Understanding Drawing Linear Entities
Quick answer: BricsCAD offers 18 distinct commands for drawing linear entities, from simple lines and arcs to polyline-based shapes and freeform curves. Grouped below by general category for easier reference.
Basic Shapes
| Command | What it draws |
|---|---|
LINE |
Line segments |
ARC |
Arcs |
CIRCLE |
Circles |
ELLIPSE |
Ellipses and elliptical arcs |
Polylines and Polyline-Based Shapes
| Command | What it draws |
|---|---|
PLINE |
Connected lines and arcs |
3DPOLY |
Polylines using x, y, z coordinates |
RECTANG |
Rectangles and squares |
POLYGON |
Regular polygons, built from polylines |
DONUT |
Wide circles, built from polylines |
BOUNDARY |
A polyline forming a boundary around a closed area |
REVCLOUD |
Revision clouds |
Construction Lines
| Command | What it draws |
|---|---|
RAY |
Semi-infinite lines (infinite in one direction only) |
XLINE |
Fully infinite lines (extending in both directions) |
Curves and Freehand Drawing
| Command | What it draws |
|---|---|
SPLINE |
Open and closed splines, in 2D or 3D |
HELIX |
2D spirals or 3D helices |
SKETCH |
Freehand sketched lines |
Other Linear Entities
| Command | What it draws |
|---|---|
MLINE |
Multilines |
TRACE |
Wide line segments |
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between RAY and XLINE? RAY draws a semi-infinite line, extending infinitely in one direction from a start point. XLINE draws a fully infinite line, extending in both directions.
Which command draws a wide, filled circle made of polylines? DONUT, which creates a closed polyline in the shape of a donut.
How do I automatically trace a boundary around an enclosed area? BOUNDARY, which creates a polyline forming a boundary around closed areas without manual tracing.
What’s the difference between PLINE and 3DPOLY? PLINE draws connected lines and arcs. 3DPOLY specifically draws polylines using x, y, z coordinates for genuine 3D work.