How to Plot Wipeout in AutoCAD?

Creating Wipeouts in AutoCAD: A Comprehensive Guide

Wipeouts in AutoCAD allow you to obscure certain parts of your drawing without erasing them, which is particularly useful for enhancing the visual clarity of your plans. Below is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to effectively create and manage wipeouts in AutoCAD 2025.

Step 1: Initiating the Wipeout Command

• Open your AutoCAD workspace.
• To commence the wipeout creation, you can either type WI and hit Enter, or navigate to the Draw drop-down menu and select the Wipeout option.

Step 2: Defining the Wipeout Boundary

• After activating the wipeout tool, your cursor will change indicating that it’s ready to define a boundary.
• Click on the screen to specify the starting point of the wipeout area.
• Move your cursor and click to create additional boundary points. This creates a closed shape, so ensure your last click connects back to the starting point.
• Press Enter to finalize the wipeout.

Step 3: Using a Polyline for Wipeouts

• If you want to create a wipeout with more complex shapes, using a polyline is an effective method.
• Begin by drawing a closed polyline that outlines the area you wish to mask.
• Activate the wipeout command as described previously. Instead of manually defining points, type P for Polyline when prompted and select your drawn polyline.

Step 4: Managing Wipeout Frames

• To manage the visibility of the wipeout frames, enter the command TFRAMES.
• Set the option to either On or Off. When frames are turned off, the boundaries are hidden, allowing for a clean view without the outlines of the wipeout.

Step 5: Hiding and Showing Wipeouts

• If you want to temporarily hide a wipeout, you can execute the wipeout command again. Set the frames option to Off to remove their visibility.
• Conversely, to reveal them again, you can toggle the frames back to On.

Additional Wipeout Techniques

Circular Wipeouts

Creating a circular wipeout directly isn’t possible in AutoCAD; a circle cannot be defined as a wipeout boundary. For circular shapes, utilize the POLYGON command to create a polygon that roughly approximates a circle.

Working with Viewports

To apply a wipeout within a viewport:

• Ensure you’re working in the Layout tab.
• Select the viewport that needs a wipeout and activate the wipeout command.
• Make your selection based on the viewport context, as the command functions differently in model space versus paper space.

Turning Shapes into Polylines

If you need to convert a circle into a polyline for a wipeout:

• Draw the circle, then use the BREAK command to make an opening.
• Proceed with the PEDIT command, selecting the arc created, and choose to convert it to a polyline. Close it to finalize your shape.

FAQ

1. Can I create a wipeout from any shape?
No, a wipeout must be created using a closed polyline. Shapes like circles are not directly supported.

2. How do I recover an area that was wiped out?
You can recover the wiped-out area by turning the wipeout frames back on using the TFRAMES command. This will reveal the original area within the boundaries.

3. Are wipeouts visible in printed drawings?
By default, wipeouts are not printed when frames are turned off. If the frames are on, they will appear in the print, so manage this setting depending on your output needs.