Closed polylines the easy way – BOUNDARY command

AutoCAD users of all types can appreciate the value of closed polylines. Of course in creating them most users use a procedure involving the PEDIT command. But did you know there was an easier way?
Hidden away in AutoCAD is the BOUNDARY command. Think of the BOUNDARY command as a HATCH command that draws polylines (and regions) rather than hatches. Let me explain.

When using the HATCH command the user has the option to define a hatch “boundary” by “Picking Points”. In using that method you would of course select a point to the inside of the area you want to hatch.

The BOUNDARY command uses the same “Pick Points” procedure the HATCH command uses. The only difference is the HATCH command fills the area with a user defined pattern or hatch. The BOUNDARY command will create a closed polyline representing the area you selected.

Being in the civil field I use this command quite frequently when defining parcels in Land Desktop. Using the BOUNDARY command I can quickly click an internal point within each parcel, creating a closed polyline, and finally add it to the Parcel Manager.

Donnie Gladfelter
Donnie Gladfelter

Donnie is author of the book and Autodesk Official Press, AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT: No Experience Required, a columnist for AUGIWorld Magazine, Autodesk University speaker, and former member of the AUGI Board of Directors.

4 Comments

  1. That’s not bad. But there is more efficient way of creating closed polylines. It is SuperBoundary utility (www.superboundary.com). It easily generates polylines on complex drawings.

  2. Is there shortcut or icon for this command? Writting “boundary” takes quite long time

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