drawing to solids

[georgebarr]

I downloaded this 2d drawing which consist of a bunch of lines put together. I want to convert it into a solid so that I can use the 'extrude' command in Autocad 2002/2004. Does anyone know how to do this?

[CNCadmin]

You have to use Pedit and joint all the lines as one. Than you can use the extrude command.

So type pedit than click on one line.

than y , than j once you do that select all the line and
hit enter. That will make it a polyline. than you can use the extrude command.

[georgebarr]

I just tried the pedit autocad command but it does not join all lines into one polyline. How do you get all lines to join?

[CNCadmin]

are the line splines? You must select join, when you use pedit. If you can upload the drawing file here and I can see what the problem is.

[georgebarr]

Ok,
I managed to use pedit with join to convert the lines into one polyline (I had to move lines so that all is coplaner). However, when I tried the "extrude" command, it will not work on the newly created polyline. How do you extrude a polyline?

[georgebarr]

Ok,
Here is the autocad drawing that I am trying to "extrude". It is a drawing of a support rail (2d). The drawing is found at:
http://home.mminternet.com/~georgeb/rail_orig.dwg

I would appreciate it if someone could extrude it. I am using Autocad 2004. If it works, then please tell me the series of commands that I must do to get it done.

Thanks,

[CNCadmin]

Resave it as a 2002 dwg.

[georgebarr]

Here is the same drawing resaved as ACAD 2002 found at:
http://home.mminternet.com/~georgeb/...g_ACAD2002.dwg

Thanks,

[georgebarr]

I found the answer. I had to search all over the web. Here is how to do it:
1) Use "move" to connect the ends of each line to another end of a line. This insures that no lines overlap since extrude will not work.
2) Use flatten.lsp (zeros out z axis)
3) Use "pedit" with join and close
4) "extrude" it.

The tricky part is step #1 since visually it does not seem any lines overlap.

Thanks,

[CNCadmin]

You could have just used the polyline command and traced the part and that would ensure that it was on the same plane.

[DanFri]

Yes, the last post is correct, use polyline to draw over the top, it's faster. Then erase all the single lines below. Also, if you have the Express pulldown there is a Polyline/Join command in it. It's a shortcut to Pedit. If the lines weren't connected in the first place, you could have used the fillet command.

[Wilkerson]

George,

Did you get this firgured out then?

If you still need help let us know...