Trim Objects

The trim tool allows you to trim all the objects inside a given boundary. It is much more efficient than manually trimming all the contours with the trimming scissors, and allows the trimming of closed contours, open contours and components.

Watch this video to see this in action:

To use:

• Select objects you wish to be trimmed
• Select the object you wish to trim against (hold shift to add to selection)
• Choose to clear inside or outside

If the Clear outside boundary option is selected then all the objects that intersect this boundary are clipped, and the area outside is removed. If the Clear inside boundary option is selected, then the parts of the selected objects which lie inside the boundary are removed.

Geometry before trimming. Select the lines first and then the circle

Trimmed vectors using Clear inside boundary

Trimmed vectors using clear outside boundary

If you want to use multiple vectors for the trimming boundary, they must be grouped for trimming. To group a collection of vectors select the vectors, right click and choose Group Objects from the drop down menu, alternatively select all the vectors and press the G key.

Trimming with Group

This tool can be used in both the 2D and 3D View.

2D View offers a more direct way to view your vectors while the 3D view offers more flexibility to work with Vectors in 3D Designs and to make use of the Edit Boxes.

When in the 2D view, a number of the forms tools will be driven by options in the form only.

• Middle - Move the vectors (Hold Alt and move the selected objects in one axis)
• Middle - Click a second time to switch to Rotational center. Click and drag the Rotational Anchor to reposition the Rotational Center of the current selection.
• Corner (White) - Scale the vectors proportionally (Hold Alt for scaling non-proportionally, Shift to scale around the centre)
• Edges (White) - Scale the vector in one axis (Hold Shift for scaling proportionally)
• Corner (Black) - Rotate the vectors (Hold Alt to Rotate in 15° increments) about the Rotation Center.

In the 3D view, there is an expanded number of handles to directly edit the vector within the view, without needing to use the creation form on the left.

In the 3D View, the Handles are:

• Middle - Move the vectors (Hold Alt to Move the selected objects in one axis)
• Middle - Click a second time to switch to Rotational center. Click and drag the Rotational Anchor to reposition the Rotational Center of the current selection.
• Corner (White) - Scale the vectors proportionally (HoldAlt for scaling non-proportionally, orShift to scale around the centre)
• Edges (Black) - Scale the vector in one axis (Hold Shift for scaling proportionally)
• Rotation Arrow (Top Black) - Rotate the vectors (Hold Alt to rotate in 15° increments)
• White circles are properties unique to this tool to allow direct mouse editing of values in the tool form from within the view.

When you select a Transform Handle, it will activate the appropriate Edit Box for that Handle.

If you need an exact value for a field while dragging it, release the mouse button and type in the desired value, followed by Enter to accept the new value.