COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING DRAWING PRACITCE – EXPT 3

Expt No. :3 MODIFYING OBJECTS Dt:

AIM : To learn and practice the commands used to modify different objects using AutoCAD 2007 like move ,
copy, rotate , mirros , trim ,region etc
PACKAGE USED : AUTOCAD 2007

MODIFYING OBJECTS :

AutoCAD drawings are rarely completed simply by drawing lines, circles etc. Most likely you will need
to Modify these basic drawing objects in some way in order to create the image you need. AutoCAD provides a
whole range of modify tools such as Move, Copy, Rotate and Mirror.

As is usual with AutoCAD, the Modify tools can be accessed in one of three ways, from the keyboard, from the
pull-down menu and from the toolbar. All of the Modify tools are available from the Modify pull-down and the
Modify toolbar.

The Modify toolbar is usually displayed by default but if it is not already displayed, you can display it using the
TOOLBAR command, View Toolbars… from the pull-down menu. When the Toolbar dialogue box (shown
above) appears, simply check the box next to "Modify" in the toolbars list.

1
 COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING DRAWING PRACITCE – EXPT 3

The Erase Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Erase
Keyboard ERASE short-cut E
The Erase command is one of the simplest AutoCAD commands and is one of the most used. The command erases
(deletes) any selected object(s) from the drawing. Remember you can always get deleted objects back by
typing U to undo,   from the Standard toolbar or by using the OOPS command.
Command Sequence
Command: ERASE
Select objects: (pick an object to erase)
Select objects:   (to end the selection and erase the object)
If you simply want to erase the last object you created you can type L at the "Select objects" prompt. The last
object will be highlighted and you can then select more objects or   to end the command.

The Copy Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Copy
Keyboard COPY short-cut CP
The Copy command can be used to create one or more duplicates of any drawing object or objects which you have
previously created. Copy is a very useful and time-saving command because you can create very complex drawing
elements and then simply copy them as many times as you like.

Command Sequence
Command: COPY
Select objects: (pick object to copy, P1)
Select objects:   (to end selection)
Specify base point or displacement, or [Multiple]: (pick P2 or M for multiple copies)
Specify second point of displacement or <use first point as displacement>: (pick P3)
The multiple option allows you to create additional copies of the selected object(s) by picking as many new points
as you like. To end a multiple copy, just hit the  key.
Notice that the "Base point", P2 and the "Second point", P3 do not have to be picked on or near the object. The two
points are simply used to indicate the distance and direction of the copied object from the original object.

The Mirror Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Mirror
Keyboard MIRROR short-cut MI
The Mirror command allows you to mirror selected objects in your drawing by picking them and then defining the
position of an imaginary mirror line using two points.

2
 COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING DRAWING PRACITCE – EXPT 3

Command Sequence
Command: MIRROR
Select objects: (pick object to mirror, P1)
Select objects:   (to end selection)
Specify first point of mirror line: (pick P2)
Specify second point of mirror line: (pick P3)
Delete source objects? [Yes/No] <N>:   (for No to keep the original object)
Notice that in the command sequence above, pressing the   key when asked whether to "Delete source objects?"
resulted in a "No" response. This is because "No" is the default option. AutoCAD always shows the default option
within triangular brackets, in this case "<N>". Many AutoCAD commands offer default options. They are usually
the most commonly used and you need only right-click and select "Enter" from the menu or press    on the
keyboard to accept them.
In order to create perfectly horizontal or vertical mirror lines use Ortho.

The Offset Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Offset
Keyboard OFFSET short-cut O
Offset is probably one of the most useful commands for constructing drawings. The Offset command creates a new
object parallel to or concentric with a selected object. The new object is drawn at a user defined distance (the
offset) from the original and in a direction chosen by the user with a pick point. You can offset lines, arcs, circles,
ellipses, 2D polylines, xlines, rays and planar splines.
Command Sequence
Command: OFFSET
Specify offset distance or [Through] <1.0000>: 10 (specify distance)
Select object to offset or <exit>: (select object, P1)
Specify point on side to offset: (pick direction, P2)
Select object to offset or <exit>:   (to end or select another object to offset)
In the illustration below, a line (cyan) has been offset to the right through a distance "Offset" by picking a point to
the right of the original line. The result is a new line (red) to the right of the original.

Circles can be offset inside or outside of themselves to create a new circle which is concentric (has the same centre
point) with the original circle. In the illustration, a new circle (red) has been created outside of the original by
picking a point outside of the original circle. The radius of the new circle is the offset distance "Offset" plus the
radius of the original circle.
In the illustration above, the new objects and original objects are shown in different colours for clarity. In reality,
offset objects inherit their object properties from the original object.

3
 COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING DRAWING PRACITCE – EXPT 3

The Array Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Array
Keyboard ARRAY short-cut AR
The Array command makes multiple copies of selected objects in a rectangular matrix (columns and rows) or a
polar (circular) pattern. This command has been completely transformed in AutoCAD 2000i. It is now completely
dialogue box driven with the option to see a preview of the array before it is created. You can also now create
rectangular arrays at a user specified angle angle. This constitutes a major improvement in usability.
The Rectangular Array

The illustration on the right shows the results of a rectangular array with two
columns an three rows. The distance between rows is indicated with the
dimension DR and between columns with DC. When creating rectangular
arrays it is important to remember that new rows are created above the original
object and new columns are created to the right of the original object. The
resulting array is, therefore, always created with the original object in the
bottom left hand position with respect to the current co-ordinate system. In the
illustration, the original object is shown in cyan and the new objects in red. It is
possible to create arrays which do not align with the World Co-ordinate
System by setting a User Co-ordinate System first..

The Polar Array

The polar array works in a similar way to the rectangular
array. The main difference is that rather than specifying
the number and offset for rows and columns, you must
specify a center point and the total number of objects in
the array (including the original object).

The illustration above shows the results of a polar array

using an original rectangle (cyan) copied six times about a
centre point C, through an angle of 360 degrees (full

4
 COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING DRAWING PRACITCE – EXPT 3

circle). The only difference between the array on the left and the one on the right is that the Rotate items as copied
checkbox was not checked in the right hand example.

The Move Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Move
Keyboard MOVE short-cut M
The Move command works in a similar way to the Copy command except that no copy is made, the selected
object(s) is simply moved from one location to another.

Command Sequence
Command: MOVE
Select objects: (pick object to move, P1)
Select objects:   (to end selection)
Specify base point or displacement: (pick P2)
Specify second point of displacement or <use first point as displacement>: (pick P3)
Note that as with the Copy command, the two pick points, P2 and P3 are used only to indicate the distance and
direction of movement.

The Rotate Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Rotate
Keyboard ROTATE short-cut RO
The Rotate command allows an object or objects to be rotated about a point selected by the user. AutoCAD
prompts for a second rotation point or an angle which can be typed at the keyboard.

Command Sequence
Command: ROTATE
Current positive angle in UCS: ANGDIR=counterclockwise ANGBASE=0
Select objects: (pick object to rotate, P1)
Select objects:   (to end selection)

5
 COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING DRAWING PRACITCE – EXPT 3

Specify base point: (pick base point, P2)

Specify rotation angle or [Reference]: (pick second point, P3 or enter angle)
Remember, by default, AutoCAD angles start at 3 o'clock and increase in an anti-clockwise direction. The
"ANGDIR" and "ANGBASE" variables remind you of this. If you want to rotate in a clockwise direction you can
enter a negative angle by using a minus sign.
Note: You can change the angle direction and the base angle using the Units command, Format Units… from
the pull-down menu. Click the "Clockwise" check box to change the direction and click the "Direction…" button
to set the base angle.

The Scale Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Scale
Keyboard SCALE short-cut SC
The Scale command can be used to change the size of an object or group of objects. You are prompted for a pick
point about which the selection set will be scaled. Scaling can then be completed by picking a second point (not
always easy because it can sometimes be difficult to precisely control the scaling) or by entering a scale factor at
the keyboard. For example a scale factor of 2 will double the size of the objects in the selection set and a factor of
0.5 will half them.

Command Sequence
Command: SCALE
Select objects: (pick objects to be scaled, P1)
Select objects:   (to end selection)
Specify base point: (pick base point, P2)
Specify scale factor or [Reference]: (pick second point, P3 or enter scale factor)
In the example shown above, the original tree symbol has been enlarged by dynamically scaling it using pick
points to determine the change in scale. If you want to scale an object precisely, it is much easier to enter a scale
factor using the keyboard.
Note that the position of the new sized tree symbol is determined by the location of the base point. The base point,
P2 has been picked to the upper right of the centre of the tree which resulted in the centre of the tree shifting to a
lower left position. If the base point had been picked in the centre of the tree symbol, the tree would have remained
in the same position. In theory the base point can be any point in the drawing area but for ease of control it is best
to choose a known point so that the results are obvious.

The Stretch Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Stretch
Keyboard STRETCH short-cut S
The Stretch command can be used to move one or more vertices of an object whilst leaving the rest of the object
unchanged. In the example below, a rectangle has been stretched by moving one vertex to create an irregular
shape.

6
 COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING DRAWING PRACITCE – EXPT 3

Command Sequence
Command: STRETCH
Select objects to stretch by crossing-window or crossing-polygon...
Select objects: (pick first point of crossing window)
Specify opposite corner: (pick second point of window)
Select objects:   (to end selection)
Specify base point or displacement: (pick base point)
Specify second point of displacement: (pick second point)
To select vertices to stretch, you must use a crossing window or polygon.
Stretching with Grips
Although the Stretch command can be very useful, it has largely been superseded by the use of "Grips" which
allow this sort of modification to be made much more intuitively.

To stretch an object using grips, simply select the object by clicking on it (you can do this without starting a
command). The object becomes highlighted and small square grips appear at each vertex and various snap points,
depending upon the object type. Click a grip to activate it and click again to reposition it. When you have
completed your modifications, use the Escape key (Esc) at the top left of your keyboard to deselect the object and
release grips.

The Lengthen Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Lengthen
Keyboard LENGTHEN short-cut LEN
The Lengthen command can often be used instead of either the Trim or Extend commands. Indeed the end result is
exactly the same. The Lengthen command can be used to either lengthen or shorten Lines, Arcs, open Polylines,
elliptical Arcs and open Splines without the use of cutting or boundary edges.
Command Sequence
Command: LENGTHEN
Select an object or [DElta/Percent/Total/DYnamic]: DY
Select an object to change or [Undo]: (select a line or arc)
Specify new end point: (pick new end point)
Select an object to change or [Undo]:   (to end)
The command sequence above demonstrates the use of the Dynamic Lengthen option which is probably the most
useful for general purpose drafting. However, the other options are worth getting to know because they can save
lots of time and effort.
The Total option allows you to change the total length of a line to any value that you specify. The Percent option
allows you to change a line length using a percentage. For example, a value of 50 will result in a line one half the
length of the original and a value of 200 will result in a line twice the length of the original. The Delta option can
7
 COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING DRAWING PRACITCE – EXPT 3

be used to extend or reduce the endpoint of a line by a given distance. The endpoint affected by the change is the
one closest to the pick point when the object selection is made.

The Trim Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Trim
Keyboard TRIM short-cut TR

The Trim command can be used to trim a part of an object. In order to trim an object you must draw a second
object which forms the "cutting edge". Cutting edges can be lines, xlines, rays, polylines, circles, arcs or ellipses.
Blocks and text cannot be trimmed or used as cutting edges. The illustration on the right shows the Trim command
in action. The red square and circle have been drawn using the Polygon and Circle commands respectively. In
order to trim these objects, a line has been drawn (cyan in the illustration), this forms the cutting edge. The Trim
command, unlike most other modify commands requires that two separate object selections are made. The cutting
edges are selected first (there can be one or more) and then the objects to be trimmed are selected. In the example
above, the line is selected first because it forms the cutting edge and then the square and circle are selected.
The Trim command is slightly more complicated than many other modify commands. To get a better
understanding of how it works, draw a square, circle and line as illustrated above and then follow the command
sequence below. Don't forget to watch the AutoCAD command line at each stage of the process.
Command Sequence
Command: TRIM
Current settings: Projection=UCS Edge=None
Select cutting edges ...
Select objects: (select the cutting edge, P1)
Select objects:   (to end cutting edge selection)
Select object to trim or shift-select to extend or [Project/Edge/Undo]:(pick the part of the square which you want to
trim, P2)
Select object to trim or shift-select to extend or [Project/Edge/Undo]: (pick the circle, P3)
Select object to trim or shift-select to extend or [Project/Edge/Undo]:   (to end)
Notice that at each trimming step you are given the option to undo the previous trim. This can be very useful if you
inadvertently pick the wrong object.
In the above example, when the objects were trimmed, both pick points were made to the right of the cutting edge,
resulting in the removal of that part of the objects to the right of the cutting edge. Obviously, the portion of square
and circle to the left of the cutting edge could have been removed by picking to the left of the cutting edge. Also,
you may not have noticed it, but by trimming a circle you have created an Arc object. This makes no visible
difference but the object type has changed.

The Extend Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Extend
Keyboard EXTEND short-cut EX

8
 COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING DRAWING PRACITCE – EXPT 3

This command extends a line, polyline or arc to meet another drawing object (known as the boundary edge). In the
illustration on the right, two lines (red) are extended to meet another line (cyan) which forms the boundary edge.
This command works in a similar way to the Trim command, described above. Two selections are made, one for
the boundary edge(s) and one for the object(s) to extend.

Lines and other objects can be extended in one of two directions. In the illustration on the right, the red line could
be extended either to the right or to the left. You can tell AutoCAD in which direction to extend by picking a point
to the right or left of the midpoint respectively. AutoCAD does not intuitively know where the boundary edge lies
so you must explicitly indicate the direction of extension by picking either one side or other of the midpoint.
Draw the lines as shown in the illustration and follow the command sequence below.
Command Sequence
Command: EXTEND
Current settings: Projection=UCS Edge=None
Select boundary edges ...
Select objects: (select the boundary edge, P1)
Select objects:   (to end boundary edge selection)
Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]: (pick the object which you want to be
extended, P2)
Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]: (pick another object which you want to be
extended, P3)
Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]:   (to end)
Sometimes you may get the message "Object does not intersect an edge" or "No edge in that direction". If this
happens it means that you are either picking the wrong end of the object or the object you are trying to extend will
not meet the boundary edge. The solution is either to pick near the end you want to extend or to move the boundary
edge so that the extended line will intersect with it.
Using Edgemode
If the line you are trying to extend does not intersect with the boundary line, you can use the "Edge" option to
toggle Edgemode to "Extend" (the default is "No Extend"). When the Extend command is set to Extend Mode, the
objects being extended will extend to an imaginary line through the boundary edge, irrespective of whether the
extended object actually intersects with the boundary edge. This is particularly useful and can save lots of time.

The illustration on the left shows the result of extending a line (red) to a boundary edge (cyan) with Edgemode set
to "Extend". The same process would have resulted in an error message if Edgemode had been set to "No Extend".
To get a better understanding of how this works, draw the two lines as shown in the illustration and try to extend
them using the default settings. When you have done that, follow the command sequence below.

9
 COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING DRAWING PRACITCE – EXPT 3

Command Sequence (Edgemode)

Command: EXTEND
Select boundary edges: (Projmode = UCS, Edgemode = No extend)
Select objects: (select the boundary edge, P1)
Select objects:   (to end boundary edge selection)
Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]: E (to use the Edge option)
Enter an implied edge extension mode [Extend/No extend] <No extend>: E (to set Edgemode to Extend)
Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]: (pick the object to be extended, P2)
Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]:   (to end)
Notice that the current value of Edgemode is always displayed on the command line when you start the Extend
command. The Edge option can also be used with the Trim command to enable trimming to cutting edges which do
not actually intersect the object to trim. Edgemode is a system variable, so any change to its value will affect both
the Trim and Extend commands.
Shift Selection with Trim & Extend
You may have noticed during the command sequences for the Trim and Extend commands that you have the
option to "shift-select". This feature is new to AutoCAD 2000i and it enables you to extend while using the Trim
command and to trim while using the Extend command. These two commands are very closely related and you
often need to trim and extend objects at the same time. If you are a beginner with AutoCAD it may be a good idea
to avoid this feature initially, the Trim and Extend commands can be tricky to get to grips with in any case.
However, do remember this feature because it is a great time saver.

The Break Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Break
Keyboard BREAK short-cut BR
The Break command enables you to break (remove part of) an object by defining two break points. In the
illustration below, a corner of a rectangle has been removed. The Break command can be used with lines,
polylines, circles, arcs ellipses, splines, xlines and rays. When you break an object, you can either select the object
using the first break point and then pick the second break point, or you can select the object and then pick the two
break points.

Command Sequence
Command: BREAK
Select objects: (select the object using the first break point, P1)
Specify second break point or [First point]: (pick the second break point, P2)
The section of the object is removed and the command ends.
Sometimes you may want to select the object first and then specify the two break points. If this is the case, use the
"First point" option to specify the first break point. By default, AutoCAD assumes that the point used to select the
object is the first break point. This is often confusing for new users.
It may sometimes be necessary to break a line into two without removing any part of it. In this case, simply pick
the first and second break points in the same position.

The Chamfer Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Chamfer
10
 COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING DRAWING PRACITCE – EXPT 3

Keyboard CHAMFER short-cut CHA

The Chamfer command enables you to create a chamfer between any two non-parallel lines as in the illustration
below or any two adjacent polyline segments. Usually, the Chamfer command is used to set the chamfer distances
before drawing the chamfer. Follow the command sequence below where the chamfer distances are changed to 20
before the chamfer is made.

Command Sequence
Command: CHAMFER
(TRIM mode) Current chamfer Dist1 = 10.0000, Dist2 = 10.0000
Select first line or [Polyline/Distance/Angle/Trim/Method]: D (to set distances)
Specify first chamfer distance <10.0000>: 20 (enter required distance)
Specify second chamfer distance <20.0000>:   (first distance value or enter a different value)
Select first line or [Polyline/Distance/Angle/Trim/Method]: (pick P1)
Select second line: (pick P2)
The chamfer is made and the command ends.
Notice from the command sequence that there are a number of options which can be used to control the way the
Chamfer command behaves. The Polyline option can be used to chamfer all vertexes of a polyline simultaneously.
The Distance option allows you to specify the two chamfer distances. Angle allows the angle between the first line
and the chamfer to be specified. Trim is used to control whether the original lines are trimmed to the chamfer or
remain as they are. Finally, Method is used to toggle the command between Distance and Angle mode. When
Angle mode is used, the chamfer is defined using one distance and an angle rather than two distances.

The Fillet Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Fillet
Keyboard FILLET short-cut F
The Fillet command is a very useful tool which allows you to draw an arc between two intersecting lines or
adjacent polyline segments. You first need to use the command to set the required radius and then a second time to
select the two lines.
Command Sequence
Command: FILLET
Current settings: Mode = TRIM, Radius = 10.0000
Select first object or [Polyline/Radius/Trim]: R
Specify fillet radius <10.000>: 25
Select first object or [Polyline/Radius/Trim]: (pick P1)
Select second object : (pick P2)

11
 COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING DRAWING PRACITCE – EXPT 3

The Fillet command can also be used to fillet arcs and circles. The "Polyline" option also allows you to fillet all
vertices of a polyline with a single command. It's worth experimenting with this command, it can save you lots of
time and enables you to construct shapes which otherwise would be quite difficult.

For example, you can easily create the lozenge shape shown on the right from a simple rectangle. Since AutoCAD
rectangles are just closed polylines, you can use the Polyline option of the Fillet command to fillet all polyline
vertexes simultaneously. Try this for yourself; draw a rectangle and then follow the command sequence below.
Command Sequence
Command: FILLET
Current settings: Mode = TRIM, Radius = 10.0000
Select first object or [Polyline/Radius/Trim]: P
Select 2D polyline: (pick P1)
4 lines were filleted
Tip: Make sure that the radius you specify will fit the objects you select, otherwise the fillet command will not
work.

The Explode Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Explode
Keyboard EXPLODE
The Explode command is used to "explode" single objects back to their constituent parts. In other words, the
command is used to return blocks, polylines etc. (which may be composed of a number of component objects) back
to their individual component parts. The change has no visible
effect.

You can use the Fillet command with a radius of zero to trim
intersecting lines back to their intersection. Of course, you
could also achieve this effect with the Trim command but if
you have a number of operations to complete, the Fillet method
is much quicker.
When using the Trim and Extend commands, hitting   when
prompted to "Select cutting edges" and "Select boundary
edges" respectively will automatically select all valid cutting or
boundary edges on the screen. This can be a real time saver if
you have a complicated set of edges to select.

Editing polylines with the PEDIT command

12
 COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING DRAWING PRACITCE – EXPT 3

Because polylines can be quite complex, AutoCAD has a special command to edit them, PEDIT. To edit a
polyline, choose Modify➪Object➪Polyline. AutoCAD responds with the Select polyline or [Multiple]: prompt.
Select a polyline and AutoCAD responds with the Enter an option [Close/Join/Width/Edit
vertex/Fit/Spline/Decurve/Ltype gen/Undo]: prompt. The options are:
✦ Close: Closes an open polyline. If necessary, it adds a segment to connect the endpoint to the start point. If the
polyline is already closed, this prompt becomes Open. Open creates a break between the first and last segments of
the polyline.
✦ Join: Joins touching lines, arcs, or other polylines to the polyline.
✦ Width: Enables you to specify one width for the entire polyline.
✦ Edit Vertex: Provides a set of suboptions for editing vertices. These suboptions are explained after this list.
✦ Fit: Turns the polyline into a curve that passes through the vertices.
✦ Spline: Creates a curve by using the vertices as control points. The curve does not usually actually pass through
the vertices. This is not the mathematically exact spline that the SPLINE command produces (covered later in this
chapter).
✦ Decurve: Returns a Fit or Spline curve to its original vertices.
✦ Ltype gen: Turns on continuous linetype generation for the selected polyline.
✦ Undo: Undoes the most recent edit.

Editing polylines using the Properties palette

You can also edit polylines in the Properties palette. Double-click a polyline, and AutoCAD opens the Properties
palette for Polylines
Creating Hatches

Hatches are patterns that fill in an area. Most

types of drafting make use of hatching. To hatch an area, choose Hatch from the Draw toolbar. This starts the
BHATCH command. AutoCAD opens the Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box From the Type drop-down box,
choose one of the three options:

✦ Predefined: Enables you to select one of AutoCAD’s hatch patterns.

✦ User-defined: Enables you to define your own hatch pattern by specifying the angle and spacing, using the
current linetype.
✦ Custom: Enables you to choose a pattern you have created in
your
own .pat
file.

13
 COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING DRAWING PRACITCE – EXPT 3

Use the Angle text box to rotate the angle of the hatch pattern.
The Scale box determines the scale of the hatch pattern. You can choose from the drop-down list or type a scale.
The Spacing box and the Double check box are available if you choose a user-defined hatch pattern. A user-
defined hatch uses the current linetype and creates a hatch based on the spacing and angle you specify.
Determining the hatch boundary
The hardest part of hatching is placing the hatch, not defining it. Hatching an entire object is the simplest way to
place a hatch. But often the area you want to hatch is fairly complex, and AutoCAD needs to do some calculations
to determine it. The Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box offers two ways to specify the hatch boundary— you can
pick points inside an area and let AutoCAD try to find an enclosed boundary, or you can select objects. If you want
to hatch an entire object:
1. Choose Select Objects. AutoCAD returns you temporarily to your drawing.
2. Select all the objects you want to hatch. You can use all the standard object selection options to select objects.
Remove and Add are especially helpful.
3. Press Enter to end object selection and return to the dialog box.
If the area you want to hatch does not neatly fit into one or more objects, choose Pick Points.
Islands
Islands are enclosed areas entirely inside a hatch boundary. Islands make hatching more difficult because
sometimes you don’t want to hatch the inside of the island. To specify the boundary
style, in the Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box, click the Advanced tab, Three boundary styles affect how islands
are hatched:

✦ Normal: Hatches alternating areas so that the outer area is hatched, the next inner island is not hatched, the next
inner island is hatched, and so on.
✦ Outer: Hatches only the outer area and does not hatch any inner islands.
✦ Ignore: Ignores islands and hatches everything from the outside in.

Creating gradient fills

Gradients are fills that gradually change from dark to
light or from one color to another. Use gradients to
create presentation- quality illustrations without
rendering. You can use gradients as a substitute for
shading because it offers more flexible options. To
create a gradient:
1. Choose Hatch from the Draw toolbar to open the
Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box.
2. Click the Gradient tab

Editing hatches
To edit a hatch pattern including a solid or gradient,
double-click it. AutoCAD opens the Hatch Edit dialog
box
14
 COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING DRAWING PRACITCE – EXPT 3

RESULT : The commands used to modify different objects using AutoCAD 2007 like move , copy, rotate ,
mirros , trim ,region etc were learned and practiced.

15