Creating a blank area to cover objects: WIPEOUT command
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Author | Erhan Toker |
| Profession | Architect M.Sc. | |
| Autodesk Authorized Consultant | ||
| Software Specialist | ||
Bonus Tools/Extras of AutoCAD 14 and higher versions
We can make polygonal areas invisible by WIPEOUT command which was included in the Express Tools through versions Autocad 14 – Autocad 2004 and then added into AutoCAD.
Fig.1
Command can designate polygon borders itself. But it can not do it with OSNAP option yet. Thus, you can utilize ‘POLYLINE’ selection option of the command. Let us assume we want to make the stairs and the landing invisible in the drawing seen in figure 1. Firstly, we draw a POLYLINE enclosing the area that we want to make invisible carefully. You can see the POLYLINE drawn in figure 1. Then let us enter the WIPEOUT command and inspect its process:
Command: wipeout
Specify first point or [Frames/Polyline] <Polyline>:
In this step, the command requests you to draw a polyline. But, we have already drawn it so, go on with ‘P’ option.
Select a closed polyline:
You are asked if you want to delete the polyline after the selection.
Erase polyline? [Yes/No] <No>: n
We prefer not to delete it in case it can be useful later. In this step the stairs and the landing should be seen like the one in figure 2.
Fig.2
We can also prevent the outer frame from being seen by FRAMES/OFF option of the command.
Command: wipeout
Specify first point or [Frames/Polyline] <Polyline>: f
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: off
Regenerating model.
By doing this, the frame of the invisible area also becomes invisible (Figure 3).
Fig.3
So what is the trick here? The frames that we are formed by WIPEOUT command are actually RASTER IMAGE objects. Yes that is true, they are like the objects formed by INSERT RASTER IMAGE command. But, WIPEOUT command automatically trims out of the polygon and locks the FADE and TRANSPARENT settings of the image. This lets you to form an area which is invisible inside.
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February 7th, 2008 23:12
Wipeouts are a feature we just really starting using in the past year. We have expirenced plotting issues when using a wipeout that is not a rectangle. Have you ever heard of or expirenced a problem when plotting wipeouts.
Thanks,
Chris
February 8th, 2008 03:56
I have often wondered how that command worked. I myself have never used it. I prefer to put the objects in question into a new layer then turn that layer off… If I use the wipout command.. How do I make the objects reappear if they are needed in a new drawing???
February 8th, 2008 21:13
Tina, if you are talking about the Wipeout objects themselves, enter the toggle command TFRAMES which will make them appear (enter TFRAMES again will make them disappear again).
I typically create a layer JUST for my wipeouts. That way, if someone needs to xref in my drawing, and don’t want my wipeouts affecting the xref in their drawing, they can simply turn off the wipeout xref layer.
Chris, I have never heard of a non-rectangle wipeout causing plotting problems. However, one problem I have had is wipeouts plotting as black solids. The trick to get around this is to give the wipeouts a byentity color of 255.
Also, another problem I have noticed is cutting and pasting wipeouts will also cause problems. Therefore, if I need a new wipeout, I always create it from scratch.
February 8th, 2008 23:15
There have been issues where wipeouts print out as black, usually when printing from a PDF created from an Autocad file. In such a case, use the “Print as Image” option in your PDF reader to get the wipeouts to come out normally.
February 11th, 2008 17:18
AutoCAD WIPEOUT entities have a long and notorious history of printing problems. When testing and setting up print drivers with each new release of AutoCAD, I have a ringer of a DWG that contains some of the more problematic entity tipes, wipeouts included, but also containing rectangular and polygonally clipped images, XREFs, textmasks, etc.
We have access to a wide range of printers and plotters, thus different plot drivers, and the results are quite varying. To this day, OCE plotters have a difficult time with polygonal WIPEOUTs, where the driver also erroneously plots the “bounding frame” containing the wipeout.
It would be better if the WIPEOUT command had options like the TEXTMASK command has, to either create a wipeout, a 3dface, or a solid. I prefer using a solid set to a layer using color 255, as a more reliable option.
I believe some of the problems with wipeouts, since these are 2 bit bitonal raster images, that the XOR function in some print drivers gets confused, inversing the color, and one gets a black wipeout region instead of one that is white or “paper”.
February 19th, 2008 00:17
I have seen this topic come up a lot on CAD forums and such. It seems common when you save your drawing to a pdf file and then try printing that. I have found that the higher quality pdf programs handle the wipeout command better. I use Bluebeam Revu and it works well. I’m sure there are others that work too, I just haven’t used them.
May 5th, 2008 20:35
When I create a whipout that is any shape other than a rectangle/square the whipeout appears to be working until I plot out the drawings. The whipout will ignore the shaped framed area and wipeout everything in a square or rectangle pattern instead. Any ideas what is going on here? Thanks
May 19th, 2008 19:24
I someone can solve my problem… I print documents with wipeouts to pdfs and it looks fine, but when the printer opens the pdf document, the wipeout areas are masked black and prints like that as well. The printer and I are both using the same Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional…. so it does not seem to be a compatibility issue. Suggestions will be great. Thank you.
July 1st, 2008 09:19
Hi,
When I create a wipe out in polygonal shape it looks fine in drawing but when i print that time it ignores polygonal shape in print. did any one know what should have to resolve this problem. it will be great help for me.