AutoCAD is a powerful software that allows you to create and edit various types of drawings, including polylines. Polylines are continuous lines or arcs made up of multiple segments. In this tutorial, we will discuss how to open a polyline in AutoCAD and make further modifications.
Step 1: Launch AutoCAD and open the drawing that contains the polyline you want to edit. You can do this by clicking on the “Open” button in the toolbar or by using the “Open” command from the File menu.
Step 2: Once your drawing is open, navigate to the polyline you want to edit. You can use the zoom and pan tools to get a better view of your drawing if needed.
Step 3: To open a polyline for editing, select it by clicking on one of its segments or using a window selection method. You will notice that the selected polyline becomes highlighted.
Step 4: After selecting the polyline, right-click anywhere on your drawing to open the context menu. From the menu, select “Edit Polyline” or simply press the Enter key on your keyboard.
Step 5: When you enter polyline edit mode, AutoCAD will display additional options and tools for modifying your selected polyline. These options include adding or removing vertices, adjusting segment lengths, changing segment types (line or arc), and more.
Note: It’s important to remember that once you enter polyline edit mode, any modifications you make will affect all segments of the polyline unless specified otherwise.
Tips for Editing Polylines in AutoCAD:
Add Vertices:
- To add vertices (points) along your selected polyline, use the “Add Vertex” tool from the polyline edit options or simply right-click on the polyline and select “Add Vertex” from the context menu. Click on the desired location to add a new vertex. Repeat this step for each additional vertex you want to add.
Remove Vertices:
- To remove unwanted vertices from your polyline, use the “Remove Vertex” tool from the polyline edit options or right-click on the polyline and select “Remove Vertex” from the context menu. Click on the vertex you want to delete, and it will be removed along with its associated segments.
Adjust Segment Lengths:
- To change the length of a segment within your polyline, select the segment by clicking on it, then use the “Lengthen” tool from the polyline edit options. Alternatively, you can also right-click on the segment and choose “Lengthen” from the context menu. Enter the desired length for the segment and press Enter.
Change Segment Types:
- If you want to convert a straight line segment into an arc or vice versa, select the segment and use the “Convert to Arc” or “Convert to Line” tool from the polyline edit options.
Step 6: Once you have finished editing your polyline, click outside of it or press Escape to exit polyline edit mode. Your modifications will be saved automatically.