Hiding Lines in Autocad
AutoCAD is drafting software by AutoDesk that is used by architects and engineers. The program enables the designer to draw quickly and efficiently; however, it is sometimes necessary to hide parts of a drawing to better understand it. It is imperative to understand how to create and hide layers and use the geometric functions of AutoCAD to bring drawings to a high level of completion. Hiding lines is the most basic function of the layers tool.
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Creating and Hiding Layers
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Layers can be created and deleted in the "Layer Properties Manager" on the home screen in AutoCAD. Notice that you can assign colors, line weights and names to all the layers you create. This allows the draftsman to keep track of all drawn lines and also move all lines that are of the same layer quickly. Hiding or revealing a layer and all the lines within it is as easy as clicking the light bulb next to the layer on the home screen. Layers can also be converted to other layers or combined into the same one. Being able to create and hide layers is a useful way to keep drawings organized.
Hand Drawn vs. AutoCAD
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Being able to hide lines is a major advantage of using AutoCAD rather than drafting by hand. There is no erasing and no scanning or reprinting involved. While a hand drawing has a unique quality, an AutoCAD drawing can be mass-produced and lines can be hidden. If the designer wishes present his work to one client with some lines visible, but then to another client with those lines hidden, he is able to do it easily with AutoCAD. AutoCAD gives the modern designer an edge when it comes to overall production.
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Examples
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There are a variety of instances where hiding lines assigned to different layers is extremely useful. One common application of this process is when the draftsman adds call-outs, text or labels to a drawing. In most cases the designer knows what he is labeling, so hiding the lines in the text layer allows for a better overall view of the drawing without distraction. Another application of this function would be hiding guidelines or lines used to set up a drawing. The user might want to keep the original guidelines for his own editorial purposes, but hide them before a final draft is presented to an executive designer.
Layer Tools
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Layers have their own set of functions and save points in AutoCAD because of their importance. You can undo or redo any change made to layers in the "Layer Properties" tab. This is useful because oftentimes many commands have been executed since a layer change. By clicking the layer undo button, only layer commands will be undone without affecting the rest of the drawing. Another useful layer tool is the "Layer States Manager" which allows you to save layer settings as a named layer state. The draftsman can then copy, edit or export the layer settings for use in other drawings.
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Resources
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