ITE 3 – 3D CAD

MODULE 3
I. TITLE: Modifying Tools, Polylines, and Polygons

II. OVERVIEW
In this module, you will be learning the AutoCAD modifying tools, using polylines, and creating a
polygon.

III. OBJECTIVES: After this module, the students should be able to:
a. Describe how to move and copy objects in the current drawing and from one drawing to another
b. Apply the MIRROR and the ROTATE commands to mirror and rotate objects
c. Apply the STRETCH and SCALE commands to change the size and shape of existing objects by
stretching or scaling them
d. Describe a polyline, a 2D polyline, an open polyline, and a closed polyline
e. Apply the POLYGON command to create regular polygons using three methods

IV. DISCUSSION
1. Moving and Copying
One of the real benefits of using a CAD program is increasing your design and drawing productivity. Using
the MOVE and COPY commands are a big part of that productivity. In AutoCAD, objects only have to be
drawn once and then they can be used over and over again even if they are in a different drawing or at a
different size or orientation. If an object has to be drawn that is similar to one that was previously drawn,
simply copy it and change it. Using these principles in the your day-to-day work will noticeably increase
your productivity.
When an object is copied, the copies retain all of the properties of the original object even the layer it
resides on. This happens regardless of the current layer when the COPY command is executed.

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2. Mirroring and Rotating
a. Mirroring
The MIRROR command is a very useful productivity tool. It is used to create a mirror image of an
object saving you the time that it takes to redraw the reverse image of the object. Before drawing
any object, you should study it to see if it is symmetrical in any way and can be drawn faster by
applying the MIRROR command.
The objects to be mirrored are flipped around an axis. This axis is called a mirror line or a folding
line. The mirror line is simply defined by two XY coordinates. The distance between the two XY
coordinates is not important.

Figure 2-1 – Mirroring

Figure 2-2 - Mirroring

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 b. Rotating
The ROTATE command is a very useful productivity tool. It rotates selected objects around a base
point then you select in the command. The base point is the only location on the rotated objects
that is not changed after the rotation. The rotation can be defined by an angle or by a reference
angle. By default, a positive angle rotates counterclockwise and a negative angle rotates
clockwise.

3. Scaling and Stretching

a. Stretching Objects
The STRETCH command has many uses. Using this command is a good way to edit the shape of
objects without having to erase and redraw portions of them as shown in Figure Step 3-1. Existing
objects can be stretched larger or smaller.
The objects to be stretched MUST be selected using a crossing or cross polygon window. The
objects that are totally inside the crossing or cross polygon window are moved and the objects
that cross the window are stretched.

b. Scaling Objects
The SCALE command can also be used in many ways. An object can be scaled either larger or
smaller by using a scale factor or by using a reference and letting AutoCAD calculate the scale
factor. See Figure 3-2. The object to be scaled is scaled around a base point.
The base point is the only location that does not change as the object is scaled around it.

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Figure 3-1 – Stretching

Figure 3-2 – Scaling

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4. Polylines
A polyline is an object in AutoCAD that consists of one or more line (or arc) segments. A rectangle is an
example of a polyline that you are already familiar with. As you've seen, it is one object that can be
modified and worked with easier than four separate lines.
Polylines are created using the POLYLINE command, invoked by typing PL at the command line. To draw
a simple polyline, draw it as though you are using the line command. The only difference is that it is one
object instead of many.

5. Regular Polygons
A regular polygon is a closed polyline having between 3 and 1,024 equal-length sides. Regular polygons
can be drawn using the POLYGON command. Using the POLYGON command to create polygons is a fast
and simple way to draw squares, equilateral triangles, hexagons, octagons, and any other regular polygon.

Figure 5-1 – A Regular Polygon

A polygon drawn using the POLYGON command constructs a closed pline. Polygons can be constructed
using the inscribed, circumscribed, or the edge method. See Figure 5-1 and 5-2. Since the polygon drawn
by the POLYGON command is a polyline, it is one object in AutoCAD. It can be exploded into individual
lines using the EXPLODE command.
Even though a square can be constructed using the POLYGON command, they are easier to draw using
the RECTANGLE command.

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Figure 5-2 – Drawing a Regular Polygon – Edge Method

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