Hello there! Let's see in this video all features used for 2D projects
and design in AutoCAD 2017.
Leave us comments to improve our next guides!
As seen in the previous beginner tutorial, the Home section collects
all tools used to draw objects in 2D. The Circle, the Arc, the Rectangle
and the Ellipse tool draw just one object per time. You can use Enter
key to enable the tool again and draw another object.
Whereas, when you use the Line or the Polyline tool, you will go on
drawing sides and curves continuously, sharing the last fixed node. To
stop drawing, use Escape key.
Don't confuse Lines with Polylines. Lines are used to draw straight
independent segments and sides. For example, if you draw a closed path
with the Line tool, each side remains independent. Plus, when selecting
a Line, you are able to move and stretch it through its blue nodes.
Unlike Lines, the Polylines are sides used to create curves and polygons.
In fact, if you draw a closed path, this is built in one piece. And, if
you select the Polyline, this shows smaller nodes that you can use to
turn sides to curves through Convert to Arc. You won't have any node
used to move, so in these cases you have to use the Move command.
When using the Rectangle and the Polygon tools, you will simply draw
Polylines with a regular shape, so nothing different from the objects
created with the Polyline tool.
Let's see the most important tools used to edit 2D objects. All these
are collected inside Modify, under the Home tab. You can apply these
tools on objects in two ways. You can select your 2D objects first, and
then use the interested tool; or choose the tool first and then select
the objects to apply it to. When you have to select objects, your
pointer becomes a small square. Then, when you use the Enter key, you
can apply the tool chosen as you like.
Use the Move command to move your selected objects, just click and drag.
The Rotate tool rotates objects. Just fix the rotation point first, and
then define the rotation angle.
Use Copy to create a copy of the selected object, just click and drag.
You will go on making copies until you use the Escape key.
Use Mirror to mirror the selected object by fixing a distance point.
Then, choose Yes to erase the original object, or No to keep both.
The Scale tool scales your selected objects. Click on the object and
type the scale factor. A scale factor higher than one makes the object
bigger, otherwise it will be smaller.
The Stretch tool is used to stretch objects along a chosen path. To
use this tool correctly, you need to select the parts of the object to
stretch with a Crossing Lasso.
For example, to stretch one side and one node only, you have to select
them by including those in the green area of a Crossing Lasso. Then, use
the Enter key, and stretch the object. Just the side and the node
selected will be moved.
The Trim tool is used to remove parts of an object that meets others.
Select first the object that creates the boundaries. Apply with Enter
key, and then click to remove objects that meet such boundary. Use the
Enter key to finish with the tool.
The Explode command is used to extract from an object all its
subcomponents. For example, if you apply it on a Polyline with straight
and curved sides, you will obtain Lines and Arcs from it.
The Offset tool is used to create objects with a constant distance from
the selected objects. First of all, type the distance you want to keep.
Use the Enter key, and then select the interested object. By using your
pointer, you can preview and decide on which side the offset must be.
The Fillet and the Chamfer tools are used to connect two object
endpoints together. In particular, use the Chamfer tool to connect two
segment endpoints with a straight vertex. Just select the two objects
to join.
Use Fillet to connect either segments or curves with a defined radius.
Select the first object, and hover on the second one to see how the two
are connected. Choose Radius from the Command Line to change the radius
of the arc that will link the two objects. If radius is okay, click on
the second object to connect them.
To make arrays of a selected object, use the Array tool. For example,
the Rectangular Array distributes copies of the selected object along
a rectangular array, whose columns and rows can be fixed by using its
blue nodes.
Let's see how to fill 2D objects. To add filling, you can use either
the Hatch or the Gradient tool under the Draw section. When you enable
them, you open the Hatch Creation tab, used to edit and customize your
filling.
If you hover on an object, AutoCAD shows you how this will be filled.
The Hatch commands fill everything under your pointer until the filling
meets its closest boundaries. Click to apply the filling.
Use CTRL+Z to undo the latest filling applied. Use the Enter key
to finish with the Hatch tool.
This tool obviously works on closed paths only, where there is a finite
area defined.
Fillings made are called Hatch objects, and share the same shape of
their boundaries. You can delete them by selecting them and using the
Delete key.
When a Hatch object is selected, a blue circle appears, used to move
the object. When you move it outside its boundaries, this will become
independent, showing new blue nodes that can be used to edit its shape
just like Polylines. In fact, as long as the filling remains within its
boundaries, the filling is associated to it, that means that it updates
every time you edit the shape of its boundaries.
The Hatch commands create a unique filling every time. If you enable once
the Hatch tool, and create fillings that are even not linked, you will
get a unique overall filling when you finish with the Enter key. If you
want to create independent fillings, you must enable the Hatch tool for
multiple times, filling objects separately each time.
If you have the Hatch object, but you have its boundaries no more, you
can use Recreate Boundary to reopen them. Select the Hatch object and
enable the tool. Choose Polyline, and then associate or not the new
boundaries to the filling.
To edit a filling, just select it and use the Hatch Editor tab on top.
First of all, there are different kinds of patterns, that you can choose
from the Properties section.
Choose Solid to apply a plain solid color. Through Hatch Color, choose
the color of the filling. On the right, in Hatch Transparency, you can
set also its transparency level.
Choose Gradient to apply a fade between two colors, that you can choose
under Gradient Colors. You can change the basic gradient template under
Pattern, and both Transparency and angle of rotation under Properties.
Choose Pattern to apply a complex pattern on the object. Change the kind
under Pattern. Use Hatch Color to change the main pattern color, and
Background Color to apply a background color. On the right, use
Transparency, Angle and also the Hatch Pattern Scale to customize it.
For more additional and advanced options, click on the small arrow
next to Options.
In 2D projects, it is also important to know how to use text and
annotations. All these are inside the Annotation section inside the Home
tab. Let's see the text tools in this video.
To add simple text annotations, you have two Text tools: the Multiline
Text and the Single Line tool.
The Multiline Text tool is used to type long text annotations, usually
covering more than a single line. Click and drag on your workspace to
define a text area. A down arrow indicates where your text lines will
spread, and this is always directed to the South direction. Then, type
in. Through the Text Editor on top, edit font, color and formatting, and,
under Paragraph, all regarding the text distribution. Under Style,
change the text size. Use Mask to apply a background color instead.
Remember to select the text or nothing will be applied.
Once text is ready, click outside to close its box. The final text size
will be the one defined inside the Style section, not the one saw in the
Preview.
This text will be an independent object that can be moved through its
corner node. You can also adjust its text area through the blue arrows.
This may change its text distribution. Double-click inside to adjust
the text content. Due to the text area, this object can be edited just
like 2D objects with the Modify tools just seen.
In case you need to leave short text annotations on your project, you
can simply use the quicker Single Line tool. This does not use any text
area. Just fix a point to decide where to type text, type directly on
the dialog box the text size or height, and then apply any angle if you
need to add inclination to your text. When you use the Enter key, you
can directly type. To type another note with the same settings, just
click on another point. To finish with the tool, click elsewhere and use
the Escape key.
Differently from the Multiline Text, this kind of text has just a
single node to move it on your workspace.
Thanks for watching this video! Check out our next video to learn how
to create and manage 3D projects with AutoCAD 2017!