TIP: Trimming AutoCAD Drawings

A reader asks,

Which way I can trim part of the AutoCAD drawing and save it in new file?
- Victor, Russia

Like this:

1. Use the ExTrim command to trim the drawing with a polyline or other closed entity. (ExTrim is a Bonus tool included with AutoCAD .)
2. Use the WBlock command to save the result to a .dwg file. Alternatively, use the SaveAs command to save by another name.
3. Quit the drawing; do not save.

Victor replies: "But I can't trim the hatch."

You're right: the ExTrim command has problems with hatches. One solution is to explode the hatch. Another is to freeze the hatch layer, and then re-hatch the areas in the new drawing.

Comments

[Matt Stachoni]

Hm. How about using XCLIP?

Start a new file, Xref the original file into the drawing, use XCLIP to clip out the region you wish to keep.

Then, to alleviate the Xref dependency, BIND the Xref using the INSERT option. This keeps it as a Block which maintains the XClip. Just don't explode the block.

And it works with hatches :)

[David]

What we really need is a way to keep only what was xclipped when an explode is done. After all, when you executed the explode, you expected to get only what you saw.

[DAVID]

MATT. That is how the drawing is being supplied to us from outside the office. They xref'ed the original drawing, then xclipped it, then did a bind. Next they shipped it off to us. Now we need parts of what is shown, so we have to explode the xref'ed xclipped bound block. And what a mess it makes when exploded. Can't we keep just what is shown when it is exploded?