Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
to use STRETCH. That's a mistake because STRETCH is a valuable command. With it,
you can perform editing operations in seconds, whereas other commands would take
many minutes to use. Here are the things you need to know to make STRETCH your
friend:
Selecting objects to stretch:
To use STRETCH, you must select objects by using a
crossing selection box (or crossing polygon), as described in Chapter 10. See Fig-
ure 11-3 for a visual explanation.
Defining points:
STRETCH operates on the defining points of objects — endpoints
of a line, vertices of a polyline, the center of a circle, and so on — according to the
following rule: If a defining point is within the crossing selection box that you spe-
cify, AutoCAD moves the defining point and updates the object accordingly.
Figure 11-3:
Use a crossing selection box to select objects for stretching.
For example, if your crossing selection box surrounds one endpoint of a line but
not the other endpoint, STRETCH moves the first endpoint and redraws the line in
the new position dictated by the first endpoint's new location. It's as though you
have a rubber band tacked to the wall with two pins, and you move one of the
pins.
Compressing and stretching:
STRETCH can make lines longer or shorter, depend-
ing on your crossing selection box and displacement vector. In other words, the
STRETCH command really combines stretching and compressing.
Getting in the mode:
It's a good idea to turn on Ortho or Polar Tracking mode be-
fore stretching. Otherwise you'll end up stretching objects in strange directions,
as shown in Figure 11-4.
