Using Advanced 3D Features - Mastering AutoCAD for Mac - page 578

FIGURE 20.57
Selecting the rect-
angle representing
the excavation area
Here you used the Selection Cycling feature to help you select the rectangle, which is over-
lapped by the contour solid. Selection Cycling lets you determine the object you are about to
select by highlighting an object that overlaps another object. If the highlighted object is not cor-
rect, you can press A-spacebar and AutoCAD will highlight the next object it thinks you might
want to select, thereby fi ltering out other objects nearby that might be selected accidentally.
Once the object you want to select is highlighted, click in the drawing area.
With the excavation rectangle in place, you can use the Interfere command to fi nd the volume
of the excavation:
1. Click the Interference Checking tool near the bottom of the Tool Sets palette.
2. At the Select first set of objects or [Nested selection/Settings]: prompt,
click the contour and press ↵.
3. At the Select second set of objects or [Nested selection/checK first set]
<checK>: prompt, select the box and press ↵. The Interference Checking dialog box appears.
4. In the Interference Checking dialog box, turn off the Delete Interference Objects Created
On Close option, and click Close.
5. Delete the box you used to represent the excavation area. The remaining shape contains
the volume of the excavation.
6. Type MASSPROP ↵.
7. At the Select objects: prompt, select the excavation solid, as shown in Figure 20.58,
and then right-click and select Enter. The Command Line palette displays the properties
of the excavation area. At the top, you see the volume of the selected solid in cubic inches
(Figure 20.59).
8. At the Write analysis to a file? [Yes/No] <N>: prompt, you can press ↵ to exit the
command or enter Y ↵ to save the information to a text file.