Creating a Blanking Shape

Command:

pdms_blank_create

Menu Selection:

Blank>Create

Initial Prompt:

Entities/Irregular/<First corner>:

Use:

<First corner>

This is the default option, which creates a rectangular blanking area.

1. Move the mouse pointer and click (left-hand button) on the first corner of the rectangle. The prompt changes to:

   Angle/<Other corner>

2. Move the mouse pointer and drag the dotted rectangle that appears out to the desired size/position. Click again. The prompt changes to:

   Select objects not to blank:

   Select objects:

   At this point you can select objects which you do not wish to be covered by the blank. For example, if blanking a label by using a blanking rectangle, you would usually still wish to see the label border, the label text and the leader line. Because text cannot be hidden by a blank, it will remain shown when the blanking operation is carried out.

3. Move the small square over an object you do not wish to blank and click. Repeat as necessary, finally pressing Enter at the Select objects prompt.(If you do not wish to select any objects not to be blanked then simply press Enter straight away.)

The Angle option above enables you to create a rectangular blank at an angle to the principal axes. A possible use of this option could be to blank out graphics behind angular dimension text.

Selecting this option (by pressing A after the > character) gives another prompt which allows you to specify the angle either by typing in a value or by pointer hit. When specifying the second corner of the rectangle, a line will follow the pointer which represents a diagonal of the blanking rectangle.

At this point the blanking rectangle will appear, but the objects within it will not be blanked. Refer to Blanking for how to carry out the blanking operation.

An example of ‘rectangle blanking’ is shown in fig 5.2.

Note:
The gaps in the entities behind the blank. ‘Entity blanking’ can be used to give a blank which does not leave such gaps..

This method of blank creation also works if you are using the AutoCAD UCS (User Coordinate System) facility.

Irregular

This option (selected by pressing I after the > character) creates an irregular three- or four-sided shape.

4. Move the mouse pointer and click (left-hand button) on the first corner of the shape. The prompt changes to:

   First point:

5. Move the mouse pointer and drag the small square that appears out to the desired position. Click again.

6. Repeat step 2 twice more. At the prompt:

   Last Point:

   define the last point as before, or press Enter to produce a triangle.

At this point the blanking shape will appear, but the objects within it will not be blanked. Refer to Blanking for how to carry out the blanking operation.

Entities

This option (selected by pressing E after the > character) allows you to define a blanking rectangle which surrounds the selected entities. Selecting this option changes the prompt to:

Select objects:

Click on the required entities. When the last entity has been selected press Enter.

You will then be given the option to enter a value for the Angle of the rectangular blank. If you press Enter at this prompt, the rectangular blank calculated will be unrotated.

At this point the blanking rectangle will appear, but the objects within it will not be blanked. Refer to Blanking for how to carry out the blanking operation.

Note:
When the blanking operation is carried out, all entities except those selected will be hidden.

The entities option is useful for blanking out graphics behind labels. The picture on the right-hand side of fig 1 has been produced by defining the label border as the (sole) blanking entity.

Note:
When using the Entities option, the extent of a blank is calculated from the entities chosen. The entities that may be selected are Points, Lines, Traces, Solids, Circles, Arcs, Polylines, Inserts, Text, Attribute Definitions, Inserts with Attributes (invisible attributes are ignored) and combinations of the above. User coordinate systems are taken into account when these blanks are created.

The following entities will not blank correctly:

Outsized Text

Text, such as some of the mathematical symbols where it is wider than the specified text width, will extend over the blank boundary.

Oblique Text

The oblique element of this text is ignored.

Vertical Text

Vertical text is ignored.

Other Thick

Entities

Donuts and wide polylines are treated as if they have zero width.

‘Complex’ Inserts

Non-uniformly scaled blocks are treated as if they are uniformly scaled. Externally referenced blocks (xrefs) are ignored.

Shapes

Ignored.

Dimensions

Ignored.

Viewports

Ignored.

3D Entities

3D Faces, 3D Meshes and 3D polylines are ignored.

Other 3D entities, such as a cylinder made from a circle with thickness will be blanked around, but will probably not finish up being covered.