The Bottom Line - Mastering AutoCAD for Mac - page 710

4. Start the Fillet command, use the Radius option to set the fillet radius to 0.30, and then
use the Polyline option and select the polyline you just edited. All the corners become
rounded to the 0.30 radius. Add the 0.15 radius circles as shown in step 4 of the drawing,
and exit and save the file.
Create a polyline spline curve. Polylines can be used to draw fairly accurate renditions of
spline curves. This feature of polylines makes them a very useful AutoCAD object type.
Master It Try drawing the outline of an object that has no or few straight lines in it, as
in the file lowerfairing.jpg, which is included in the Chapter 17 sample files at www.
sybex.com/go/masteringautocadmac. You can use the methods described in Chapter 13,
“Copying Existing Drawings into AutoCAD,” to import a raster image of your object and
then trace over the image using polyline splines.
Solution Import a raster image by using the Attach Reference tool in the Reference
Manager. Use the Polyline command to trace over the image. Use short, straight polyline
segments while you trace. After you place each polyline, double-click it and select the
Spline option. Once you change the line to a spline curve, it may shift away from the
original line you traced over. Click the polyline, and then adjust the grips so the line fits
over the raster image.
Create and edit true spline curves. If you need an accurate spline curve, you'll want to use
the Spline command. Spline objects offer many fine-tuning options that you won't find with
polylines.
Master It Try tracing over the same image from the previous Master It section, but this
time use the Spline command.
Solution Import a raster image by using the Attach Reference tool in the Reference
Manager. Use the Spline command to trace over the image. As you draw the spline, select
control points that are closer together for tighter curves. The closer the control points are,
the tighter you can make the curve. Notice that, unlike with a polyline spline, you don't
have to readjust the curve after it's been placed.
Mark divisions on curves. The Divide and Measure commands offer a quick way to mark
off distances on a curved object. This can be a powerful resource in AutoCAD that you may
find yourself using often.
Master It Mark off 12 equal divisions of the spline curves you drew in the previous
Master It exercise.
Solution Choose Divide from the Multiple Points drop-down in the expanded Open
Shapes tool group's panel of the Tool Sets palette, select the spline, and then enter 12 ↵.
If you don't see the points that mark off the divisions, type DDPTYPE ↵, select the X
point style, and click OK.
Chapter 18: Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings
Find the area of closed boundaries. There are a number of ways to find the area of a closed
boundary. The easiest way is also perhaps the least obvious.