Command that checks if all lines are together and no misstakes/gaps

Hello!

I use AutoCAD 2009 for making drawings of things that a cutting machine (a Zinser) cuts out in 1,5 - 100 mm black or stainless materials. It can be everything from a shape of a chef or a sheet with 100 holes.

 

The Zinser machine is very sensitive for lines that not are connected or have gaps between them. It finds gaps that not is at all visible even when I zoom in.

 

Right now I solve this by using Filet and Pedit. But it takes much time and even if I try my best it stil finds misstakes sometimes.

 

So I wonder, is there a command that checks if the drawing is complete?

 

The shape need to be 100% connected and also the holes that are inside (for example an eye) need to be complete.

 

I would be very happy if some of you can help me. It will save me a lots of time

 

Best regards / Vilhelm

Welcome to CADTutor Vilhelm.

 

Are you using Poylines?

Sounds like it, as you are using PEDIT.

You could select all the Polylines in your drawing, and CLOSE them in Properties.

 

I would select everything in my drawing, then choose PLINES in my Quick Properties pallete, and close them there.

 

Depending on the drawing that might do it.

There should be no non-connected lines or gaps considering the fact Osnaps have been around for ages.

Please don't take this wrong, but this can be avoided by using the tools available to you as you draw. As you have found, fixing the mistakes can take longer than taking the time to draw it correctly. Until you can develop good drawing habits, check and double check AS YOU ARE DRAWING. Use object snaps to make sure objects are connected. Also, keep in mind that it is sometimes faster to redraw something from scratch than it is to try and track down all the mistakes after the drawing is "completed". If you are new to CAD, practice, practice, practice. Start off simple to develop the techniques so that you can apply them to the more complicated shapes.

Firstly, to avoid ever drawing these gaps I change a couple of default settings in ACad:

 

1. Whenever you draw a line / arc ensure you use the endpoint snap tool (or whatever's more appropriate), NEVER simply click as close as you see. Perhaps even set the default Object Snap on (press F3 to toggle it on/off) and adjust which snaps to use by default using the DSettings command.
   
2. In options dialog, Drafting tab: Alignment Point Acquisition - set to "Shift to acquire".
   
3. Every time you use fillet ensure the radius is set to 0. Note it sometimes defaults to 0.5
   
4. Never use chamfer to join 2 lines end-to-end, use fillet instead - this tends to have even worse issues than the 0.5 radius default.
   
5. Try to draw everything using a polyline instead of lines and arcs, not always possible but it'll ensure one line/arc starts where the other stops. However - note LWPolylines (the new stuff since 2000) becomes more inaccurate the longer they are - that's because they're saved using angles from last which is notoriously bad in acad. If you want to use the older (more accurate but sometimes buggy Heavy Polylines) change the PLineType system variable by typing it at the command line. And please - don't "draw a polyline closed" if you want an enclosed shape use the Close option for the last line / arc!
   

The only way to let acad make sure the lines / arcs start--and-stop on top of each other is by using polylines. You can fillet a line onto a polyline, but note there are issues when it comes to arcs (again due to the angle inaccuracies).

 

 

I'm not sure when it was added (I think in 2008 but I may be wrong), the PEdit command has an option for multiple select (just before you pick the line). If you use this you can select multiple lines / arcs in one go, then you can join them together giving an allowed tolerance - which then sorts out most of these "gaps".

 

 

If you still find some gaps, you could use the Express Tools' OverKill command which will check for overlapping lines and combine co-linear lines if they're closer than a specified tolerance from each other. It also works decently with arcs and polylines.

 

 

If you still have issues, then could I ask that you post a sample drawing where these things happened? Perhaps there's something else going on.

I'll agree with the sentiments and suggestion expressed. But...they don't answer your question about there being a command to check for gaps, etc.

 

 

I suggest that you experiment with HATCH (or BAHATCH as the kids call it nowadays) - It's not going to fix any problem but it can give you an indication that there is a problem.

Good thought, Patrick. Actually, if you carry that thinking a bit further any problem areas found could be fixed with a hatch.

 

When an area is found that cannot be hatched because it is not closed, a fuzz factor could then be applied to get a hatch generated. In turn, a boundary could be created from the hatch. Delete the hatch leaving the boundary behind and run overkill to clean up the overlapping lines.

Nice continuation RobDraw. I was going to go a little further with regions perhaps.

Will this help?

 

http://autocadtips.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/autolisp-find-and-mark-gaps/

 

Gene

or this? Magically Fix your Broken AutoCAD® Drawings with Visual LISP

 

Dan

Thanks to you all for very good and fast help

 

Very nice of you, now I will not get these "incomplete files" again

 

 

:):):):):):):):):):):):):)

Thanks to you all for very good and fast help

 

Very nice of you, now I will not get these "incomplete files" again

 

 

:):):):):):):):):):):):):)

Nobody mentioned the Close option when drawing polylines. When you are drawing a shape with a polyline and you want that shape to be CLOSED, as you reach the last segment you would draw to the beginning point, type "C" for close, and the last segment will be drawn for you and it will be CLOSED.

 

You can see the options offered with the pline (polyline) command by punching the down arrow on the keyboard after executing the polyline command. Close is one of them. You will also see that you can draw a continuous polyline shape using both arcs and lines simply by typing either A or L at the point you want to begin either an arc or a line. You can do this during the polyline draw, and keep it continuous and non gappy. There is no need to stop and start a continuous polyline. Also remember that unless you issue a close on a polyline, just because all vertexes are touching does not mean it is closed. Drawing a five sided object and snapping to the first end point with the last end point does not close the polyline.

That works for lines also.

That works for lines also.

Yup, Close does work for closed shapes made of plain lines, but they only close in the sense of geometric accuracy. They still retain separateness of segments. Sorry, not nitpicking, just adding info.