1 MIN 1 CAD: How to Leverage CAD Commands Beginning with L

While coming up with better designs, you might not be aware of the commands that are designed to lighten your workload. Let’s learn to leverage CAD commands beginning with L and be more productive!

LAYTRANS

Frequently, we need to design or plot a drawing in accordance with certain layer standards, especially for bidding or documentation. Understanding the standards is not a challenge. What’s really challenging is the tedious work of editing the layer information while comparing it with the standards. And the way out? LAYTRANS, a.k.a. Layer Translator! It allows you to translate a layer in the current drawing into a standard one. Steps:

1. Input [LAYTRANS] and press ENTER to invoke the “Layer Translator” dialog box.
2. Load the standard drawing.
3. Choose one or more “Translate From” layers and the corresponding “Translate To” layer.
4. Click “Map” to associate the layers selected in Step 3.
5. Click “Translate” to convert the “Translate From” layer properties to “Translate To” standards.
6. Save the mapping information by clicking “Yes” in the pop-up window.
7. Save the translated file.

Now you’ve standardized your layers!

LENGTHEN

You can do more than lengthening lines with this command. LENGTHEN can help you edit the length of an object or the included angle of an arc. Steps:

1. Input [LEN] and then press ENTER.
2. Select an object and press ENTER to check its current length and angle (if any).
3. Enter 1 of the 4 options (DY for Dynamic, DE for Delta, P for Percent, and T for Total).
4. Select the object again and continue to perform the option according to the command line.

[su_spoiler title="Tips" open="yes" style="fancy" icon="chevron-circle"]The 4 options in Step 3 mean that the length of an entity or the included angle of an arc can be changed through: (1) optionally dragging one of its endpoints by “Dynamic”; (2) specifying a difference by “Delta”; (3) specifying a certain percentage by “Percent”; (4) determining the final length or angle by “Total”.[/su_spoiler]

LINETYPE

Has it ever confused you when a dashed line looks like a continuous one no matter how you scroll with the mouse wheel? If neglected, this situation could lead to an inaccurate drawing and a heavier workload. So, to make the gaps of discontinuous lines more apparent, you should know the command, LINETYPE. LINETYPE is used for arranging the line, point, and space, as well as loading and setting the current linetype from the library. Steps:

1. Input [LT] and press Enter to invoke the Linetype Manager dialogue box.
2. Specify the Global Scale Factor and the Current Object Scale.
3. Click “OK”.

With the scales set, you can now draw clearer dashed or dotted lines.

[su_spoiler title="Tips" open="yes" style="fancy" icon="chevron-circle"]1. There are 3 types of linetype scale—Global Scale Factor, Current Object Scale, and LinetypeScale. They respectively change the scale of all the linetypes in the drawing, new lines, and the selected lines. 2. If you want to quickly change the Global Scale Factor, the LTSCALE command can help! 3. You edited the linetype scale and nothing happened? Don’t worry. The scale might be either too big or too small, especially if you didn’t take the multiplication of the Global Scale Factor and the LinetypeScale into consideration. That said, you can always keep adjusting it to get the intended results.[/su_spoiler]

LOFT

Using LOFT to merge multiple sections into a solid is kind of like pottery, except that pottery is imprecise, tricky and time-consuming. While in ZWCAD, you only need some cross sections, the LOFT command, and a few minutes to make a virtual one!

Steps:

1. Input [LOFT] and press Enter.
2. Select the cross sections in the lofting order and press Enter.
3. Enter 1 of the 4 options (G for Guides, P for Path, C for Cross sections only, and S for Settings).
4. Select object(s) as guides or a path and press Enter if you chose G or P. Press Enter if you chose C or S.

Then, you can get a solid with all the selected cross sections connected. [su_spoiler title="Tips" open="yes" style="fancy" icon="chevron-circle"]1. The 4 options in Step 3, what do they mean? Below is the explanation. “Guides” allows you to use one or more objects, such as arcs and circles, outside the sections as guidance for forming a solid. “Path” is similar to Guides, but it should be one single object, such as an ellipse or a polyline, and intersected with all the cross sections. “Cross sections only” helps you create solids without guides or paths. “Settings” is used to invoke the Loft Settings dialog box where you can determine how to generate 3D solids. 2. When drawing horizontal sections, the Z-axis Tracking function is a time-saver (See how). 3. The ISOLINES command can help make the solid look more vivid. (In case you’ve forgotten, I mentioned it when writing about CAD commands beginning with C.)[/su_spoiler] “L”ook, we’re almost halfway through this series. And I’m so glad that you’ve been following along! “M”ake sure that you subscribe to our blog and stay tuned for what’s to come!