How to Use Drawing Tool - Polyline

Hi friends.

Welcome to Learn Vern.

I am (name) and Welcome you all to today’s video.

In the last video, we learned about our first drawing tool which is a line.

In today's video, we will learn about one more tool – Polyline.

So let's start with today’s video.

Hi friends.

Welcome to Learn Vern.

So today we will learn about Polyline. First of all, we will try to understand what a polyline is.

Here we have the option of polyline just beside the line command. After selecting the polyline I have to select a starting point the same as we did in line. To select the starting point, again we have 2 options available here. So as I enter the coordinates as (0,0) (zero comma zero) and enter, my coordinate is fixed here. So that was our first point. After that as per my requirement if I want to give the coordinates, then I will be able to draw my line further.

Secondly, let us first ZOOM and enter and A and enter which means we have our working space available that we set before.

So we will select polyline again. The second option we have is we can click anywhere and start drawing lines. Then as per my requirement, I can use the toggle keys from here such as ortho mode, object snap, snap tracking, etc.

I can use any toggle key.

You can also use all the toggle keys as per your requirements. I have already explained the functions of these keys and we have practiced and explored a lot of things as well. So accordingly you can customize and use them for any command. ok?

So I have selected the first point here, then I am selecting the 2nd point, then the 3^rd point, 4^th point, 5^th point, 6^th point, and so on.

So exactly as we used to do in line, if I want to close the polyline command I will simply press ESCAPE. And the command will be closed !

So I want to tell you the difference between the line and polyline.

For that I will have to draw a line here again, I will try to draw it in the same shape as this. (6 seconds gap) So that you can understand the difference between line and polyline in a much better way. I do not want to extend this line so here I can click escape.

As you can see I have almost drawn a similar shape here. But to draw it I have used a line command for one and the polyline command for the second.

So the first difference is that in the line command if I select an element or any line, suppose I want to select this line and when I move the pick box around the line’s radar or on the line we can directly select. so I will just click and the line will be selected. This was the first thing about the line.

So, second thing, what is in polyline?

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So as I selected this line, I have to select the same line in the polyline, and when I move my cursor around that line and click on the line, as a result instead of selecting that particular line, the whole drawing is selected from start point to endpoint including the horizontal and vertical lines. It can be inclined as well. no matter if the drawing is in any shape, the whole drawing is selected.

So we can clearly differentiate here between line and polyline.

When I want to draw any element or drawing in AutoCAD, and I want all the parts of the drawing separately, then I will use the LINE command.

And if I want the output in a single product meaning I can select the whole drawing in a single click as well delete it or undo it.

So whatever work we do in the polyline from starting to end will be considered as a unit. So when I click anywhere on the product or drawing, the whole product will be selected from start to end and this option is not available for line.

When clicking on the line, we can select only the element that we clicked on.

So this was the first difference. okay?

Let us look at the 2^nd difference.

So here we have an advantage for LINE. Suppose I want to erase a particular element from the whole drawing here, so I can just select a line and erase it in the line command. To erase as you all know we can either use the delete key, with control z key it will be here again, or erase manually from the modify section.

Also if I will redo or undo the same line, it will be available.

Secondly, When we draw any element or drawing or product using polyline, we do not have the facility to delete a single particular line or a portion. But, if we select the whole drawing that we created with the help of polyline and after selecting it, So we will use command E-X-P and here we have an option ‘explode’.

With this command, our whole line from start to end that is connected will break into different elements. So as I click on explode and press enter, let's check now whether I am able to select this line here that I wanted to select before.

As you can see, the polyline is converted to a line now. So I can use it as per our requirement like if i want to select this line, i can and if we want to erase this line here,we can. I can delete that as well. We can get back the line by CTRL+Z.

So in this way we have converted these lines from polyline to line.

If I have to use the exclude command to change it from polyline to line, the same way we can convert a line to a polyline. So as here all the lines are different right now and not as a single unit, let us see how we can convert it to a polyline.

To convert it into a polyline, here I have a command Join. As soon as I gave the Join command, the single lines that were differentiated, those lines became a unit again, converted into polylines again. ok?

So In this video we learned the difference between line and polyline, where we can use polylines and how we can explode and how we can join the polylines.

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Now we will learn that if there is a line or element, suppose here I have drawn this with a line command and now I want to convert all these lines into a polyline. We will simply use JOIN as we used earlier. As soon as I click on join, this line is now converted into a polyline. Because here when I click on any part of the line from start to end, the whole element gets selected which means this is now a polyline.

So this is how we can convert line to polyline and polyline to line.

So secondly where do we use polylines the most?

Suppose I want to draw a rectangle, so for now, I have started making a rectangle but for that i have selected a line command. so here I have made a rectangle with a line command. (6 seconds gap) ok? Here my rectangle is prepared.

So the lines that we see here in the rectangle are in separate positions right now which means I can easily delete any line. Suppose here I am selecting this product and I want to move or copy it, so all the things or elements that I have selected with the rectangle will move or copy or drag or extend as per our modification command.

So here I am moving it, ok? As you can see, the lines that were selected are only moving and not the whole rectangle. So this is one of the limitations of line command.

So now let's see what advantage we can get by drawing the same rectangle with a polyline tool.

I am making a rectangle but this time I have selected a polyline. So starting with the polyline, this is my rectangle making. Ok? And here I am closing.

If I want to copy or move or modify this rectangle now, with the same command, as I select the same move button the whole rectangle is selected and not just the 3 lines or elements . So if I move the rectangle now, it will not break or bifurcate but the whole rectangle will move wherever we want to move it.

So this is the advantage of the polyline command. ok?

So in today's video, we learned about the differences and advantages of line and polyline and how we can work with both of them. Ok?

I hope you are clear.

So if I want to make a specific product or element that I want to copy or move as a whole object or if we want some product in continuity, for that we will select a polyline.

If I want my drawing or element/output in a specific cutout or a specific length as we made a rectangle here with the use of only line command, the 4 sides were separate and different, for such products we will use line command.

One more small thing that I want to share here is about the grid that we have already seen in previous tutorials and videos. I am showing this again as a revision or bonus.

Here we have a facility to make a drawing with the grid line, we can simply turn it ON or OFF.

If we turn it on then there will be boxes available in our working space area. ok?

The second option we have here beside the gridline is snap, so what is snap? As soon as I turn on snap, any command will run only till the point where we have the junction points of the grid line which means if I want to end the snap command in between 2 junction points, then it is not possible.

So if we have already selected a grid line for some specific dimension (X, Y), here if I want to draw anything in between X and Y dimensions then I have to turn off the snap mode.

And If I want to specify that whatever command I give, or whatever i draw, should be drawn exactly on the junction or should start/end from the meeting point of the grid line, then I will turn on the snap mode ok?

And if I want to end an element somewhere in between the junctions then I will turn it off.

So for today’s video, we learned about line, polyline, and 2-3 toggle keys.

In the next video, we will learn about circles. How can we draw a circle? What are the options available there? And what modifications can we make with a circle?

In today’s video, we learned how to make a polyline and the things we need to keep in mind while drawing a polyline.

I hope you all will practice this. During your practice, If you have any queries or comments, click the discussion button below the video and post there. This way, you will be able to connect to fellow learners and discuss the course. Also, Our Team will try to solve your query.

In the next video, we learn about one more drawing tool – i.e. Circle.

Thank you.