attached Xrefs When one or more xrefs are not found or if any of the xrefs need reloading, a balloon message is displayed near the lower-left corner of the drawing area. Click the link in the balloon message to display the External References palette. 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.
Attach Drawing References (Xrefs) To attach an xref 1 On the Mac OS menu bar, click Tools ➤ Palettes ➤ Reference Manager . 2 In the Reference Manager, click the Attach Reference button. 3 In the Select Reference File dialog box, locate and click the file to be referenced. Click Open. 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.
network environment. By overlaying an xref, you can see how your drawing relates to the drawings of other groups without changing your drawing by attaching an xref. In the following illustration, several people are working on drawings referenced by master.dwg. The person working on a.dwg needs to see the work being completed by the person working on b.dwg, but does not want to xref b.dwg because it would then appear twice in master.dwg. Instead, the person overlays b.dwg, which is not included when a.
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. For example, a fully specified path to a different volume will look something like this: smb://hostname/directorypath/resource Instead of smb:, you could use afp: , ftp: , or other protocol. This is the most specific but least flexible option.
Specify No Path When no path information is saved with the attached external reference, the following search is initiated in the order shown: ■ Current folder of the host drawing ■ Project search paths defined in the Project Files Search Path item on the Application tab in the Application Preferences dialog box ■ Search paths defined in the Support File Search Paths item on the Application tab in the Application Preferences dialog box Specifying the No Path option is useful when moving a set of drawings
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. Update and Archive Referenced Drawings You can update referenced drawings (xrefs) to make sure that they are current, and you can choose how xrefs are treated when a drawing is archived. Update Referenced Drawing Attachments When you open a drawing, all drawing references (xrefs) update automatically.
By default, if a referenced file has changed, a balloon message is displayed near the lower-left corner of the drawing window. Click the link in the balloon to reload all changed xrefs. By default, the program checks for changed xrefs every five minutes. You can change the number of minutes between checks by setting the XNOTIFYTIME system environment variable using (setenv "XNOTIFYTIME" "n") where n is a number of minutes between 1 and 10080 (seven days).
Archive Drawings That Contain Referenced Drawings (Bind) When you archive final drawings that contain xrefs, you can choose how you store the xrefs in the drawings. When you archive final drawings that contain xrefs, you have two choices: ■ Store the xref drawings along with the final drawing ■ Bind the xref drawings to the final drawing Storing an xref drawing along with the final drawing requires that the drawings always remain together.
3 Right-click the selected DWG reference and select Bind from the shortcut menu. The objects in the xref are converted into a block reference. Named object definitions are added to the current drawing with a prefix of blockname $n$, where n is a number starting at 0. Clip External References and Blocks You can specify clipping boundaries to display a limited portion of an external reference drawing or block reference.
Control the visibility of the clipped area of the external reference or block reference. When clipping is turned off, the boundary is not displayed and the entire external reference or block is visible, provided that the objects are on layers that are turned on and thawed. Clipping results can be turned on or off using the clipping commands. This controls whether the clipped area is hidden or displayed. Control the visibility of clipping boundaries.
nested clipped xrefs, they appear clipped in the drawing. If the parent xref is clipped, the nested xrefs are also clipped. Resize Clipping Boundaries If you want to change the shape or size of a clipping boundary for external references and block references, you can use grips to edit the vertices just as you edit any object with grips.
Edit a Referenced Drawing in a Separate Window While the simplest and most direct method for editing xrefs is to open the source file for the referenced drawing, there is an alternative that can be more convenient. If you need to edit the model space objects in an xref, you can access the xref or a nested xref directly from the Reference Manager or with the XOPEN command. Select the xref, and then using the shortcut menu in the Reference Manager, open the xref’s source file.
extracted objects is called the working set, which can be modified and then saved back to update the xref or block definition. Objects that make up the working set are visually distinct from other objects in the drawing. All objects in the current drawing, except objects in the working set, are faded. Control the Fading of Objects The XFADECTL system variable controls how objects are displayed while a reference is edited in place. The set of objects extracted from the reference are displayed normally.
NOTE If you plan to make major changes to a reference, open the reference drawing and edit directly within the file. Using in-place reference editing to make major changes can increase the size of your current drawing file significantly during the in-place reference editing session.
The visor is dismissed automatically after changes made to the reference are saved back or discarded. Save Back Edited Referenced Drawings and Blocks While editing a referenced drawing or a block definition in place, you can save back or discard changes. While editing a block reference in place, you either can save back or discard changes made to the reference. If you save back changes to a reference, the drawing is regenerated.
If BINDTYPE is set to 0, a prefix of $#$ is added to the reference name in the current drawing. If BINDTYPE is set to 1, reference names remain unchanged in the current drawing, similar to names of inserted objects. NOTE When you edit and save an xref in place, the original drawing preview is no longer available unless you open and save the referenced drawing.
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. Each time you open or plot the drawing, or use the Reload option in the Reference Manager to update the xref, the program checks the folder path to determine the name and location of the referenced drawing file.
Resolve Circular External References If a referenced drawing contains a sequence of nested references that refers back to itself, an error message is displayed. A drawing that contains a sequence of nested references that refers back to itself is considered a circular reference. For example, if drawing A attaches drawing B, which attaches drawing C, which attaches drawing A, the reference sequence A>B>C>A is a circular reference.
Bind Xref-Dependent Definitions An xref-dependent named object's definition can change if the referenced drawing file is modified. For example, a layer name from a referenced drawing can change if the referenced drawing is modified. The layer name can even disappear if it is purged from the referenced drawing. This is why the program does not allow you to use an xref-dependent layer or other named object directly.
each time the file is opened. If the log file becomes too large, you can delete it. 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.
Example: A Sample Log File That Shows the Results of Attaching an Xref The following example shows a partial listing of the log file entries generated when the external reference STAIR is attached to the working drawing test.dwg. 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\
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.
To realize the maximum benefits of demand loading, you need to save the referenced drawings with layer and spatial indexes. The performance benefits of demand loading are most noticeable when you do one of the following: ■ Clip the xref with the program to display a small fraction of it. A spatial index is saved in the externally referenced drawing. ■ Freeze several layers of the xref. The externally referenced drawing is saved with a layer index.
A layer index is a list showing which objects are on which layers. This list is used when the program is referencing the drawing in conjunction with demand loading to determine which objects need to be read in and displayed. Objects on frozen layers in a referenced drawing are not read in if the referenced drawing has a layer index and is being demand loaded. The spatial index organizes objects based on their location in 3D space.
Work with Data in Other Formats 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. See also: Repair a Damaged Drawing File (page 52) Import Other File Formats You can import files, other than DWG files, that were created with other applications into your drawings.
Attach PDF Files as Underlays You can display PDF files as underlays in your drawing. Overview of PDF Underlays You can underlay and snap to 2D geometry stored in PDF files. Underlays are similar to attached raster images in that they provide visual content but also support object snapping and clipping. Unlike external references, underlays cannot be bound to the drawing. Use the Visor to Work with Underlays If you select an underlay the PDF Underlay visor is displayed.
Attach PDF Files as Underlays You can attach a PDF file as an underlay to a drawing file. You reference and place underlay files in drawing files the same as you do raster image files; they are not actually part of the drawing file. Like raster files, the underlay is linked to the drawing file through a path name. The path to the file can be changed or removed at any time. NOTE Although underlay files are reproductions of their source drawing, they are not as precise as drawing files.
drawing B. If you attach drawing A as an external reference to drawing B, the PDF underlay that was already attached to drawing A is also be present. All of the property settings made to the underlay in the external reference, such as clipping boundaries, appear as they do in the parent drawing. See also: Attach and Detach Referenced Drawings (page 644) Detach PDF Underlays Underlays that are no longer needed can be detached from a drawing file.
Control the Display of Layers in a PDF Underlay You can turn layers on and off in a PDF underlay. By default, all visible layers of an underlay are turned on when you attach the file. It is usually convenient to turn off any unneeded layers to reduce the visual complexity of your work. Use the PDFLAYERS or ULAYERS command, Underlay Layers button on the PDF Underlay visor, or right-click a selected underlay and click View PDF Layers.
The grip for the base point is the lower-left corner of the underlay. Use Object Snaps with PDF Underlays Use object snaps to draw or edit objects relative to a precise location. PDF underlay object snaps are similar to regular object snaps except that they can be turned on and off separately from regular object snaps, and that they apply only to the objects in the attached file. Object snapping to PDF underlays is similar to object snapping to drawing geometry.
were created outside of AutoCAD may contain nonstandard snapping points, such as circles with no center points. Use the PDFOSNAP and UOSNAP system variables to turn object snapping on and off. Object snapping can also be turned on and off by a shortcut menu. Select an underlay and right-click to display the object snap menu option. Adjust PDF Underlay Contrast, Fade, Monochrome, and Colors for the Background You can modify the contrast, fade, and monochrome settings of a PDF underlay.
clipping boundary can be a closed polyline, rectangle or a polygon with vertices within the overall extents of the underlay. Each instance of an underlay can only have one clipped boundary. Multiple instances of the same underlay can have different boundaries.
You can control the way clipping boundaries and grips display with the clipping frame system variables. The clipping frame system variable are FRAME, PDFFRAME, XCLIPFRAME, and IMAGEFRAME. See also: Clip External References and Blocks (page 653) Clip Raster Images (page 686) Hide and Show PDF Underlay Frames You can display and plot a border around the PDF underlay or the clipping boundary. A frame is a visual border that shows the extents of the underlay, or the clipped boundary of the underlay.
The following foreground example shows the underlay with a visible frame: The foreground example shows the underlay with a visible frame. Manage and Publish Drawings Containing PDF Underlays You can view and manipulate underlays and change paths to underlays in the Reference Manager palette. View PDF Underlay Information You can view file-specific information about the PDF underlays that are attached to a drawing in the Reference Manager palette.
of the selected underlay, its loading status, file size, date last modified, and found at path. View Underlay File Details You can preview a selected underlay and view file details, including ■ Reference name ■ Status ■ File size ■ File type ■ File last modified date ■ Saved path ■ Found At path ■ Thumbnail If the program cannot find an underlay, its status is listed as Not Found. If the underlay is unreferenced, no instances are attached for the underlay.
■ Start In folder specified in the program shortcut If you open a drawing that contains a PDF file that is not in the saved path location or in any of the defined search paths, the Reference Manager palette displays Not Found in the Status field and the Found At entry is blank in the Details panel. For more information about using full paths, relative paths, and project names, see Set Paths to Referenced Drawings (page 647).
Overview of Raster Images Raster images consist of a rectangular grid of small squares or dots known as pixels. For example, a photograph of a house is made up of a series of pixels 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.
Supported image file formats Type Description and versions File extension CALS-I Mil-R-Raster I .gp4, .mil, .rst, .cg4, .cal DDS Microsoft DirectDraw Surface .dds DOQ USGS Digital Orthophoto Quads .doq ECW Enhanced Compression Wavelet .ecw FLIC FLIC Autodesk Animator Animation .flc, .fli GeoSPOT GeoSPOT (BIL files must be accompanied with HDR and PAL files with correlation data, in the same directory) .bil HDR High Dynamic Range Image .hdr IG4 Image Systems Group 4 .
Supported image file formats Type Description and versions File extension PCX Picture PC Paintbrush Picture .pcx PICT Picture Macintosh Picture .pct PNG Portable Network Graphic .png PSD Adobe Photoshop Document .psd RLC Run-Length Compressed .rlc TARGA True Vision Raster-Based Data Format .tga TIFF Tagged Image File Format .tif, .tiff Attach, Scale, and Detach Raster Images You can add or remove references to raster images within drawing files, or you can change their relative size.
NOTE AutoCAD 2000 and later releases do not support LZW-compressed TIFF files, with the exception of English language versions sold in the US and Canada. If you have TIFF files that were created using LZW compression and want to insert them into a drawing, you must resave the TIFF files with LZW compression disabled. For information on identifying referenced images, see Highlight External References in a Drawing in Attach and Detach Referenced Drawings (page 644).
Detach Raster Images You can detach the reference to an image file in a drawing. 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.
NOTE When an image frame is turned off, you cannot select images using the Pick or Window options of SELECT. Clip Raster Images You can clip and display specific portions of a raster image in a drawing with a clipping boundary. With a clipping boundary, only the parts of the image that you want visible are displayed. You can define the part of an image that you want to display and plot by clipping the image with IMAGECLIP.
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 (page 653) Change Raster Image Brightness, Contrast, and Fade You can change several display properties of raster images in a drawing for easier viewing or special effects.
Modify Color and Transparency for Bitonal Raster Images Bitonal images are images that consist only of a foreground color and a background color. You can change the foreground color and turn the transparency of the background color on and off. Bitonal raster images are images consisting only of a foreground color and a background color. When you attach a bitonal image, the foreground pixels in the image inherit the current settings for color.
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. Use the Tree View The top level of the tree view lists referenced files in the order that they were attached.
numbers, names can have spaces and any special characters not used by the operating system or AutoCAD for other purposes. If you attach and place images with the same name but from two different directories, numbers are appended to the image names. Change File Paths of Raster Images With the External References palette, you can change the file path to a referenced raster image file or search for a referenced image when it is reported as not found.
See also: Detach Raster Images (page 685) 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.
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 DXF Files You can export a drawing as a DXF file, which contains drawing information that can be read by other CAD systems. You can export a drawing as a DXF (drawing interchange format) file. DXF files are text or binary files that contain drawing information that can be read by other CAD programs. If you are working with consultants who use a CAD program that accepts DXF files, you can share a drawing by saving it as a DXF file.
Export in PostScript Format When you export a file in PostScript format as an EPS file, some objects are handled specially. ■ Thickened text, text control codes. If text has a thickness greater than 0 or contains control codes (such as %%O or %%D), it is not plotted as PostScript text, although the text is accurately plotted. International and special symbols (such as %%213) are output as PostScript text. ■ ISO 8859 Latin/1 character set.
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.
with a number. If you explode the block in AutoCAD 2007 (or earlier releases), and then open the drawing in AutoCAD 2008 (or later releases), each scale representation becomes a separate annotative object, each with one annotation scale. It is recommended that you do not edit or create objects on these layers when working with a drawing created in AutoCAD 2008 (and later releases) in AutoCAD 2007 (and earlier releases).
Dimension Enhancements in Previous Releases AutoCAD 2008 dimension enhancements are lost when they are edited in earlier releases. If you don’t change these dimensions, they are restored when you open the drawing in AutoCAD 2008.
■ Paragraphs with tabs using new tab alignments (center, right, or decimal alignment applied) ■ Paragraphs with new line spacing that can be "approximated" with "tall" spaces Mtext with new formatting that is edited and saved in previous releases loses the new formatting when re-opened in AutoCAD 2008. Tables in Previous Releases Editing AutoCAD 2008 tables in previous releases removes AutoCAD 2008 table formatting.
Save Drawings to Previous Drawing File Formats You can save a drawing in a format compatible with previous versions of the product. You can save a drawing created with the current release of the program in a format compatible with previous versions. This process creates a drawing with information specific to the current release stripped out or converted to another object type.
Save Drawings with Large Objects Drawings saved to a legacy drawing file format (AutoCAD 2007 or earlier) do not support objects greater than 256MB. For more information about saving drawings that contain large objects to a previous release, see Maintain Compatibility with Large Object Limits (page 50). Limitations of Saving to Earlier Versions Saving a drawing in Release 2000/LT 2000 format is subject to the following limitations: ■ File size can increase.
LispVariables can be opened without errors in AutoCAD LT, and the cached value is displayed. Work with Multiple User Coordinate Systems In AutoCAD, you can choose to use a different user coordinate system (UCS) in each viewport in a single drawing file. In AutoCAD LT, you can use only one UCS in each drawing file. The AutoCAD LT behavior is the same as it was in previous releases. When you open an AutoCAD drawing file in AutoCAD LT, AutoCAD LT uses only the UCS from the current viewport.
constraints, you can enforce requirements while experimenting with different designs. A constrained object will move in a predictable manner when edited or moved. A single variable change can cause all related objects to change automatically, enabling you to run through design iterations simply and effectively. There are two general types of constraints supported: Geometric and Dimensional.
® A custom object is a type of object created by an ObjectARX (AutoCAD Run-Time Extension) application, which typically has more specialized capabilities than standard AutoCAD objects. Custom objects include parametric ® solids (AutoCAD Mechanical), intelligently interactive door symbols ® ® (AutoCAD Architecture), polygon objects (AutoCAD Map 3D), and associative dimension objects (AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT).
For a complete list of the currently available Object Enablers, go to the Autodesk Web site at http://www.autodesk.com/enablers.
Collaborate with Others 12 Use the Internet for Collaboration 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.
Work with Drawing Files over the Internet You can open and save drawings to an Internet location, attach externally referenced drawings stored on the Internet, and review files online using AutoCAD WS. Open and Save Drawing Files from the Internet The file input and output commands recognize any valid Uniform Resource Locator (URL) path to a DWG file. You can use AutoCAD to open and save files from the Internet.
To facilitate international compatibility, the Unicode standard was adopted by major industry leaders and is being maintained by the Unicode Consortium. Drawing File Impact Language-specific characters can be used in file names and text within drawing files, or files associated with drawing files.
The AutoCAD WS Editor allows you to access and edit the online copies from any computer with a web browser. Multiple users can work on the same drawing file online and in real time. Access and Share Drawings in AutoCAD WS Log in to your AutoCAD WS account to access and manage your uploaded files from any computer with a web browser and Internet access. Share your drawings and other files online with other users.
powerful mechanism for developing accurate, up-to-date composite drawings that can be shared by a design team. NOTE If you have a slow Internet connection or are working with a master drawing that has many xrefs attached, the download of the xrefs to your system might take a long time.
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Render Drawings 13 Draw 2D Isometric Views 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.
■ Top. Aligns snap and grid along 30- and 150-degree axes. ■ Right. Aligns snap and grid along 30- and 90-degree axes. 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.
Add Lighting to Your Model 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.
characteristics, or import specific photometric files available from lighting manufacturers. Photometric lights can use manufacturers' IES standard file format. By using manufacturers’ lighting data, you can visualize commercially available lighting in your model. Then you can experiment with different fixtures, and by varying the light intensity and color temperature, you can design a lighting system that produces the results you want. Sun and Sky The sun is a special light similar to a distant light.
Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow Types of lighting selected globally affect a drawing. Set the Type of Lighting AutoCAD 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 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.
Photometric Lights Photometric lights are physically correct lights. Physically correct lights attenuate as the square of the distance. Photometric properties can be added to both artificial lights and natural lights. Natural lights are the sun and the sky. The natural lighting is represented interactively by a viewport background type. You can create lights with various distribution and color characteristics, or import specific photometric files available from lighting manufacturers.
In clear weather, the color of sunlight is a pale yellow: for example, RGB values of 250, 255, 175 (HSV 45, 80, 255). Cloudy weather can tint sunlight blue, shading into dark gray for stormy weather. Particles in the air can give sunlight an orange or brownish tint. At sunrise and sunset, the color can be more orange or red than yellow. Shadows are more distinct the clearer the day is, and can be essential for bringing out the three-dimensionality of a naturally lit scene.
inverse square of the distance, or not at all. By default, the attenuation is set to None. 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.
■ Resulting Color. Gives the final color of the light. This is determined by a combination of the lamp color and the filter color. (Product of lamp color and filter color. Read-only.) NOTE When the drawing lighting units are photometric, the attenuation type property becomes disabled. Photometric lights have fixed, inverse-square attenuation. Use Spotlights A spotlight can be directed towards an object.
Spotlights in Photometric Workflow In photometric workflow, the hotspot intensity falls to 50 percent. The hotspot for standard lighting is at 100 percent. At its falloff angle, intensity of the spotlight falls to zero. Additional properties become available for a point light 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.
NOTE When the drawing lighting units are photometric, the attenuation type property becomes disabled. Photometric lights have fixed, inverse-square attenuation. The hotspot falloff attenuation in the rendered image varies from standard lighting, as it uses a different mathematical basis. Use Weblights Weblights are photometric lights with customized, real-world light distributions. Overview of Weblights Weblights are photometric lights with customized, real-world light distributions.
Goniometric Diagrams Photometric data is often depicted using a goniometric diagram. 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.
The luminous intensity in any given direction is proportional to the distance between this web and the photometric center, measured along a line leaving the center in the specified direction. Example of Isotropic distribution A sphere centered around the origin is a representation of an isotropic distribution. All the points in the diagram are equidistant from the center and therefore light is emitted equally in all directions.
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. IES Standard File Format IES standard file formats can be created and modified.
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. The poles of the web lie along the vertical axis, with the nadir corresponding to a vertical angle of zero degrees. The horizontal axis corresponds to a horizontal angle of zero degrees and is oriented parallel to the length of the luminaire.
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. If the distribution lies completely in the top hemisphere, the first and last angles must be 90° and 180°, respectively. Otherwise, they must be 0° and 180°, respectively. 15 The set of horizontal angles, listed in increasing order. The first angle must be 0°.
Use Distant Lights Distant lights are useful for lighting objects or as a backdrop. 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.
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). By selecting the Soft (sampled) option, the Shape property becomes available. The available shapes depend on the type of light.
you specify light glyph to display one light at a time. The plot glyph setting for a viewport affects all the lights globally. Adjust Light Placement After a light has been placed in a scene the position and target can be modified. The light, which is represented by a light glyph, can be repositioned after it is placed in the drawing. The light can be moved and rotated; the target can be modified. When the light glyph is selected, several grips are displayed.
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. You can see the effect on the model as you change the properties of a light.
■ Type. Specifies the type of light: point light, spotlight, distant light, or web. ■ On/Off Status. Controls whether the light is turned on or off. ■ Shadows. Controls whether the light casts shadows. To be displayed, shadows must be turned on in the visual style applied to the current viewport. Turn shadows off to increase performance. ■ Intensity factor. Sets a multiplier that controls brightness. Intensity is not related to attenuation. ■ Filter color. Sets the color of the light emitted.
■ 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.
Photometric Properties Photometric lighting offers additional properties that make the lighting different than standard lighting. The following properties are under the Photometric properties panel: ■ 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.
attenuation, inverse linear, or inverse squared (POINTLIGHT, SPOTLIGHT). Attenuation is not active for photometric lights. ■ None. Sets no attenuation. Objects far from the point light are as bright as objects close to the light. ■ Inverse Linear. Sets attenuation to be the inverse of the linear distance from the light. For example, at a distance of 2 units, light is half as strong as at the point light; at a distance of 4 units, light is one quarter as strong.
Sun and Sky Simulation The sun is a light that simulates the effect of sunlight and can be used to show how the shadows cast by a structure affect the surrounding area. Sun and sky are the primary sources of natural illumination in AutoCAD. Whereas the rays of the sun are parallel and of a yellowish hue, the light cast from the atmosphere comes from all directions and is distinctly bluish in color. When the LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to photometric, more sun properties are available.
An example of a luminaire object. Materials and Textures 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.
Materials Browser Use the Materials Browser to navigate, sort, search, select materials for use in your drawing, and attach a material to an object. The standard Autodesk materials library is are accessible from the Materials Browser. The Materials Browser contains the following main components: ■ Search. Allows you to locate a material in the library without navigating through the library's organized structure. ■ Document materials.
for controlling the display of libraries and library categories. You can sort the materials in the library by name, category, type, and color. ■ Library details. Displays previews of the materials in the selected categories. ■ View options. Contains controls that allow you to control the display style and size of the material previews. Autodesk Library The Autodesk library, with over 700 materials and over 1000 textures, is included with the product. The library is read-only and cannot be modified.
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.
Furthermore, ensuring that all face normals orient in the same direction can also speed up the rendering process. Every surface that you model is made up of faces. Faces are either triangular or quadrilateral and each face has an inward and outward oriented side. The 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.
After the back faces have been removed, the renderer uses a Z buffer to compare relative distances along the Z axis. If the Z buffer indicates that one face overlaps another, the renderer removes the face that would be hidden. 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.
The complexity of an object relates to the number of its vertices and faces. The more faces a model has, the longer it takes to render. Keep the geometry of your drawing simple to keep rendering time to a minimum. Use the fewest faces possible to describe a surface. Intersecting Faces Intersecting faces in a model occur when two objects pass through one other. For conceptual design situations, simply placing one object through another is a fast way to visualize how something will look.
Moving an object so its faces no longer occupy the same plane as another object will fix this situation. Twisted Faces Faces that self-overlap due to a 180-degree twist can also produce ambiguous results, because the normal for the face is not well defined. In the following example, artifacts appear where the face is twisted due to crossing the second and third corner points. This situation is often encountered when trying to fix a model that has a hole in its surface.
Balance Mesh Density for Smooth Geometry When you render a model, the density of the mesh affects the smoothness of surfaces. Mesh components are comprised of vertices, faces, polygons, and edges. ■ A vertex is a point that forms the corner of a face or polygon. ■ A face is a triangular portion of a surface object. ■ A polygon is a quadrilateral portion of a surface object. ■ An edge is the boundary of a face or polygon.
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. To increase performance while you're drawing, set a low VIEWRES value. Control Display of Curved Solids FACETRES controls the mesh density and smoothness of shaded and rendered curved solids. In the following example, facets display on curved geometry when FACETRES is low. FACETRES = .25.
When FACETRES is set to 1, there is a one-to-one correlation between the viewing resolution of circles and arcs and the tessellation, a means of subdividing the faces of solid objects. For example, when FACETRES is set to 2, the tessellation will be twice the tessellation set by VIEWRES. The default value of FACETRES is 0.5. The range of possible values is 0.01 to 10. When you raise and lower the value of VIEWRES, objects controlled by both VIEWRES and FACETRES are affected.
2 Ignore the prompt about fast zooms if you only want to make circles and arcs in the drawing look better for your rendering. 3 At the Circle Zoom Percent prompt, do one of the following: ■ Enter a value greater than 1000 to increase the smoothness of arcs and circles. ■ Enter a value lower than 1000 to decrease the smoothness of arcs and circles.
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.
For a complete description of the Render Window, see RENDER in the Command Reference. Save and Redisplay Rendered Images You can save a rendering and then redisplay it later. Redisplaying is much faster than rendering again. Save a Rendered Image You can save an image of a model rendered to a viewport or a render window, or you can render the image directly to a file. Depending on the render settings you have chosen, rendering can be a time-consuming process.
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.
Glossary Commands associated with definitions are shown in parentheses at the end of the definition. 3D mesh primitive Basic mesh forms such as boxes, cones, cylinders, pyramids, wedges, spheres, and tori. 3D view Any view where the UCS icon appears in rendered colored form; current visual style is not 2D Wireframe, and the model is being viewed from an isometric view. absolute coordinates Coordinate values measured from a coordinate system's origin point.
adaptive sampling A method to accelerate the anti-aliasing process within the bounds of the sample matrix size. See also anti-aliasing. 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.
ambient color A color produced only by ambient light. Ambient color is the color of an object where it is in shadow. This color is what the object reflects when illuminated by ambient light rather than direct light. ambient light Light that illuminates all surfaces of a model with equal intensity. Ambient light has no single source or direction and does not diminish in intensity over distance.
anonymous block An unnamed block created by a number of features, including associative and nonassociative dimensions. anti-aliasing A method that reduces aliasing by shading the pixels adjacent to the main pixels that define a line or boundary. See also aliasing. approximation points Point locations that a B-spline must pass near, within a fit tolerance. See also fit points and interpolation points. array 1. Multiple copies of selected objects in a rectangular or polar (radial) pattern. (ARRAY) 2.
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. Controlled by the SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY system variable. attenuation The diminishing of light intensity over distance.
axis tripod Icon with X, Y, and Z coordinates that is used to visualize the viewpoint (view direction) of a drawing without displaying the drawing. (VPOINT) back face The opposite side of a front face. Back faces are not visible in a rendered image. See also front faces. baseline An imaginary line on which text characters appear to rest. Individual characters can have descenders that drop below the baseline. See also baseline dimension. baseline dimension Multiple dimensions measured from the same baseline.
block A generic term for one or more objects that are combined to create a single object. Commonly used for either block definition or block reference. See also block definition and block reference. (BLOCK) block definition The name, base point, and set of objects that are combined and stored in the symbol table of a drawing. See also block and block reference. block definition table The nongraphical data area of a drawing file that stores block definitions. See also named 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. camera target Defines the point you are viewing by specifying the coordinate at the center of the view.
clamp surface A smooth, closed surface such as a cylinder. Because as a vertex that is tangent to the object, if the surface is reshaped, it may create kinks. See also periodic surface. clipping planes The boundaries that define or clip the field of view. CMYK For cyan, magenta, yellow, and key color. A system of defining colors by specifying the percentages of cyan, magenta, yellow, and the key color, which is typically black. coincident grip Grip shared by multiple objects.
constraint point Point on an object that can be geometrically and/or dimensionally constrained (for example, an endpoint or an insertion point). constraints Form of parametric design. Rules that govern the position, slope, tangency, dimensions, and relationships among objects in a geometry. construction plane See work plane.
control vertices (CVs) The most basic way to shape a NURBS surface or spline. These points act as grips that can be dragged to reshape the object. Coons patch coordinate filters Functions that extract individual X, Y, and Z coordinate values from different points to create a new, composite point. Also called X,Y,Z point filters. crease A sharpened ridge that defines one or more edges of a mesh face subobject. (MESHCREASE) crosshairs A type of cursor consisting of two lines that intersect.
cursor See pointer and crosshairs. cursor menu See shortcut menu. curve-fit A smooth curve consisting of arcs joining each pair of vertices. The curve passes through all vertices of the polyline and uses any tangent direction you specify. custom grips In a dynamic block reference, used to manipulate the geometry and custom properties. customization (CUIx) file An XML-based file that stores customization data for the user interface. You modify a customization file through the Customize dialog box.
default A predefined value for a program input or parameter. Default values and options for commands are denoted by angle brackets (<>). See also default value. default drawing See initial environment. default lighting The lighting in a shaded viewport when the sun and user lights are turned off. Faces are lighted by two distant light sources that follow the viewpoint as you move around the model. default value The value that is accepted when you press Enter at a sub-prompt.
dependent symbols See dependent named objects (in xrefs). DIESEL For Direct Interpretively Evaluated String Expression Language. diffuse color An object's predominant color. dimensional constraint Parametric dimensions that control the size, angle, or position of geometry relative to the drawing or other objects. When dimensions are changed, the object resizes. dimension line arc An arc (usually with arrows at each end) spanning the angle formed by the extension lines of an angle being measured.
how many toolbars and other elements are displayed. See also AutoCAD 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.
DXF For drawing interchange format. An ASCII or binary file format of a drawing file for exporting drawings to other applications or for importing drawings from other applications. dynamic constraint Dimensional constraint (Constraint Form property = "dynamic") that displays the constraints only when you select the constrained object.
will show the appropriate portion of the map in the reflective parts of its material. environment variable A setting stored in the operating system that controls the operation of a program. explode To disassemble a complex object, such as a block, dimension, solid, or polyline, into simpler objects. In the case of a block, the block definition is unchanged. The block reference is replaced by the components of the block. See also block, block definition, and block reference.
feature control frame The tolerance that applies to specific features or patterns of features. Feature control frames always contain at least a geometric characteristic symbol to indicate the type of control and a tolerance value to indicate the amount of acceptable variation. fence A multi-segmented line specified to select objects it passes through. field A specialized text object set up to display data that may change during the life cycle of the drawing.
floating viewports See layout viewports. font A character set, made up of letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and symbols of a distinctive proportion and design. footcandle The American unit of illuminance (symbol: fc). Lm/ft^2. footcandle The American unit of illuminance (symbol: fc). Lm/ft^2 frame An individual, static image in an animated sequence. See also motion path. freeze A setting that suppresses the display of objects on selected layers.
analytic surfaces are separated or by using the BREP command. See also procedural surface and NURBS surface. 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.
grip menu options See multi-functional grip menu options. grip modes The editing options you can access from selected grips on selected objects: stretching, moving, rotating, scaling, and mirroring. 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.
heads-up display (HUD) The process of transparently displaying user interface elements on top of or over the drawing area without obscuring the view of the objects drawn on the drawing area. helix An open 2D or 3D spiral. (HELIX) Help menu In AutoCAD, you can find Help on the Mac OS menu bar or by pressing Fn-F1. HLS For hue, lightness, and saturation. A system of defining color by specifying the amount of hue, lightness, and saturation.
initial environment The variables and settings for new drawings as defined by the default drawing template, such as acad.dwt or acadiso.dwt. See also template drawing. 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.
label block landing The portion of a leader object that acts as a pointer to the object being called out. A landing can either be a straight line or a spline curve. landing gap An optional space between a leader tail and the leader content. layer A logical grouping of data that are like transparent acetate overlays on a drawing. You can view layers individually or in combination. (LAYER) layer index A list showing the objects on each layer.
limits See drawing limits. line font See linetype. linetype How a line or type of curve is displayed. For example, a continuous line has a different linetype than a dashed line. Also called line font. (LINETYPE) 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.
lux The SI unit of illuminance (symbol: lx). Lm/m^2 magnitude See bulge magnitude. main customization file A writable CUIx file that defines most of the user interface elements (including the pull-down menus and tool sets). merge In tables, an adjacent cell selection that has been combined into a single cell. mesh A tessellated, or subdivided object type that is defined by faces, edges, and vertices. Mesh can be smoothed to achieve a more rounded appearance and creased to introduce ridges.
multi-functional grip menu options Editing options you can access from the grip menu that appears when you hover over an object grip (not available for all object types). multileader A leader object that creates annotations with multiple leader lines. named object Describes the various types of nongraphical information, such as styles and definitions, stored with a drawing. Named objects include linetypes, layers, dimension styles, text styles, block definitions, layouts, views, and viewport configurations.
NURBS surface Surfaces that are have control vertices in the U and V directions. NURBS surfaces cannot be associative. See also procedural surface and generic surface. object One or more graphical elements, such as text, dimensions, lines, circles, or polylines, treated as a single element for creation, manipulation, and modification. Formerly called entity. ObjectARX (AutoCAD Runtime Extension) A compiled-language programming environment for developing custom applications.
page setup A collection of plot device and other settings that affect the appearance and format of the final output. These settings can be modified and applied to other layouts. palette A user interface element that can be either docked, anchored, or floating in the drawing area. Dockable windows include the command line, status bar, Properties Inspector, and so on. pan To shift the view of a drawing without changing magnification. See also zoom.
periodic curve A smooth, closed curve such as a circle. Because its control vertices are not tangent to the object, if the curve is reshaped, it stays smooth and does not create kinks. See also clamp curve. periodic surface A smooth, closed surface such as a cylinder. Because its control vertices are not tangent to the object, if the surface is reshaped, it stays smooth and does not create kinks. See also clamp surface.
pick-first pick-first set pick points Clicking and acquiring a point on an object in the drawing. planar face A flat face that can be located anywhere in 3D space. planar projection Mapping of objects or images onto a plane. planar surface A flat surface that can be located anywhere in 3D space. (PLANESURF) plan view A view orientation from a point on the positive Z axis toward the origin (0,0,0). (PLAN) pline See polyline.
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. (POINT) pointer A cursor on a video display screen that can be moved around to place textual or graphical information. See also crosshairs. point filters See coordinate filters.
polysolid A swept solid that is drawn the same way you draw a polyline or that is based on an existing line. By default, a polysolid always has a rectangular profile. You can specify the height and width of the profile. (POLYSOLID) primary table fragment The fragment of a broken table that contains the beginning set of rows up to the first table break. primitive Basic 3D forms such as boxes, cones, cylinders, pyramids, wedges, spheres, and tori.
ray-traced shadows A way that the renderer can generate shadows. Ray tracing traces the path of rays sampled from the light source. Shadows appear where rays have been blocked by objects. Ray-traced shadows have sharp edges. ray tracing The renderer can generate reflections and refractions. Ray tracing traces the path of rays sampled from the light source. Reflections and refractions generated this way are physically accurate.
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. You can create regions from objects that form closed loops. They area commonly created in order to apply hatching and shading. (REGION) relative coordinates Coordinates specified in relation to previous coordinates.
running object snap Setting an Object Snap mode so it continues for subsequent selections. See also Object Snap mode and object snap override. (OSNAP) sampling save back To update the objects in the original reference (external or block reference) with changes made to objects in a working set during in-place reference editing. scale representation The display of an annotative object based on the annotation scales that the object supports.
ShapeManager shortcut keys Keys and key combinations that start commands; for example, Cmd-S saves a file. The function keys (Fn-F1, Fn-F2, and so on) are also shortcut keys. Also known as accelerator keys. shortcut menu The menu displayed at your cursor location when you right-click your pointing device. The shortcut menu and the options it provides depend on the pointer location and other conditions, such as whether an object is selected or a command is in progress.
solid history A property of a solid that allows you to see and modify the original forms of the solid. solid object An object that represents the entire volume of an object, for example a box. solid primitive A basic solid form. Solid primitives include: box, wedge, cone, cylinder, sphere, torus, and pyramid. spatial index A list that organizes objects based on their location in space. A spatial index is used to locate what portion of the drawing is read when you partially open a drawing.
subobject A part of a composite object. sub-prompt A command prompt that instructs for a form of input to complete a command or alter a property. surface A surface is a 3D object that is an infinitely thin shell. There are 3 types of surfaces: analytic, generic, and NURBS. surface associativity See associative surfaces surface normal Positive direction perpendicular to the surface of an object.
table break The point at the bottom of a table row where the table will be split into a supplementary table fragment. table style A style that contains a specific table format and structure. A table style contains at least 3 cell styles. temporary files Data files created during an program session. The files are deleted by the time you end the session. If the session ends abnormally, such as during a power outage, temporary files might be left on the disk.
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. tooltip A small box of text that identifies or explains an object or interface element when the cursor hovers near or over it. tracking A way to locate a point relative to other points on the drawing.
UCS icon An icon that indicates the orientation of the UCS axes. (UCSICON) underconstrained geometry Objects with unsolved degrees of freedom are underconstrained. underground The XY plane of the user coordinate system when perspective projection is turned on and when viewed from below ground. The underground plane displays with a color gradient between the earth horizon (nearest to the horizon) and the earth azimuth (opposite the horizon). See also ground plane and sky.
equivalent of Z and represents a direction perpendicular to the UV plane of the map. vector A mathematical object with precise direction and length but without specific location. vertex A location where edges or polyline segments meet. view A graphical representation of a model from a specific location (viewpoint) in space. See also viewpoint and viewport. (3DORBIT, VPOINT, DVIEW, VIEW) view category A named collection of views in a sheet set that is often organized by function. See also subset.
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). window selection A rectangular area specified in the drawing area to select multiple objects at the same time. See also crossing selection, polygon window selection.
world coordinate system (WCS) The fixed coordinate system used as the basis for defining all objects and other coordinate systems. See also user coordinate system (UCS). X,Y,Z point filters See coordinate filters. xref See external reference (xref). zoom To reduce or increase the apparent magnification of the drawing area.
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Index 2D Cartesian coordinates coordinate filters 180 entering 157 x and y values 156 2D coordinates Cartesian 156 entering 157 polar 156 2D isometric views 711 2D objects flattened views of 3D objects 486 multi-functional grips 234 sectioning 483 simplified display 145 simulating 3D 711 2D polar coordinates 156, 159 2D UCS icon 154 2D wireframe visual style 64 3D Cartesian coordinates coordinate filters 180 defining 3D views 62 entering 162 3D coordinates Cartesian coordinates 162 cylindrical coordinates 1
shadows 68 subobjects 423 sun and sky 735 thickness 406 types of 339 viewing 409 visual styles 63 weblights 721 wireframes 404 3D Move gizmo 410, 412 3D objects aligning 242 AutoCAD LT functionality 701 coordinates 161 edge display 69 exporting 694 extending 260 flattened views of 486 live sectioning 480 lofting 422 modifying 408 rendering 738 rotating 241 shadows 68 simulating in 2D 711 smoothness 745 subobjects 423 surfaces 369 sweeping 421 thickness 406 trimming 260 visual styles 63 wireframes 404 3D Orb
validating 437 vertices 423 wireframes 404 3D space 3D models 339 coordinates 161 object snaps 170 UCSs 149 workplanes 148 3D surfaces 369, 408 composite solids 433 composite surfaces 435 edges 429, 440 editing 445 extending 447 faces and 426 filletting 448 modifying 423 NURBS surfaces 448 properties 442 reconstructing 449 separating into original shapes 436 surface analysis 450 trimming 446 vertices 432 3D UCS icon 154 3D views architectural design conventions 62 changing viewpoints 63 defining 62 dynamic
viewport objects 100 alignment grips 313 allocating memory 71, 72 alternative fonts 545 American lighting units 715 angles angle overrides 179 calculating 189 constraints 295 defining 3D views with 62 polar angles 178 polar coordinates 159 rotating objects by 240 snap angle 176 spotlights 731 sunlight 735 unit types 157 angular constraints 295 angular dimensions breaks in 605 creating 592 definition points 598 spacing between 608 angular units 41 anisotropic light distributions 721 annotation objects annota
arrowheads customizing 570 dimension arrowheads 562, 570 leader styles 533 artifical lighting 717 Asian fonts 544, 549 Asian set 543 association points of dimensions 601 associative arrays 245, 248 associative dimensions about 563 annotation objects and 496 association points 601 changing associativity 601 leader objects and 532 limitations 564 modifying 597, 600 previous release formats and 699 updating 564 associative hatches creating 506 defined 504 exploding 271 extents 514 associative surfaces about 37
backup files project data 106 restoring drawings from 54 saving 48 base grips 481 base points snap base point 176 splines 276 baseline dimensions 586 basic dimensions 580 beam angle (spotlights) 731 beveled corners 266 Big Fonts properties 544 bills of materials (BOM) 556 binding dependent named objects to drawings 663 object definitions 663 xrefs to drawings 652 bisecting objects with construction lines 216 bitmaps (BMP images) exporting 693 importing 680 bitonal raster images 688 blank text objects 231 bl
linetypes 321 model space settings 87 nested 322 orientation 503 paper space and 319 pasted text as 529 properties 320 saving changes to 659 scaling 309 table cells and 559 updating 336 visibility 314 xrefs vs.
height 547 international 543 PostScript rendering 694 stacking 527 Unicode text 706 checking interferences 368 checking spelling 553 CIP (Customer Involvement Program) 3 circles calculating geometric data for 190 dimensioning 590, 593 donuts 209 drawing 205 grips on 235 isometric circles 210, 712 modifying 220 PostScript rendering 694 rendering 744 circular references between xrefs 662 circumferences 190 clamp curves 379 cleaning 3D solids 437 clearing screen 35 screen display 231 clearing screen 35 Clipboa
table elements 559 tints 509 True Colors 135 underlays 675 visual styles and 67 xref layer properties 645 columns (multiline text) 528 columns (tables) formatting 559 modifying 556 combining regions 218 solids 366, 433 comma-delimited files (CDF) 331 command line colors in 35 switches 37 syntax 37 command line switches customizing program startup 37 command prompt calculator 193 commands canceling 230 command prompt calculator 193 Dynamic Input and 166 compass (ViewCube) 75 composite regions 218 composite s
Content palette inserting blocks from 310 contextual fields 538 continued dimensions 586 continuity (surfaces) 372, 450, 451 contrast in raster images 675, 687 control points on splines 212, 275, 379 control vertices 211, 448, 449 converting 3D models to objects 408 colors to grayscale 637 dimension units 578 dimensions to annotations 496 drawing units 40 drawings to other formats 692 files to AutoCAD LT 700 fonts 546 meshes to 3D solids 471 nonassociative dimensions to associative 601 objects to 3D solids
modifying 220 open curves 379 rendering 744 custom grips 313 custom objects 703 custom properties grips and 313 layouts and projects 110 Customer Involvement Program customizing arrowheads 570 dimension text 576 drawing environment 34 hatches 509 object selection 225 visual styles 65 cutaway views 74 cutting cutting edges 256 objects 231 slicing 368 cutting edges 256 cutting planes live sectioning 480 section objects 474 slicing solids 368 cylinders 3D solids 357 mesh cylinders 387 modifying 441 cylindrical
text 572 DIC color guide 135 dimension lines angular dimensions 593 defined 562 leader objects vs.
grips 235 isolated objects 148 layers 121, 128 lights 728 linetypes 141 lineweights 143 originals in composite solids 434 overlapping objects 147 plot areas 618 plot styles 636 Quick View images 46 raster images 691 rendered images 749 shadows 68 simplifying 145 underlay frames 677 distances calculating 189 equal intervals 186 fuzz distance 274 polar distances 179 specifying 185 distant lights 717, 727, 748 distributing dimensions 608 items in arrays 247 leader lines 531 dithering 637 dividing objects into
converting other files to 669 file locations 52 finding 43, 51 inserting as blocks 309 opening 43 previous release formats 695 repairing 52 saving 48 drawing interchange format (DXF files) converting to DWG 669 exporting 693 drawing orientation 618, 627 drawing properties displaying 43 finding files with 43 Drawing Recovery Manager recovering work 55 drawing sets publishing 641 drawing templates creating 42 opening 42 saving 48 starting drawings with 42 startup routines and 37 drawing units about 40 angular
team member access to 112 duplicates, removing 231 duplicating objects 242 DWG files saving underlays as 680 DWG to PDF driver 640 DWT files layout creation templates 111 saving layouts as 101 starting drawings 42 DXB files converting to DWG 669 DXF files (drawing interchange format) converting to DWG 669 exporting 693 exporting block attribute data 331 saving 48 DXX files 331 dynamic block definitions about 311 block attributes 324 inserting blocks 309 dynamic block references about 311 block attributes 32
objects 220, 232 plot style tables 633, 635 plot styles 636 polylines 272 revision clouds 220 separating solids into shapes 436 spirals 279 splines 274 surfaces 408, 423, 426, 435, 445 tables 556, 559 text 549 text styles 541 underlays 674 vertices 432 visual styles 65 xrefs 656 educational products 645 electronic drawing sets publishing 641 ellipses calculating geometric data for 190 drawing 210 grips on 235 modifying 220 PostScript rendering 694 elliptical arcs modifying 220 PostScript rendering 694 empty
clipping 653, 667 copying 667 defined 643 demand loading 651, 667, 668 detaching 649 editing 656 error messages 661 exploding 272 External References palette 645 fields in 538 freezing layers of 667 Internet-based xrefs 708 layer properties 645 log files 663 missing 44, 661 name conflicts 662 nested 646 notifications about 645, 649, 650 overlays 646 paths 647, 648, 668 projects and 107 properties 659 reloading 650 relocated xrefs 649 saving changes to 659 saving with indexes 667, 668 temporary file copies 6
plottable formats 640 PostScript formats 693 raster formats 681, 693 rendered images 749 saving drawings 48 saving in older formats 699 file input and output commands 706 files backups 54 block attribute data 327 default locations 46 exporting 692 finding 43 importing 669 large objects in 45 layouts and projects 102 opening 43 publishing 640 repairing damaged files 52 saving 48 search paths 52 Fill mode 145 filleting 3D solids 431 objects 263 splines 277 surfaces 448 fills about 504 boundaries 505, 515 grad
formatting text character formatting 541 fields 537 multiline text 521, 523 stacked text 526 table cells 559 formulas copying 560 inserting in table cells 560 parametric constraints 301 fractions 521, 526, 583 frames underlay frames 677 Free Orbit tool 73 free weblights 721 freezing layers 121 layers in layout viewports 96 xref layers 667 front views 62 front, moving objects to 147 FTP sites opening Internet drawings 706 saving drawings to 706 full xref paths 648 fully constrained drawings 283 functions 303
zooming to 58 grip modes 233 grip tools (gizmos) 410 grips 3D meshes 456 3D solids 418, 421 blocks 237 coincident 234 constrained objects 291, 300 copying objects with 236 dimension lines 599 dimension text 602, 603 dimensional input 167 dimensions 597 display options 235 editing objects with 233 gizmos 410 grip tools (gizmos) 410 hatches 514 helixes 279 jog lines 604 leader objects 532 multi-functional 234, 272 non-associative hatch objects 233 polylines 233 quadrant grips 235 section objects 481 selecting
properties 511, 513 rotating 513 scaling patterns 510, 513 simplified display 145 solid fills 505 styles 505, 506 transparency 511 unbounded hatches 504, 511 hats 596 height table rows 556 text 523 helixes drawing 214 modifying 279 Help displaying 1 late-breaking product information 3 Readme topic 3 searching 2 hexagons 199 hidden objects 621, 629 hidden surfaces 740 Hidden visual style 64 hiding annotative objects 501 hatch boundaries 511 image boundaries 685 isolating objects 148 layers 121 paper space ob
installation color books 137 intensity of light 730 interface customizing 34 interferences 368 International (SI) lighting units 715 international character sets 50, 543, 706 Internet attaching xrefs from 708 FTP sites 706 network access 705 opening drawings from 706 raster images from 684 saving drawings to 706 sharing drawings on 705 Internet-based drawings 706 intersecting objects composite solids and 367 dimension breaks 607 edges 69 interferences 368 multilines 281 regions 218 rendering intersecting ob
LAS files (layer states) 133 lateral tolerances displaying 580 stacked text in 526 layer group rules 129 layer grouping unreconciled new layers 131 layer groups 128 layer indexes 667, 668 layer properties blocks and 320 xref properties 645 Layer Properties Manager layer names 123 property overrides 126 layer rules dynamic group 129 layer states 132, 133 Layer States Manager restoring layer states 132 layers about 119 block elements and 308 colors 121, 124, 136 creating 123 current 123 default properties 121
scale 93 screening objects in 98 shaded 620 turning on or off 98 views in 94 visibility in 96 layouts adding 91 dimensioning in 584 initializing 616, 622 layer visibility 92, 121 layout tabs 89 layout templates 101 layout viewports 89 lineweights in 143, 620 named layouts 91 opening 46 orientation 503, 618, 627 page setups 615 paper size 617 plot scale 620 plot settings 615, 624, 627 plot style tables 632 plotting 621 previewing 46 projects and 105, 107 shaded viewports 628 switching to model space 47 work
Standard lighting 713, 715 sunlight 735 visual styles and 64 weblights 721 workflow 715 limits arrays 251 lighting 734 tolerances 581 LIN files (linetype library) 138 line end styles 638 line spacing dimension text 602 previous release formats and 697 text 521, 526 linear constraints 295 linear dimensions breaks in 605 creating 585 definition points 598 jog lines 604 spacing between 608 types of 585 linear grips 313 linear units 41 lines dimension lines 566 direct distance entry 185 drawing 196 end styles 6
raster images 688 xrefs 663 lists in multiline text 523 live sectioning about 474, 480 cameras and 483 LMC symbol (least material condition) 612 loading color books 137 linetypes 138 raster images 691 location default drawing folder 46 locking cursor movements 177, 179 layers 120 layout viewport scale 93, 95 layouts and projects 112 lofting objects 3D objects 350, 422 surfaces 422 log files xrefs 663 logo startup screen 37 lookup grips 313 lumens 725 luminaire objects 714, 725, 735 luminous intensity distri
creating 383, 393 custom 399 cylinders 387 density 459 editing 454 extruding 471 extruding faces 463 faces 455 facets 455 gizmos 470 grip editing 456 legacy mesh types 397, 399 merging faces 456 mesh modeling 456 predefined meshes 403 primitives 385 properties 443 pyramids 388 refining 460, 461, 469 rendering 744 repairing holes 456 selection filters 470 self-intersections 472 smoothness 457 spheres 390 splitting faces 463, 469 tessellation 383, 457 tori 392 types 393 wedges 391 metric units converting to i
leader objects 530 lineweights 144 meshes 454 multilines 280 objects 220, 232 plot style tables 633, 635 plot styles 636 polylines 272 revision clouds 220 separating objects into shapes 436 splines 274 surfaces 408, 423, 426, 435, 445 tables 556, 559 text 549 text styles 541 vertices 432 visual styles 65 xrefs 656 molds 453 moments of inertia 193 monochrome settings underlays 675 moonlight 717 moving 3D Move gizmo 410, 412 3D subobjects 423 constraining movement 413 dimension text 602 edges 429 faces 426 gr
multiple drawings opening 46 switching between 47 multiple users 708 multiple-view drawing layouts My Documents folder 46, 52 N named layer states saving 132 named layouts 91 named objects xref name conflicts 662 named page setups applying 615 creating 616 projects and 621 named plot style tables about 623, 632 Plot Style Table Editor 635 plot styles in 634 named plot styles about 632, 634 creating 635 predefined styles 635 named UCS definitions 150 named views saving 59 section objects and 483 naming grou
O object enablers 703 object properties about 117 assigning 117 blocks 320 colors 134, 136 copying 119 inheritance 659 layer defaults 121 linetypes 137 lineweights 142 xrefs 659 object snap tracking 183 object snaps 3D space 170 about 168, 169 angles of 176 AutoSnap 171 base points 176 constraints and 293 grid snap 173 isometric drawings 711 object snap tracking 183 overriding 171 PolarSnap feature 177 running object snaps 169 shortcut menu 169, 170 underlays 674 ObjectARX applications custom and proxy obje
simplified display 145 snapping 168 stretching 261 subobjects 423 textures 736 transparency 147 visibility 96 oblique extension lines 588 oblique text 548 obscured edges 69 occluded lines 70 offset snaps 236 offsetting construction lines 217 copying objects 236 objects 251 plot offsets 619, 626 surfaces 375 temporary reference points 186 online copies of files 707 online Help 1 opacity transparency settings 147 visual styles 67 open curves 379 open meshes 400 opening attribute extraction files 332 drawings
page setups 615 palettes displaying 36 docking 36 floating 36 icons 36 resizing 36 Pan tool 73 panning 3D views 73 about 57 dynamic 57 layout viewports 92 Pantone color books 135 paper size fitting drawings on 628 layout settings 617 plot scale and 627 scaling drawings to fit 620 settings 625 paper space about 89 blocks and 319 dimensioning in 584 drawing in 89 hiding objects 630 layout work process 91 lineweight display in 143 moving objects to model space object visibility 96 plotting options 630 UCS limi
layers and 673 plotting 640 underlays 670, 671 performance improvement 3D display and 71 arrays and 251 demand loading xrefs 667, 668 fills display 145 groups and 228 hardware acceleration 71 incremental saves 49 layers and 120 lineweights and 143, 146 memory and 71, 72 performance tuning 71 raster image display 690 resolution 744 shadow display and 68, 730 software acceleration 71 text display 145 perimeters 190 perpendicular lines 177 perspective view 79 perspective views about 60 defining 61 photometric
Plotter Configuration Editor paper size 617 plotters offsetting plots 626 paper size 625 paper-saving features 626 selecting 617, 624 plotting draw order and 147 exporting files 640 file formats 640 fit options 620 hardware linetypes 137 layout process and 90 light glyphs 730 lineweights 142, 143, 630 model space settings 87 offsets 619 orientation 618, 627 page setups 615, 624 paper size 625 paper space objects 630 plot scale 627 plot style tables 620 plot styles 630, 631 positioning image on paper 625 pre
modifying 220, 272 offsetting 252 polyline arcs 207 PostScript rendering 694 revision clouds 219 simplifying display 145 subobjects 273 wide polylines 197, 207 polysolids drawing 361 portrait orientation 618, 627 PostScript files exporting 693 PostScript fonts 545 precision calculators 193 coordinate systems 148 cursor movements 173 distances 185 drawing units 42 Dynamic Input 166 geometric data 188 numeric values 579 object snaps 168 offset locations 180 point locations 180 predefined 3D meshes 403 preset
page setups 105, 111 placeholder fields in 536 Project Manager 103 properties 110 publishing 111 reassociating moved layouts saving 113 status 113 sub-groups 109 team collaboration 112 updating 112 working without Project Manager 113 prompts dynamic prompts 168 properties 3D solids 441 arrays 248 blocks 320 colors 134 copying 119 dimension lines 566 fills 511 floating properties 320 hatches 511, 513 layer groups 128 layers 119, 124 layouts and projects 110 lighting 730 linetypes 137 lineweights 141 mass pro
attaching 683 bitonal 688 clipping boundaries 685 display options 687 display speed 690, 691 file formats 681 file paths 683 finding files 690 hiding 691 image information 688 Internet-based files 684 loading 691 missing 690 naming 689 pixels 681 preview images 51 resolution 684 scaling 684 tiled images 692 transparency 681 unloading 691 rays drawing 216 filleting 266 modifying 220 Readme help topic 3 Real face style 65 realistic rendering 738 Realistic visual style 64 realtime panning 57 realtime zooming 5
removing 3D solid history 434 back faces 740 blips 231 block attributes 336 block definitions 316 constraints 284 creases 463 dimension breaks 606 duplicate objects 231 edges 430 faces 428 fillets 265 geometric constraints 285 group definition 229 hidden surfaces 740 layer property overrides 127 layouts 107 multiline vertices 280 objects 231 objects from groups 229 objects from selections 223 stray pixels 231 text styles 541 unreferenced linetypes 138 unused named objects 231 vertices 433 renaming groups 22
revolving objects 352 RFS symbol (regardless of feature size) 612 right-hand rule 149 RLC files 680 rotated dimensions 587 rotating 3D objects 241 3D Rotate gizmo 410, 414 3D subobjects 423 3D views 62 constraining rotation 415 dimension text 602 dimensions 587 edges 429 faces 426 grip methods for 234 hatches 513 lights 729 objects 234, 240 snap angles 176 UCSs 148 underlays 674 vertices 432 views in layout viewports 101 rotation grips 313 rotation snaps 236 rounding corners 263 edges 431 rounding off dimen
annotations 490, 491, 501 arrowheads 570 blocks 309 constraining scale 416 drawings 87 drawings to fit paper 620 edges 429 faces 426 grip methods for 235 hatch patterns 510, 513 linetypes 99, 140, 638 lineweights 620 model space settings 86, 87 objects 234, 261 plot scale 627 raster images 684 scaling by reference 262 tables 556 text 550, 551 text scale ratios 88 underlays 674 vertices 432 views in layout viewports 95 scenes lighting 716 rendering 748 schedules tables 556 screen display cleaning up 231 clea
methods for 223 multiple objects 222 objects 220 output devices 617, 624 overlapping objects 419 preventing object selection 224 previewing selections 226 selection fences 223 selection windows 222 subobject selection filters 420 suppressing highlighting 692 tables or table elements 558 selection fences 223 selection filters 420, 470 selection preview 221 selection windows 222 self-intersections 472 sending objects to back 147 servers AutoCAD WS 707 proxy servers 705 setting up pages 615 shaded images AutoC
modifying 408 polysolids 361 revolving 352 separating into original shapes 436 solid modeling 339 solid primitives 354 sweeping 348 types of 343 sorting layers 128 source vectors for distant lights 733 space-delimited format files (SDF) 331 spacing dimension elements 566 dimensions 608 equal intervals 186 grid lines 174 previous release formats and 697 spatial indexes 667, 668 special characters block attribute extraction files 331 bullets in lists 523 file names 50 filtering layers by 129 fractions 527 ins
styles annotations 494 dimensions 565 leader objects 533 multiline styles 200 reference points 216 text 540 visual 63 subobjects 273, 423 substitute fonts 543, 545 subtracing composite solids 366 subtracting areas 192 objects 366 regions 218 sunlight about 714, 735 natural lighting 716 support files search paths 52 surface models 340 surfaces 3D surfaces 369 about 370 associative 345, 380 blending 375 bulge magnitude 372 chamfering 431 composite solids 433 composite surfaces 435 constraints 381 continuity 3
projected tolerances 613 symbols of termination 562 tolerances 580 xref symbols 663 symmetrical tolerances 580 synchronizing AutoCAD WS files 707 syntax command line switches 37 T table styles 558 Table toolbar 558 tables (inserted) annotations 489 AutoFill feature 560 breaking into parts 557 cell styles 559 column width 556 creating 556 defined 556 editing 557 fields in 536 formatting 559 formulas in 560 gridlines 559 grips 557 inserting blocks in 559 merging cells 558 previous release formats and row hei
properties 551 Quick Text mode 146 scale ratios 88 scaling 550, 551 simplified display 145, 146 single-line 518 tables 556, 559 text styles 540 types 517 text files exporting block attribute data to 328 importing 529 text styles about 540 creating 541 dimension text 576 fields 537 fonts 542 height 547 modifying 541 multiline text 521, 523 obliquing angle 548 orientation in 549 single-line text 518 tables 559 text wrap 521 textures about 736 thawing layers layout viewports 96 regenerating drawings 121 thickn
triangles 199 trimming 3D objects 260 chamfered objects 268 filleted objects 264 hatches 511 objects 256 replacing trimmed areas 449 splines 277 surfaces 446 True Color colors 135 TrueType fonts about 543 PostScript font equivalents 546 proxy fonts 547 text height 548 vertical text 549 twisted faces 743 TXT files importing 529 Type C goniometers 725 typefaces 542 U UCS (user coordinate system) definitions saving 150 UCS icon coloring 35 display options 154 UCSs (user coordinate systems ViewCube and 80 UCSs
untrimming surfaces 446 unused layers 124 updating annotations 491, 501 associative dimensions 564 block attributes 335 block definitions 333 block references 336 display 146 fields 538 projects 112 xrefs 643, 650 uploading AutoCAD WS files 708 URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) opening drawings with 706 saving drawings to 706 user interface customizing 34 users (multiple) 708 V validating 3D solids 437 surfaces 450 values dimension values 577 suppressing zeros 579 text fields 537 variable block attributes 3
rotating 101 saving 59 scaling 95 viewports 81 zooming 57 visibility annotations 501 layers 92, 121 layout viewports and 96 transparency 147 xref layers 645 visors PDF underlay 670 visual fidelity annotative objects and 493 previous release file formats and 695 saving files and 49 visual styles AutoCAD LT functionality 701 backgrounds 68 customizing 65 default styles 64 defined 63 edge display 69 face styles 65 layer property overrides and 127 lighting 64 modifying 65 performance issues and 71 plotting 629
working sets of reference objects 656, 658 workplanes 148, 156 world coordinate system (WCS) 148 WPolygon selection 223 wrinkled surfaces 449 X X axis 35 X-ray visual style 64 X, Y coordinates 156 xlines 216 filleting 266 modifying 220 xrefs (external references) 643 XY planes (workplanes) 63, 156 Y Y axis 35 Z Z axis 35 z coordinate values 162 zebra analysis 451 zero suppression dimensions 579 tolerances 582 zero-length geometry 231 Zoom tool 73 zooming 3D views 73 about 57 controlling zooming 58 grid
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