Polylines

Polylines

A new drawing element, polylines have been introduced. Polylines are connected lines and circular arcs that form a single object. They provide many advantages when creating drawings:

• All elements of the polyline can be selected for editing functions with a single selection.

• When polylines are offset, a parallel polyline is created with corresponding corners and radii. This makes it easy to generate a contour, for example for bent sheet metal.

• Individual elements of the polyline can be modified, with the connection to the other elements of the polyline being adjusted directly. For example, after moving a line, the corners are automatically adapted.

• For polylines, length and, for closed polylines, enclosed areas can be determined. If the polyline represents, for example, a cable run, the length can be determined at the push of a button.

Properties of polylines

• The elements of a polyline form a strand:

  • There are no interruptions; the polyline consists of a single piece.

  • At each point of the polyline exactly two elements meet; there are no branches. However, a point of the polyline can lie exactly on another point of the polyline, so it may appear that more than two elements meet at one point.

• Polylines can be open or closed.

  • In a closed polyline the last point coincides with the first point. Thus the start and end are known even for a closed polyline.

  • There is no identifier for a closed polyline; accordingly the input does not enforce that it remains closed.

• Polylines may self-intersect. However, in that case area determination is no longer possible for closed polylines.

• The properties of all individual elements of a polyline are identical: layer, line weight, color, line style.

• Polylines are not nested. A polyline does not consist of sub-polylines but always directly of lines and circular arcs.

Input of polylines

• With function 2-6-1 Draw polyline polylines are entered in the known manner as sequences of lines that automatically form a polyline.

  • If the polyline sequence is interrupted, the polyline is also terminated. The next new line starts a new polyline.

• Function 2-6-2 Combine elements into polyline

  • Any number of lines, circular arcs and polylines can be selected. The program combines the selection into new polylines while adhering to the rules for polylines.

  • Multiple polylines can be created in a single step.

  • This function is also used to supplement an existing polyline with additional elements. These must end at appropriate points of the polyline.

  • Individual elements are not extended or shortened in order to form polylines.

Editing polylines with special functions

• With function 2-6-3 Explode polyline the polyline is decomposed back into its individual elements. As described, there are no sub-polylines.

• Function 2-6-4 Move line: Move lines parallel

  • First the distance by which the individual line should be moved in parallel is requested. The distance can also be captured using the measure button.

  • Then a line of the polyline is selected. Only lines are possible that do not connect to a circular arc on either side.

  • The side for the offset is offered with a preview and confirmed by mouse click.

• Function 2-6-5 Replace line: Replace line with new polyline segment

  • After the individual line is selected, the end from which the new polyline segment should start is determined.

  • The new polyline segment automatically ends at the end of the original line. The last segment is generated automatically.

  • The new polyline segment can be formed with any number of new points.

• Function 2-6-6 Move point: Move point, rebuild subsequent segments

  • First a point of the polyline is selected. Only points are possible that do not connect to a circular arc on either side.

  • Then the new position of the point is entered. All point entry options can be used for this.

• Function 2-6-7 Delete point: Delete point, replace subsequent elements with a new line

  • First a point of the polyline is selected.

  • The point and the two adjacent elements are deleted and replaced by a new line. Even if one of the elements was a circular arc, it will be replaced by a line.

Editing polylines with general functions

• Copy, copy along arc, mirror

  • Polylines are always treated as a whole in these functions.

  • A copy results in new polylines. Even if the copy coincides at a point with the original polyline, a separate new polyline is created.

• Offset: One of the most important edits for polylines:

  • Polylines are offset as a whole.

  • All lines and circular arcs are offset by the same distance. For circular arcs the radius is adjusted accordingly.

  • In the offset polyline the corner points are re-created; lines and circular arcs are extended accordingly.

• Trimming, fitting and extending are not possible for polylines.

• Corner creation with corner, chamfer, fillet: Powerful functions for adapting polylines

  • With these functions, chamfers and fillets between two elements of the polyline can be created conveniently. The chamfer is automatically angle-bisecting and the fillet connects tangentially.

  • The polyline can also be modified or supplemented: if the two individual elements were not previously adjacent, all elements in between are deleted and the selected elements are connected accordingly with a corner, chamfer or fillet.

  • A line or circular arc that does not yet belong to the polyline can also be integrated into the polyline using these functions. If the connection is not made to the first or last segment of the polyline, the skipped elements will be separated as their own polyline.

• Split

  • A polyline can be split within an element or at a corner point. Two new polylines are created.

• Scale

  • The entire polyline is automatically selected and scaled.

• Stretch

  • If all points of the polyline are within the crossing window, it is moved when stretched.

  • If not all points of the polyline are within the crossing window, only the enclosed points are moved and the polyline is deformed accordingly.

• Move, rotate

  • Polylines are always treated as a whole in these functions.

• Transfer properties

  • Since all elements of the polyline have the same properties, it is always treated as a whole.

  • Properties can be transferred between polylines and individual elements such as lines or circular arcs.

• Delete

  • Polylines are always deleted as a whole.

  • To remove individual parts, function 2-6-7 Delete point is used. In some situations it is also sensible to use the corner, chamfer or fillet functions for this.

Analyses of polylines

Lengths and areas can be determined and generated as text. These are not automatically adjusted when the polyline is changed.

• 6-02 Area determination

  • For closed polylines the enclosed area can be determined.

  • The elements of the polyline must not intersect each other.

• 6-03 Length determination

  • The length can be determined for open and closed polylines.

  • The elements of the polyline are allowed to intersect.