WPCAD00067 February2012

GuidebyPatGillis

UsingtheFlatshotCommand

ThisdemonstrateshowtousetheFlatshotcommandtoobtain2Dlinework
drawings/Wblocksfrom3DimensionalAutoCADmodels

AutoCADBeginners

UsingtheFlatshotcommand
1) Openthedrawingcontainingyour3DmodelThefirststepistoorientyourdrawingtothedirectionyou
wishtocapturewiththeFlatshotcommand
2) IntheupperrightofyourdrawingareaclickontheVIEWCUBEface/arrowstoacquire/presenttheview
youwanttocapture
SeeimagebelowIvemadetheViewcubelesstransparentandlargerforthisimage.notethearrows
pointingtothecubethesearewhatyouneedtoclickontorotatethemodelandthenamesonthefaces
confirmthedirection(AssumingtheobjectisdrawnsoitsfrontfaceispointingtotheAutoCADfront
direction)(Note,Otherviewselectionmethodsalsowork)

3) Whenthecorrectviewdirectionisachieved,typeFLATSHOTonthecommandlinetodisplaytheFlatshot
dialoguebox(CheckViewresis1000andFacetresis8togetsmoothcurves)

4) Note,IveselectedtheoptiontoExporttofile,youwouldthenneedtoclickonthebuttonattheleftof
thefilename/pathdropdowntoidentifythelocationandNEWnameofthenewdrawinge.g.Plan.dwg,
orFront.dwgetceachtime,otherwiseitcreatesanewfilewiththesamedefaultnameofnewblock.dwg
everytimeandoverwritestheearlierfile.ThealternativeistousetheoptionInsertasNewBlock
towardsthetopofthedialogueandplacethemas2DblocksontheXYplaneinyourcurrentdwgthat
containsthe3DdatausedtogeneratetheFlatshotdata

5) These2dfilesareblackandwhiteinmyoutputbutyoucanclickontheoptionsinthedialogueboxtoset
thecolour/linetypeofForegroundlines,Obscuredlines,andwhetherTangentialedgesneedtobe
shownIselectedtangentialedgestoensurecurvedsurfacesweredisplayedbyanedgeoutline

TheseFlatshotdwgscanthenbedimensionedetctosuit...orusedasWblocksinotherdetaildrawings...

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