Draft Wire
This documentation is a work in progress. Please don't mark it as translatable since it will change in the next hours and days.
Draft Wire |
Menu location |
---|
Drafting → Polyline |
Workbenches |
Draft, Arch |
Default shortcut |
P L |
Introduced in version |
0.7 |
See also |
Draft Line, Draft BSpline |
Description
The Draft Wire command creates a polyline (a sequence of several line segments). It uses the Draft Linestyle set on the Draft Tray.
The command can also be used to join Draft Lines and Draft Wires.
Draft Wire defined by multiple points
Create
Usage
- There are several ways to invoke the command:
- Press the Draft Wire button.
- Select the Drafting → Polyline option from the menu.
- Use the keyboard shortcut: P then L.
- Click the first point on the 3D view, or type coordinates and press the Enter point button.
- Click additional points on the 3D view, or type coordinates and press the Enter point button.
- Press Esc or the Close button to finish the command.
Options
- Press A or the Finish button to finish the wire, leaving it open.
- Press O or the Close button to close the wire, that is, a segment will be added from the last point to the first one to form a face. At least three points are required to form a face.
- Press W or the Wipe button to remove the line segments already placed, but keep editing the wire from the last point.
- Press U or the Set WP button to adjust the current working plane in the orientation of the last point.
- Press X, Y or Z after a point to constrain the next point on the given axis.
- To enter coordinates manually, simply enter the numbers, then press Enter between each X, Y and Z component. You can press the Enter point button when you have the desired values to insert the point.
- Press R or click the checkbox to toggle relative mode. If relative mode is on, the coordinates of the next point are relative to the last one; if not, they are absolute, taken from the origin (0,0,0).
- Press T or click the checkbox to toggle continue mode. If continue mode is on, the Wire command will restart after you finish the wire, allowing you to draw another one without pressing the command button again.
- Press L or click the checkbox to toggle filled mode. If filled mode is on, a closed wire will create a filled face (DataMake Face
true
); if not, the closed wire will not make a face (DataMake Facefalse
).
- Note: the wire should not be filled if it intersects itself, as it won't create a proper face. If the wire is filled but no shape is visible, manually set DataMake Face to
false
to see the wire.
- Hold Ctrl while drawing to force snapping your point to the nearest snap location, independently of the distance.
- Hold Shift while drawing to constrain your next point horizontally or vertically in relation to the last one.
- Press Ctrl+Z or press the Undo button to undo the last point.
- Press Esc or the Close button to finish the command.
Join
Usage
- The end points of the Draft Lines and/or Draft Wires to be joined must be exactly coincident. If required first adjust points to ensure that this is the case.
- Select two or more Draft Lines and/or Draft Wires.
- There are several ways to invoke the command:
- Press the Draft Wire button.
- Select the Drafting → Polyline option from the menu.
- Use the keyboard shortcut: P then L.
Notes
- Draft Wires can be edited with the Draft Edit command.
- Draft Wires can be converted to Draft BSplines with the Draft WireToBSpline command.
- Draft Lines and Draft Wires can also be joined with the Draft Join command, or the Draft Upgrade command.
Properties
Draft Wires and Draft Lines have the same properties. Some of these properties only make sense for Draft Wires.
Data
- DataStart: specifies the first point in the wire.
- DataEnd: specifies the last point in the wire, not counting the initial point if the wire is closed.
- DataClosed: specifies if the wire is closed or not. If the wire is initially open, this value is
false
; setting it totrue
will draw a line segment to close the wire. If the wire is initially closed, this value istrue
; setting it tofalse
will remove the last line segment, and make the wire open. - DataChamfer Size: specifies the size of the chamfers (straight segments) created on the corners of the wire.
- DataFillet Radius: specifies the radius of the fillets (arc segments) created on the corners of the wire.
- DataMake Face: specifies if the wire makes a face or not. If it is
true
a face is created, otherwise only the edges are considered part of the object. This property only works if DataClosed istrue
.
- Note: do not set DataMake Face to
true
if the wire intersects itself, as it won't create a proper face.
- DataSubdivisions: specifies the number of interior nodes in each segment of the wire. introduced in version 0.16
- DataLength: (read-only) specifies the length of the entire wire.
View
- ViewEnd Arrow: if it is
true
it will display a symbol at the last point of the wire, so it can be used as an annotation line. - ViewArrow Size: specifies the size of the symbol displayed at the end of the wire.
- ViewArrow Type: specifies the type of symbol displayed at the end of the wire, which can be "Dot", "Circle", "Arrow", or "Tick".
- ViewPattern: specifies a Draft Pattern with which to fill the face of the closed wire. This property only works if DataMake Face is
true
, and if ViewDisplay Mode is "Flat Lines". - ViewPattern Size: specifies the size of the Draft Pattern.
Scripting
See also: Autogenerated API documentation and FreeCAD Scripting Basics.
To create a Draft Wire use the make_wire
method of the Draft module:
Wire = make_wire(pointslist, closed=False, placement=None, face=None, support=None)
Wire = make_wire(Part.Wire, closed=False, placement=None, face=None, support=None)
- Creates a
Wire
object with the given list of points,pointslist
.- Each point in the list is defined by its
FreeCAD.Vector
, with units in millimeters. - Alternatively, the input can be a
Part.Wire
, from which points are extracted.
- Each point in the list is defined by its
- If
closed
isTrue
, or if the first and last points are identical, the wire is closed. - If a
placement
is given, it is used; otherwise the shape is created at the origin. - If
face
isTrue
, and the wire is closed, the wire will make a face, that is, it will appear filled.
Example:
import FreeCAD, Draft
p1 = FreeCAD.Vector(0, 0, 0)
p2 = FreeCAD.Vector(1000, 1000, 0)
p3 = FreeCAD.Vector(2000, 0, 0)
Wire1 = Draft.make_wire([p1, p2, p3], closed=True)
Wire2 = Draft.make_wire([p1, 2*p3, 1.3*p2], closed=True)
Wire3 = Draft.make_wire([1.3*p3, p1, -1.7*p2], closed=True)
App.ActiveDocument.recompute()
Draft
- Drafting: Line, Polyline, Fillet, Arc, Arc by 3 points, Circle, Ellipse, Rectangle, Polygon, B-spline, Cubic Bézier curve, Bézier curve, Point, Facebinder, ShapeString, Hatch
- Annotation: Text, Dimension, Label, Annotation styles, Annotation scale
- Modification: Move, Rotate, Scale, Mirror, Offset, Trimex, Stretch, Clone, Array, Polar array, Circular array, Path array, Path link array, Point array, Point link array, Edit, Subelement highlight, Join, Split, Upgrade, Downgrade, Wire to B-spline, Draft to sketch, Set slope, Flip dimension, Shape 2D view
- Draft Tray: Select plane, Set style, Toggle construction mode, AutoGroup
- Snapping: Snap lock, Snap endpoint, Snap midpoint, Snap center, Snap angle, Snap intersection, Snap perpendicular, Snap extension, Snap parallel, Snap special, Snap near, Snap ortho, Snap grid, Snap working plane, Snap dimensions, Toggle grid
- Miscellaneous: Apply current style, Layer, Manage layers, Add a new named group, Move to group, Select group, Add to construction group, Toggle normal/wireframe display, Create working plane proxy, Heal, Show snap toolbar
- Additional: Constraining, Pattern, Preferences, Import Export Preferences, DXF/DWG, SVG, OCA, DAT
- Context menu:
- Layer container: Merge layer duplicates, Add new layer
- Layer: Activate this layer, Select layer contents
- Text: Open hyperlinks
- Wire: Flatten
- Working plane proxy: Write camera position, Write objects state
User documentation
- Getting started
- Installation: Download, Windows, Linux, Mac, Additional components, Docker, AppImage, Ubuntu Snap
- Basics: About FreeCAD, Interface, Mouse navigation, Selection methods, Object name, Preferences, Workbenches, Document structure, Properties, Help FreeCAD, Donate
- Help: Tutorials, Video tutorials
- Workbenches: Std Base, Assembly, BIM, CAM, Draft, FEM, Inspection, Mesh, OpenSCAD, Part, PartDesign, Points, Reverse Engineering, Robot, Sketcher, Spreadsheet, Surface, TechDraw, Test Framework
- Hubs: User hub, Power users hub, Developer hub