How do I create a clipping mask in AutoCAD?

You create a clipping boundary in AutoCAD using the following steps:

Creating Clipping Boundaries in AutoCAD

Here's how to create a clipping mask, or as it's called in AutoCAD, a clipping boundary:

1. Access the Clipping Panel:

   • Go to the External Reference tab on the ribbon.
   • Locate the Clipping panel.

2. Initiate the Create Clipping Boundary Command:

   • Click on Create Clipping Boundary.

3. Handle Existing Boundaries (if applicable):

   • If a clipping boundary already exists for the selected object you'll be prompted to delete the existing boundary. Type Yes to delete any existing boundary.

4. Define the Clipping Boundary:

   • You can choose a pre-existing polyline to use as the boundary, or create a new one.

   • Using an Existing Polyline: Select the polyline on the drawing you want to use.

   • Creating a New Rectangular Boundary:

     • Specify the first corner of the rectangle.
     • Specify the opposite corner of the rectangle.

   • Creating a New Polygonal Boundary:

     • Specify each corner point of the polygon.
     • Close the polygon by typing C and pressing Enter or click the first point again.

5. Clipping is Applied

• The defined boundary is applied to the external reference or block.

Practical Insights and Tips

• Understanding Clipping: Clipping masks (boundaries) don't delete content, they simply hide parts of the clipped object that fall outside the specified boundary.
• Types of Boundaries: You can use polylines, rectangles, and polygons to define the clipping area, offering flexibility in how you mask elements.
• Modify Clipping: Once created, clipping boundaries can be modified using AutoCAD's standard editing tools. You can stretch, move, or change the vertices of the boundary to adjust the clipped area.
• Performance: If you have a lot of complex clipping boundaries, it might impact the performance of your drawing.
• Visibility: Toggle the visibility of the clipping boundary by using the Clipdisplay system variable. Setting this to 0 will hide it.

By following these steps you can easily create clipping boundaries to control the visibility of external references or blocks within your drawings.