SPLINE, SPLINEDIT and SKETCH

What it does

• SPLINE – a smooth curve through the points you click (Fit points).
• SPLINEDIT – close/open a Spline, and delete or add Fit points.
• SKETCH – draw freehand by dragging the mouse. The result is saved as a Polyline.

Where to find it

• Ribbon: Draw › Draw › Polyline ▾ › Spline - Fit Points (SPLINE) / Freehand Sketch (SKETCH)
• Command line: SPLINE (Alias SPL)
• Command line: SPLINEDIT (Alias SPE), SKETCH

SPLINE steps

1. Type SPL and press Enter. SPLINE: click the fit points, Enter to finish, Esc to cancel
2. Click each point the curve must pass through.
3. Press Enter to finish.

SPLINEDIT

Select the Spline first, then type:

SKETCH

1. Type SKETCH or SKETCH 2 (records a point every 2 units).
2. SKETCH: drag to trace Hold the mouse button down and drag.
3. Release the mouse button to finish.

Note: You can break a Spline into smaller segments with EXPLODE.

Try it: Winding garden path

A 1 m wide path that curves naturally through a garden, with a hand-drawn shrub beside it. You use both SPLINE and SKETCH.

1. Left edge of the path: type SPL, Enter, then 0,0, 1500,800, 3000,300, 4500,1200, 6000,800 (Enter after each), and press Enter once more to finish.
2. Right edge: SPL with the same points moved up by 1000: 0,1000, 1500,1800, 3000,1300, 4500,2200, 6000,1800, then Enter.
3. Shrub: type SKETCH 20, press Enter, hold the mouse button and drag a bumpy loop above the path near 3000,2700. Release to finish.

Challenge: Select the left edge and type SPLINEDIT Add 1 2200 400 to add a fit point, and watch the path reshape.

See also

• PLINE