CPE414

ENGINEERING DRAWING

FUZIEAH BINTI SUBARI

Faculty of Chemical Engineering
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam
Tel: 03-55448011/017-3741082
E-mail:fuzieahs@gmail.com

Polyline, polygon,
rectangles

The Polyline Family

Polylines differ from lines in that they are
more complex objects.
A single polyline can be composed of a
number of straight-line or arc segments.
Polylines can also be given line widths to
make them appear solid.
Example:
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If Polylines are so useful, why

bother using ordinary lines at
all?

Because of their complexity, polylines use

up more disk space than the equivalent
line. As it is desirable to keep file sizes as
small as possible, it is a good idea to use
lines rather than polylines unless you have
a particular requirement.
Sometimes it is easier to work with
polylines for certain tasks and at other
times lines are best.

The Polyline
Command
Toolbar

Draw

Pull-down Draw, Polyline

Keyboard

PLINE

short-cut PL

Command: pline
Specify start point:
Current linewidth is 0
Specify next point or
[Arc/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]

Example: Polyline (no

subcomands)

Command: PLINE
Specify start point: (pick P1)
Current line-width is 0.0000
Specify next point or [Arc/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]: (pick P2)
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]:
(pick P3)
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]:
(pick P4)
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]:
(pick P5)
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]:
enter (or C to close)

EXPLODE
You can convert polylines and
polyarcs back to lines and arcs
using the EXPLODE command.
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Example 2: Polyline involving

subcommand Arc
Use if you wanted to create an arc from the last
point of the open polygon you created
connecting it to the first point.
First create an open four sided polygon.
Type Pline in the command prompt and create
an open polygon, see Fig.

 Then looking on the last AutoCAD prompt: Specify next

point or [Arc/ Close/ Halfwidth/ Length/ Undo/
Width]: type a or arc then press enter.
An elastic arc will appear which you can stretch until the
endpoint of the arc reach the first point to connect it.
This time you can use OSNAP just to simplify the
sample drawing.
Select endpoint and drag your cursor to the first point
and click your left mouse button. Then press enter to
terminate the command loop (see Fig.).

Example 3: Polyline involving

subcommand Close
Just like our previous encounter with the Close command,
the Close option under polyline works the same way. It will automatically
enclose an open polygon created by the polyline or pline command.
To demonstrate, first create a series of lines, draw three sides of a
polygon to create a four sided polygon but dont close the polygon yet.
To create the line type pline in the command prompt, then create the
open polygon.
Then looking on the last AutoCAD prompt:
Specify next point or
[Arc/Close/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]: close
Type close or c in the command prompt and a line will be created
connecting the last line you made to the first point to enclose the
polygon (See Fig).

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Example 4: Polyline involving

subcommand Width
This command enables you to specify the width of the line and
can be made with a tapered shape. To set the width, type pl on
the command prompt and press enter.
Click your cursor on the black drafting screen as if making a line,
then when AutoCAD prompt you with this:
Specify next point or [Arc/ Close/ Halfwidth/ Length/ Undo/
Width]: type w to invoke the width command and press enter.
Then AutoCAD will prompt again:
Specify starting width <0.0000>:
which is telling you to specify the width of the starting point of the
line. Type 10 and press enter.

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 Again it will prompt you again:

Specify ending width <0.0000>:
which is asking you to specify the width of the end
line ( See Fig.). Type 60 and press enter. Now you
can see a stretching tapered polyline. Click your
cursor on the desired place on the screen to create
the line.
Starting width,
First point of polyline
Ending width,
Second point of
polyline

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Example 5: Polyline involving

subcommand Length
This command is just to specify the exact length
of the polyline instead of dragging the cursor on
the screen and clicking it where ever you want.
This is pretty much the same as the above
example.
Just type pl on the command prompt then
press enter and click your first point on the
screen. When prompt shows up type L then
press enter again. Specify the length you wish to
create. Thats it.
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Example 6: Polyline involving

subcommand Undo
This command is used to undo the
polylines while you are in the process
of drawing a polylines incase you
made a mistake.

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FILL
When the plines are drawn they are usually filled by default. To
remove this filled colour, the FILL command can be turned off.
Command: fill, ENTER
Enter mode [ON/OFF]: off, ENTER
Command: re (for Regenerate), ENTER
The screen will regenerate the plines to be unfilled.

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PEDIT Command
Polylines can be edited after they are created to, for
example, change their width. You can do this using
the PEDIT command, Modify>Object>Polyline from
the pull-down menu.
You can draw your object using lines and arcs and
convert it to polyline using the polyline edit
command.
You can convert polylines and polyarcs back to lines
and arcs using the EXPLODE command.
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Command: pedit
Select polyline or [Multiple]: m
Select objects: Specify opposite corner: 6 found
Select objects:
Convert Lines and Arcs to polylines [Yes/No]? <Y> y
Enter an option
[Close/Open/Join/Width/Fit/Spline/Decurve/Ltype gen/Undo]: j
Join Type = Extend
Enter fuzz distance or [Jointype] <0.0000>:
5 segments added to polyline
Enter an option
[Close/Open/Join/Width/Fit/Spline/Decurve/Ltype gen/Undo]:
Command:
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 Sometimes it is easier for the beginner drafter to

create the geometry using standard lines and
arcs and then convert the geometry into
polylines and polyarcs using Pedits Join option.
To change a regular line to a polyline, use the
PEDIT command.
PEDIT can also be used to modify the width to
an existing polylines and append geometry.
Command: pe
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Rectangle tool
Rectangles drawn using this tool are plines.
Can be drawn to various width, chamfered
& filleted corners.
Command: rectang
Toolbar
Pull-down
Keyboard

Draw
Rectangle
RECTANGLE

short-cuts

REC, RECTANG
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 Command: RECTANG
Specify first corner point or
[Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width]
: (pick P1)
Specify other corner point or [Dimensions]:
(pick P2)

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RECTANGLE EXERCISES
Rectangle 1 (Normal rectangle)
Command: rectang, ENTER
Specify 1st corner point or [Chamfer/Elevation/
Fillet/Thickness/Width]: 20,260
Specify other corner point: 160,165
You will get a regular rectangle with top-left point
at 20,260; and bottom-right at 160,165.
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Rectangle: Fillet, Chamfer,

Linewidth
Rectangle 2 (with fillet radius 20)
Command: rectang, ENTER
Specify 1st corner point or
[Chamfer/Elevation/ Fillet/Thickness/Width]:
f, ENTER
Specify fillet radius: 20
Specify 1st corner point or []: 230,260
Specify point: 390,165
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Rectangle 3 (thick-lined)
Follow procedures for rectangle 2 again, but this
time, set fillet to 35, set width to 4
1st corner pt: 225,120
Opposite corner point: 400,25
Rectangle 4 (Chamfer=30, width=2)
Repeat procedure for rectangle. This time, set
chamfer & width.
1st corner pt: 20,110
Opposite corner point: 165,20
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Polygon tool
The Polygon command can be used to draw any
regular polygon from 3 sides up to 1024 sides.
This command requires 4 inputs from the user, the
number of sides, a pick point for the centre of the
polygon, whether you want the polygon inscribed or
circumscribed and then a pick point which
determines both the radius of this imaginary circle
and the orientation of the polygon.
The polygon command creates a closed polyline in
the shape of the required polygon.
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Command: POLYGON
Enter number of sides <4>: 5
Specify center of polygon or [Edge]: (pick P1 or
type E to define by edge length)
Enter an option [Inscribed in circle/Circumscribed
about circle] <I>: enter(to accept the inscribed
default or type C for circumscribed)
Specify radius of circle: (pick P2 or enter exact
radius)
*The one on the
right is defined by
the length of an
edge.

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Multiline tool
The Multiline tool is used
to create lines parallel to
each other in pairs or
more than pairs. To call
the Multiline tool, click on
Multiline form the Draw
drop-down menu, or by
typing ml or mline.
Command: ml (or mline),
ENTER
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Multiline Example
Command: mline
Current settings: Justification = Top, Scale = 20.00, Style =
STANDARD
Specify start point or [Justification/Scale/STyle]: s (for scale)
Enter mline scale <20.00>: 5
Current settings: Justification = Top, Scale = 5.00, Style =
STANDARD
Specify start point or [Justification/Scale/STyle]: 20,280
Specify next point : 110,245
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: 150,205
Specify next point or [Close/Undo: 150, 175
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: 20,175
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: c

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Multiline with different

scales and
justifications.
Try this on your own. Change the
scales and justifications

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Ellipse tool
An ellipse may be drawn by specifying the 3
points of the axes or by defining the center
point and major/minor axis points. Before we
proceed with the tool, it is important to
understand the components of an ellipse.

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Calling the ellipse tool

To call the ellipse command, use one of the
following:
Command: el <ENTER>
From the pulldown menu: Draw>Ellipse
Click the ellipse icon from the Draw toolbar

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Ellipse Example 1

Command: el
Specify axis endpoint of ellipse or [Arc/Center]: 30,230
Specify other endpoint of axis: 170,230
Specify distance to other axis or [Rotation]: 100,265

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Ellipse Example 2

Command: el
ELLIPSE
Specify axis endpoint of ellipse or [Arc/Center]: c
Specify center of ellipse: 100,110
Specify endpoint of axis: 15,110
Specify distance to other axis or [Rotation]: 100,140

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Ellipse Example 3

Command: el
ELLIPSE
Specify axis endpoint of ellipse or [Arc/Center]: c
Specify center of ellipse: 330,160
Specify endpoint of axis: 240,160
Specify distance to other axis or [Rotation]: r
Specify rotation around major axis: 75
REPEAT with rotation, 100 and 200

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DONUT
This command draws a solid donut shape, actually
it is just a closed polyline consisting of two arc
segments which have been given a width.
AutoCAD asks you to define the inside diameter i.e.
the diameter of the hole and then the outside
diameter of the donut.
To call this tool either click on the donut icon in the
Draw drop-down menu, or type donut or do at the
command line.

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DONUT Example

Command: donut (or do),

Specify inside diameter of donut: 10
Specify outside diameter of donut: 30
Specify center of donut: click anywhere you like,
as many times as you want.
ESC
If your donuts look weird, remember to turn ON
Fill.
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Try inside diameter=0, outside

diameter=40
You will get a munchkin (no holes).
Experiment with other sizes!

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THE END OF BASIC

DRAWING TOOLS USING
THE DRAW TOOLBAR
Coming up, the MODIFY toolbar.

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