User Guide
User Guide
User Guide

Drop Element

Use it!

Used to break up an element(s) into simpler components. Tool settings are used to specify the element types on which the tool operates.

Tool SettingEffect
Complex

If on, complex elements (cell, complex chain, complex shape, text node, surface, or solid) are dropped into their components.

Dimensions

If on, dimension element(s) are dropped into lines, line strings, ellipses, arcs, and text.

  • To Geometry
    • — Drops down lines, line strings, ellipses, arcs, and text.
  • To Segment
    • — Drops down individual dimension segments.
Line Strings/Shapes

If on, line strings and shapes are converted to series of individual line elements.

Multi-lines

If on, multi-line elements are converted to sets of line strings, lines, and/or arcs.

Shared Cells

If on, the associated option menu lets you drop shared cells:

  • To Geometry
    • — They are dropped into their components.
  • To Normal Cell
    • — They are converted to unshared cells.
Solids

(3D only) If on, the associated option menu lets you drop SmartSurfaces or SmartSolids:

  • To Surfaces
    • — They are dropped to simple surfaces.
  • To Wireframe
    • — They are dropped to wireframe elements.
Text

If on, text characters in text elements are converted to the individual elements that are used to draw the characters — lines, line strings, arcs, ellipses, and shapes.

To break up an element into its components
  1. Select the element(s).

  2. Select the Drop Element tool.

  3. Turn on the appropriate tool settings to specify the element type(s) on which to operate.

  4. Accept the settings and initiate the drop.
    Only the selected elements of the specified type(s) are dropped. The tool has no effect on selected elements of other types. If none of the selected elements is of the specified type(s), the message “Nothing to drop” displays in the status bar.

Alternative Method — To break up an element into its components
  1. Select the Drop Element tool.

  2. Turn on the appropriate tool settings to specify the element type(s) on which to operate.

  3. Identify the element.

  4. Accept the drop.

Key-in: DROP ELEMENT

Drop Element cannot be used to drop elements more than one level at a time. For example, if you turn on Complex and Line Strings/Shapes and operate on a complex shape that contains two line strings, the complex shape is dropped but the component line strings are not. That is, the operation results in two line strings.