How To Get To Add Line Segments in AutoCAD
AutoCAD is a program for designing structures such as buildings, and for producing graphics such as those in electrical diagrams. Several of its tools allow users to create 2D shapes such as rectangles and other polygons that contain line segments. By changing a shape's line segments, users can change the shape. This is a fundamental activity in creating both 2D and 3D designs, as is adding and deleting line segments. Either the keyboard or the mouse can be used for these operations. The keyboard method is typically used to enter spatial coordinates when the user needs to create a design with precise measurements.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Open AutoCAD, then begin drawing a polygon. Locate the "Home" tab's "Draw" panel. Then click the panel's "Polygon" tool.
-
2
Enter a number in the small command prompt that appears, asking you for the number of sides to create. Then click and drag to define the polygon. Click again to end polygon creation.
-
-
3
Move the polygon. Click anywhere on the polygon's perimeter, then drag. Notice that the polygon appears as a single shape. In other words, all of its line segments move at the same time to reform the polygon.
-
4
Separate the polygon into its component line segments: Click the "Explode" tool on the "Home" tab's "Modify" panel. Try to click and drag the polygon as you did in Step 3. Notice that only the line segment you clicked will move. The remaining line segments remain in position.
-
5
Open the polygon. Press "Control-Z" to restore the line segment you moved to its original position. Click either the right or left vertex of the line segment, and drag it a short distance outside of the polygon. Notice that this action has left a gap in the polygon. You'll now fill that gap with a new line segment.
-
6
Click the "Line" tool in the "Draw" panel. Hover the mouse pointer over either of the two vertices in the polygon's gap. When the vertex displays a small square around it, click the mouse to start drawing the new line segment.
-
7
Close the gap. Drag toward the other vertex in the gap. When the small square appears around it, click the mouse to complete the line segment. Although you've closed the gap, the polygon remains as a collection of separate line segments. (Try to click and drag a line segment to verify this.) You'll now bind those segments together into a single shape--a new polygon that contains the new line segment you just created.
-
8
Click one of the line segments, then click "Modify," "Object" and "Polyline." Press "Enter" at the prompt that appears, asking if you want to create a polyline.
-
9
Select "Join" from the pop-up menu that appears. Then, click and drag a rectangular region that includes all of the line segments. Press "Enter" to complete the join operation.
-
10
Click any of the line segments and attempt to drag it. Notice that all the line segments move now, as they originally did. You've created a new polygon that has one line segment more than the original.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit house plan image by Jon Le-Bon from Fotolia.com
