Hello people, welcome to this video! Let's see how to work on 2D projects
and drawings with Autodesk AutoCAD 2018!
Please leave us comments and suggestions in the video description to
improve our future guides for AutoCAD!
In this video we are going to see all the main important features to
work on 2D projects, such as the editing tools inside the Modify section
under the Home tab, the Hatch tool to apply filling, and the Text tools
to add text and annotations.
First of all, always keep in mind that Lines and the Polylines are
different. The first ones are used to draw straight segments, while the
second ones to realize both straight and curved sides.
Furthermore, the Polyline tool is much better at realizing closed shapes.
For example, if you draw a triangle with the Line tool, the overall shape
is still managed by keeping its sides independent. If you draw the same
by using Polylines, you will indeed create a single Polyline path, that
you can manage much easier.
Keep in mind that Polylines do not have any node to move the shape
directly. For this reason, you have to use the Move tool inside the
Modify section on top. This collects the most important 2D tools you
can use on your drawings. Let's check these.
To use these tools, you have to select the objects that must be affected.
You can select the objects first, and then
enable the tool, or you can enable the tool first, select the objects
interested, and then apply with the Enter key.
The Move tool is used to move your selected objects. Just click once to
fix the base point, and then fix a second point to move the object,
by checking the preview shown.
The Rotate tool is used to rotate your drawings. Fix the rotation point
first, and then move your pointer to fix the rotation angle.
Use the Copy tool to make multiple copies of your drawings. Just click
once to fix the base point, and then fix a second one to place the first
copy. So you can go on pasting copies, until you use the Escape key.
The Array tools are used to make arrays made of copies of your drawing,
following a defined shape. Choose Rectangular Array to make a rectangular
array made of three rows and four columns. Use the blue arrows on the
last column and row to insert or remove columns and rows, and use the
closer ones to regulate the distance between each row and column. Use
the Escape key to apply the Array.
You can choose Path Array to make an array by following the direction of
a 2D existing path. Once the drawing is selected, select also the 2D path
and apply with the Enter key to create the array. Use the blue arrow to
regulate the distance between the copies. Then use the Enter or the
Escape key to finish editing. Remember that the Path Array is associated
to the 2D path used: if this is moved or edited, the array will be
adapted to it.
Then, there is the Polar Array, that creates several copies of your
drawing that rotate around a defined point by 360 degrees. Once the
object is selected, fix the rotation point, and regulate the radius by
using the blue square. Use the blue arrow to regulate the distance
between the several copies. Use the Escape or the Enter key to apply.
The Mirror tool is used to flip the object with respect to a defined
direction. Just fix two points on your workspace and check the preview.
Then, decide to erase or keep the original drawing.
The Scale tool is used to size the selected drawing. Specify a base
point, and then move your pointer to scale, or type the scale factor on
the dialog box. If this is higher than one, the object will be bigger,
otherwise it will become smaller.
The Offset tool drops a 2D path with a constant distance from the
selected drawing. After selecting the object, type the distance to keep,
apply with the Enter key, and decide with your pointer the side where to
drop the offset.
The Stretch tool is used to stretch your selected drawing. Enable the
tool, and select the parts of the object to stretch by using the Window
or the Crossing Lasso. Pay attention because you are able to see just
the whole drawing selected, and not the parts that will be stretched.
Apply with the Enter key, and move to stretch.
Use the Trim tool to remove parts of an object that meets other objects.
Enable the tool, and select all the objects to be affected. Then, click
on all the parts to be erased. Use the Escape or the Enter key to apply.
The Extend tool works the same, with the difference that the tool extends
the sides.
The Explode tool decomposes a drawing into its own subcomponents. For
example, if you explode a Polyline, this will be divided into its
straight sides as Lines, and its curved ones as Arcs, that become
independent.
The Chamfer and the Fillet tool are used to join sides to create a
vertex. With the Chamfer tool, select the first segment to join, and
click on the second one to create the corner. If you use the Fillet tool,
you will join the two segments through an arc with a defined radius.
While using the tool, choose Radius on the Command Line or on the dialog
box to fix the arc radius to use, applying with the Enter key.
Let's now see how to apply filling to your 2D objects. To fill 2D
drawings, you have to use the Hatch command, inside the Draw section.
When you enable the tool, and hover on a drawing, you can check a quick
preview of the filling, and apply it by clicking once. The filling will
be distributed until its closest boundaries, so you have to click over
these to extend your filling. Of course the Hatch tool does not work on
drawings that do not have an enclosed path.
While using the tool, use CTRL+Z to undo the fillings dropped, and use
the Enter key to apply the fillings definitely. These fillings are called
Hatch objects, and are associated with the drawings that define the
filling boundaries. This means that, if you edit the shape of its
boundaries, also the filling will adapt to the new shape.
Also, if you click on the filling, this will be selected, showing a blue
node on it. If you click on it, you will move the filling out from its
boundaries, and this will also dissociate it from the drawing, making it
independent. In fact, the Hatch object also gets new blue nodes, used to
edit the filling shape as seen for the Polylines.
Remember that, if you create multiple fillings by using the Hatch command
once, all of these will be treated and managed together. If you want to
create independent fillings, you will have to enable the Hatch command
for each filling independently.
To delete a filling, just select it and use the Delete key.
When you enable the Hatch tool or select any filling, the Hatch Creator
or Editor panel opens on top, showing all the properties and tools
related to your fillings. Let's check the most important ones.
Under Properties, you can set the Hatch appearance: choose Solid to apply
a solid color, choosing the color under Hatch Color, and its transparency
level under Hatch Transparency. Choose Gradient to apply a two-color
gradient on the filling, choosing the two colors under Gradient Color 1
and Gradient Color 2. Fix the Gradient type under Pattern, and the
gradient transparency and angle through Hatch Transparency and Gradient
Angle. Choose Pattern to apply a pattern with the style chosen under
Pattern on the left, with the color defined under Hatch Color and Hatch
Background, and with the transparency and angle properties fixed under
Hatch Transparency and Angle. Also, through Hatch Pattern Scale, you can
regulate the size of the pattern to use.
For more advanced options for your filling, click on the small arrow next
to Options.
In case you have the filling, but you do not have its boundaries, you can
recover them by using Recreate Boundary under Hatch Editor. Select
Polyline, and choose to associate the new boundary with the filling or
not.
Let's now see how to add text and annotations with the Multiline Text and
the Single Line tools inside the Annotation section.
To type a text paragraph you have to use the Multiline Text tool. First
of all, create a text area by clicking once on your workspace, and
dragging with your pointer. The down arrow key shows where the text
will spread, and this is always directed to the South direction of the
3D View Cube.
Then, just type inside, and click outside to apply. The piece of text
can be moved and edited with the Modify tools as seen for the 2D drawings.
When you select text, this shows several nodes: use the square one to
move the text, and the blue arrows to size the text area. This can change
the overall text distribution as well. If you double-click on the text,
you can type inside and also change the text style and properties by
using the Text Editor panel that opens on top. Under Formatting, adjust
the font family, style and color, and adjust the text size under Text
height under Style. Use Background Mask to add a colored background on
the text area.
To type simple and quick annotations, it is better to use the Single Line
tool. When you enable it, click on the point you want to type, and
specify the text size or height, and its inclination respect to the X
axis. Then, type directly, and click elsewhere to type again on another
point, by using the same text settings. Use the Enter key twice to finish
typing. Such text does not have any text area, so will just show a single
node that you can use to move.
Thanks for watching this video! Check out our next video guide to learn
more about 3D projects and drawings with AutoCAD 2018!