New to 3D

I wasnt sure whether to put this here or the beginners area but I have been drawing in 2d for a couple of years now and I am going to try and learn 3d in the near future. However, I am currently working on something that I would like to draw in 3d. It is a simple part with 2 slots in it. I have the plate drawn in 2d so I converted the outside perimeter to a polyline and did the same to the slots and extruded them making the plate 1/4" thick. The problem is that when I shade them the slots are not showing as a slot in a plate. The lines are there but an "opening" is not shown. Can someone help? Also, I am using AutoCAD 2002 right now. Not 2008 shown in my profile.

You need to use your solid editing tools. In this case, you need to use the 'SUBRATCT'. The help menu should give you a break down on it, if you need it.

Presspull would have been the easiest method - didn't even need to join the polyline. In fact presspull could be a combination of lines, polylines, arcs, and even Splines. See the tutorials in my signature.

Oops, just read that you are actually using 2002.

You might want to download free Inventor Fusion http://labs.autodesk.com

or if you are a student you can download AutoCAD or Inventor 2010 for free from http://www.autodesk.com/edcommunity

You need to use your solid editing tools. In this case, you need to use the 'SUBRATCT'. The help menu should give you a break down on it, if you need it.

I tried using the subtract command like you said. It did join the outside perimeter and the slots together but when I shade the plate the slots still are not shown. Im not sure what Im doing wrong.

I think the slots should be subtracted from the plate not joined as you indicated above. Think of a hole punch. You're removing material from the plate to create the slots. Got it?

It may be possible that when you subtracted your object it was not entirly on the same plane, or did not cut entirly through your object.

When I do through holes, I will usually over extend the area to subtract to make sure that its all the way though. You can also check it with another view to make sure its crossing through the solid properly. Even if your solid is off by a 1000th of an inch, you would not be able to see what you want.

Here is an example of what I'm talking about. Far left is our plate and a slot in 2D. Far right is our slotted plate. The slot was subtracted from the plate.

I think the slots should be subtracted from the plate not joined as you indicated above. Think of a hole punch. You're removing material from the plate to create the slots. Got it?

I think that what he means is that the solids are indicated as one piece rather than joined, but I could be wrong.

Looks like I got beat to the punch! Punch. Get it? As in punched a hole through the plate. Sometimes I just crack myself up.

So I have a the 2d plate with the slots in it. I then want to use the extrude command and select the plate with the slots or do I just extrude the plate first and then use the subtract command with the slots? I tried doing what everyone is telling me and it is still not making the slots in the plate in shaded view. Im thinking it is something Im doing when I extrude the part.

Extrude the slot, extrude the plate then subtract the slot from the plate.

Or...

Leaving everything in 2D for the moment, use the Region command and when prompted select both the plate and the slot. Next use the subtract command and when prompted select the plate (as object to subtract from) and then the slot (as object that is being subtracted). When that's done extrude the resultant geometry (since the plate and its slot will now be treated as a single entity).

Extrude the slot, extrude the plate then subtract the slot from the plate.

 

Or...

 

Leaving everything in 2D for the moment, use the Region command and when prompted select both the plate and the slot. Next use the subtract command and when prompted select the plate (as object to subtract from) and then the slot (as object that is being subtracted). When that's done extrude the resultant geometry (since the plate and its slot will now be treated as a single entity).

Thanks Remark. It worked this time.

I vould second to this last advice. A Region is like a solid with the thickness as low as zero. So manipulate the regions, than extrude the final one to give it the desird thickness.

I'm glad you got it to work this time. I hope you tried both methods just for comparison.