Thursday

Hit tip: Using TRIM command more effectively.

AutoCAD 2000 and higher versions

Hi,

Today, I want to mention how TRIM command which is a living and useful command of AutoCAD can be used more effectively. First, let us start with remembering the command. TRIM is used for clipping the extended parts of any intersecting line group. The basic and common use of the command is that cutting object(s) is(are) selected first and then the one(s) to be trimmed. To end the process, one has to press ‘Enter’.

Figure.1 The steps of the Trim command.

I suppose you say; ‘This procedure is already handy, how it is possible to make it more practical?’. That is true if the case is just a single clipping. Yet, the more the lines are, the more the process gets complicated. For instance, let us assume the case is like the one in Figure 2; you have to trim the extended parts on all sides. If you do this with traditional way, you will have to select the cutting edges first and then the extended parts individually. That means four selections has to be made in the first step and twenty-four in the second step which is a troublesome and boring process.

Figure.2 A Complicated Trim Case.

Instead, let us proceed as follows. When trim command is run, the cutting edges are requested. Press ‘Enter’ for the selection (no selection means all objects are considered as cutting edges). In the next step, the extended parts are requested. Instead of selecting them one by one, we are going to use FENCE option. To do this, simply type ‘F’ into the command line when ‘select objects’ expression is displayed. The first FENCE point is requested and one more each time until you end the line. So, only thing you have to do is just drawing a line that passes through the extended parts and press ‘ENTER’. The command process can be seen in Figure 4.

Figure.3 Trim with FENCE option

Figure.4 The command flow.

Bye,

Related Articles:

• Hip tip: Multiple EXTEND and TRIM by using FENCE option.
• FILLET command in 2D

Technorati Tags:

• AutoCAD, AutoCAD Commands, AutoCAD Tips