AutoCAD® 2008 and AutoCAD LT® 2008 Bible

Chapter 16. Drawing Complex Objects

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Creating and editing polylines

• Drawing and editing splines

• Creating regions and boundaries

• Using hatches to fill closed areas

• Creating and editing multilines and dlines

• Using the SKETCH command

• Digitizing drawings with the TABLET command

AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT offer a number of complex objects that can help you create accurate, professional drawings. Polylines are single objects that can combine line segments and arcs. Splines are mathematically controlled curves that are based on points that you specify. Regions and boundaries create complex shapes from existing objects. Hatches create various types of fills inside closed objects. Multilines (in AutoCAD) and dlines (in AutoCAD LT) are sets of parallel lines. Sketching is a way to create freehand drawings. Digitizing with a tablet is a process that is used to transfer an existing paper drawing into your drawing. In this chapter, I introduce you to these complex objects and explain how to use them.

Creating and Editing Polylines

Polylines are single objects that combine line segments and arcs. In certain situations, being able to edit an entire set of lines and arcs as one object is useful. Polylines can have a width, which can vary from the start point to the endpoint of each segment. Polylines ensure that all of the vertices of a series of lines and arcs actually touch. They're also useful for 3D drawing. In short, polylines are a neat, clean way to draw. (Technically, polylines are called ...