Sketch

Every page the atelier carries under Sketch.

• SelectVSelect is the hand of the sketch editor: it picks the lines and corners you have drawn, moves them by dragging or with the arrow keys, and erases them with Delete. It also holds the way out of the editor, since Enter with nothing in progress hands what the lines enclose to the window, door or pattern area you are shaping.
• MoveMMove shifts the lines and corners you have selected in the sketch editor from a base point to a target, or by a distance you type. Keep Ctrl pressed on the last click to keep the original and drop a moved copy, and with nothing selected the whole drawing moves.
• RotateROQRotate turns the lines and corners you have selected in the sketch editor about a centre, by the angle between a reference direction and a second direction you point at, or by the degrees you type. With nothing selected it turns the whole drawing, and Ctrl on the last click keeps the original.
• ScaleSCScale enlarges or reduces the lines and corners you have selected in the sketch editor about a centre, by the ratio between a reference distance and a new one you point at, or by a factor you type. With nothing selected it scales the whole drawing, equally in every direction.
• MirrorMIIMirror flips the lines and corners you have selected in the sketch editor across a line you set with two clicks. By default the flipped drawing replaces the original; keep Ctrl pressed on the second click to keep the original and add its mirror image.
• LineLLine draws a chain of straight lines in the sketch editor, one corner per click or per typed length. A click back on the first corner, or C, closes it into an outline, and Enter ends it open.
• RectangleRRECRectangle draws a closed outline of four sides in the sketch editor from one corner to the opposite one, by two clicks, one drag, or a typed width and height. Its sides always run along the two axes of the editor, across and up on an elevation, or along x and y on a plan.
• CircleCCircle draws a full circle in the sketch editor from its centre and a point on it, or from its centre and a typed radius. The circle is kept as four true quarter arcs, so it remains a circle all the way to the contract.
• OffsetOOffset draws a new closed outline parallel to a shape in the sketch editor, inside or outside it, at a distance you set with the pointer or type. It works on the outlines you drew and on the dimmed shape in force, and it keeps arcs as true arcs.
• EraseEErase removes lines from the drawing in the sketch editor, one click at a time or in one sweep with the button kept pressed. A straight line goes only between the two nearest corners or crossings, a curve goes whole, and what remains is the shape.
• TrimTRTTrim cuts a part of a line or a curve in the sketch editor back to the lines that cross it, by a click, a box dragged across several parts, or a fence. Every other line of the drawing cuts, unless you selected the cutting lines first.
• ExtendEXExtend lengthens the end of an open line or arc in the sketch editor along its own direction until it meets the next line ahead. It works by a click near the end, a box across several ends, or a fence, and when you have selected some lines first, only those act as the boundary.
• FilletFFillet rounds off the corner between two lines or arcs in the sketch editor with an arc of the radius you type, cutting both back to where the arc touches them. With a radius of zero it makes a clean sharp corner, and with lines selected Enter rounds every corner they have.
• ChamferCHAChamfer cuts the corner between two straight lines in the sketch editor with a straight line, at the distances you type from the corner along each of them. With lines selected, Enter bevels every corner they have in one go.
• CopyCOCPCopy places copies of the selected lines in the sketch editor from a base point, one per click or typed distance, again and again until you leave the tool. The originals stay where they are.
• ArrayARArray repeats the selected lines in the sketch editor in rows and columns, or around a centre you click, from the counts and spacings you type. The original counts as the first item, and a preview shows every copy before you press Enter.
• AlignALAlign moves the selected lines in the sketch editor so that points on them land on destination points: one pair of points moves them, a second pair also turns them, and S scales them to fit. It places a shape against other lines in a single gesture.
• StretchSStretch moves only the corners that lie inside a selection window you drag in the sketch editor, and the lines leaving those corners follow, so a shape grows or shrinks on one side. The move is set by a base point and a target, or by a typed distance.
• LengthenLENLengthen changes the length of an open line or arc in the sketch editor at the end you click: by a change you type, to a percentage of its length, to a total length, or to where you drag the end. Only the last stretch of the line moves.
• BreakBRBreak removes the stretch between two points from a line or a curve in the sketch editor, leaving a gap. Press Enter after the first point instead, and the line is split there into two lines with nothing removed.
• JoinJJoin makes the selected open lines of the sketch editor into as few lines as it can: lines whose ends touch become one, two straight lines on the same line become one across their gap, and two arcs of one circle become one arc. A chain that comes back to its start closes.
• ExplodeXExplode splits the selected rectangles, outlines and chains of the sketch editor into their separate segments, each one a line of its own with its two ends. Arcs remain arcs, and nothing moves.
• PolylinePLPolyline draws one chained line in the sketch editor, straight segments and arcs that leave the last segment tangentially, point by point, by clicks or typed coordinates. C or a click on the start closes it, and Enter ends it open.
• PolygonPOLPolygon draws a regular closed outline of three to sixty-four equal sides in the sketch editor, from its centre and a corner, its centre and the middle of a side, or the two ends of one side. The number of sides is typed, or changed with the up and down arrows.
• Circle by 2 pointsCDCircle by 2 points draws a full circle in the sketch editor whose diameter runs between the two points you click. It fits a circle exactly between two existing points, such as the two sides of an opening.
• Circle by 3 pointsCTHCircle by 3 points draws the one full circle that passes through three points you click in the sketch editor. It is the way to draw a circle through existing corners when its centre is not known.
• Arc by centreACArc by centre draws a true arc in the sketch editor from a start point, a centre, and an end given by the direction of the pointer from the centre or by an angle you type. The arc runs anticlockwise from the start unless the typed angle is negative.
• Arc by radiusASArc by radius draws a true arc in the sketch editor between a start and an end you click, with the radius you type or set with the pointer, bending towards the side the pointer is on. It always gives the shorter arc, at most a half circle.
• Select in the tile editorVSelect picks up the joints of the tile of a pattern, so that the next key or tool works on them: a click picks one joint, Shift adds or removes, and a box picks several at once. Delete removes what you have selected, the arrow keys nudge it by the step of the editor, and Enter hands the tile back when you are done.
• Joint in the tile editorLJoint draws one straight joint inside the tile of a pattern, from a first point to a second, with the edges of the tile, its corners and the joints already drawn acting as magnets. You click both ends, or type the length, the run and rise, or the coordinates, and a joint that runs beyond the tile is cut at its edge.
• Arc in the tile editorAArc draws a curved joint inside the tile of a pattern from its two ends and a point it passes through, or from its two ends and the height of its curve above the straight line between them. The arc must stay whole inside the tile: one that would leave it is refused, and your points stay in hand.
• Circle in the tile editorCCircle draws a round joint inside the tile of a pattern from its centre and a point on it, or from its centre and a typed radius. The circle is one joint, and it must stand whole inside the tile.
• Rectangle in the tile editorRRectangle draws a closed rectangular joint inside the tile of a pattern from two opposite corners, clicked, dragged or typed as a width and a height. Its corners can be sharp, rounded or cut, and the rectangle is one joint that must stand whole inside the tile.
• Erase in the tile editorEErase removes joints from the tile of a pattern with a click on each one, or with a sweep of the pointer across several while the button is kept pressed. It needs no selection, and every joint it removes can be brought back with Ctrl+Z.
• Trim in the tile editorTTrim removes the part of a joint you click, up to the next joint or tile edge that crosses it on each side. The part it would remove is highlighted before you click, a box or a fence trims many parts at once, and Shift turns it into Extend.
• Extend in the tile editorEXExtend grows the end of a joint, along its own line or arc, until it meets the next joint or the edge of the tile ahead of it. The stretch it would add is shown before you click, a box or a fence extends many ends at once, and Shift turns it into Trim.
• Fillet in the tile editorFFillet rounds off the corner where two joints meet with an arc of the radius you type, cutting each joint back to where the arc touches it. With a radius of zero it joins the two into a sharp corner, and with joints selected, Enter rounds every corner they have in one go.
• Chamfer in the tile editorCHAChamfer cuts the corner where two straight joints meet with a straight joint, at the distances you type from that corner along each of them. With distances of zero it joins the two into a sharp corner, and with joints selected, Enter cuts every corner they have in one go.
• Offset in the tile editorOOffset draws a parallel copy of a joint at a distance you type, or passing through a point you click, on the side you choose. It repeats until you press Escape, and with joints selected it offsets all of them at once.
• Move in the tile editorMMove shifts the joints you choose inside the tile of a pattern from a base point to a destination, clicked or typed as a distance. A shape that would leave the tile is refused whole, and a straight joint that would cross its edge is cut there.
• Copy in the tile editorCOCopy places copies of the joints you choose inside the tile of a pattern, each at a place you click or at a distance you type from one base point. It keeps placing copies from the same base point until you press Escape, and the originals stay where they are.
• Rotate in the tile editorRORotate turns the joints you choose inside the tile of a pattern about a centre you pick, by an angle you point at or type in degrees. A reference angle lets you turn them from a direction they already have to a new one, and C keeps the originals.
• Scale in the tile editorSCScale makes the joints you choose inside the tile of a pattern larger or smaller about a base point, by a factor you drag or type. A reference length lets you scale from a length they already have to a new one, and circles and arcs stay round.
• Mirror in the tile editorMIMirror lays a reflected copy of the joints you choose inside the tile of a pattern, across a line you give by two points. The originals stay unless you press E to erase them.
• Array in the tile editorARArray repeats the joints you choose inside the tile of a pattern in columns and rows, or around a centre you click, from a count you type. Without spacings, the copies sit side by side at the size of what you chose.
• Break in the tile editorBRBreak removes the stretch of a joint between two points you choose on it, leaving the rest as separate joints. Pressing Enter after the first point splits the joint there without removing anything.
• Join in the tile editorJJoin makes as few joints as possible out of the ones you select: straight joints on one line become one, arcs of one circle become one arc, and joints whose ends touch become one joint running through them. A chain that comes back to its start is closed.
• Explode in the tile editorXExplode breaks the shapes you select into their separate segments: a rectangle becomes four joints, a polyline one joint per segment, and arcs remain arcs. A single line and a circle have no parts, so they are left whole.
• Stretch in the tile editorSStretch moves only the points of joints that lie inside a selection window you drag, so the joints crossing the edge of the window lengthen or shorten to follow, while the rest stays where it is. A joint lying fully inside the window moves whole.
• Lengthen in the tile editorLENLengthen makes a joint longer or shorter from the end you click, along its own line or arc, by a change you type, to a percentage of its length, to a total length, or to where you drag the end. Only the segment at that end changes.
• Align in the tile editorALAlign places the joints you choose by pairs of points: a source point on them and the destination on which it should land. One pair moves them, a second pair also turns them, and with S they are scaled so that the two sources fit the two destinations.
• Polyline in the tile editorPLPolyline draws a chain of straight segments and tangent arcs inside the tile of a pattern as one joint, point after point. A switches to arcs, C closes the chain back to its start, and Enter ends it as it stands.
• Polygon in the tile editorPOLPolygon draws a regular polygon of 3 to 64 sides inside the tile of a pattern, about a centre or on one of its sides. About a centre, the pointer gives a corner, or the middle of a side when the polygon is drawn around a circle.
• Circle by 2 points in the tile editorCDCircle by 2 points draws a round joint inside the tile of a pattern from the two ends of its diameter. The circle is one joint, and it must stand whole inside the tile.
• Circle by 3 points in the tile editorCTHCircle by 3 points draws the one round joint that passes through three points you pick inside the tile of a pattern. The circle is one joint, and it must stand whole inside the tile.
• Arc by centre in the tile editorACArc by centre draws a curved joint inside the tile of a pattern from its start point, its centre and its end, turning anticlockwise from the start. Instead of the end, you can type the angle the arc covers, in degrees.
• Arc by radius in the tile editorASArc by radius draws a curved joint inside the tile of a pattern from its two ends and a radius, bulging towards the side you point at. You give the radius by pointing or by typing it, and the arc drawn is the shorter one between the two ends.