Sketch objects are objects that you might want to add in a drawing to highlight important information, or to indicate the positions of openings, windows, doors, and such. In Tekla Structures drawings, you can add lines, polylines, polygons, rectangles, circles, arcs, and insulation in an open drawing with drawing sketching tools.

1. To set the properties first and then draw the sketch object, hold down Shift, and on the Sketching ribbon tab, click one of the following commands:

   	Line > Line: Sketch a single line between two points that you pick.
   	Line > Continuous lines: Create multiple single lines at one go using the current line properties. Tekla Structures creates a continuous line as separate line sections. You can combine the sections into one by using the Combine command. Note that you can open the properties for the continuous single lines only after you have created the line.
   	Line > Pattern line: Sketch a line containing a pattern that you select using the current pattern line properties. Tip: If you need a new pattern, use the Pattern line editor to create it (File > Editors > Pattern line editor).
   	Polyline: Sketch a line with straight segments using the current polyline properties. Remember to set the Bulge for all lines factor if you are creating curved polylines.
   	Rectangle: Sketch a rectangle between the points that you pick. You can create rectangles with horizontal and vertical sides.
   	Polygon: Sketch a polygon by picking the corner points using the current polygon properties. To close the polygon, pick the start point again or click the middle mouse button. To stop, press Esc.
   	Circle by center: Sketch a circle by picking the center point first and then a point on the circle that specifies the radius.
   	Circle by points: Sketch a circle that traverses the three points you pick, either clockwise or counter-clockwise.
   	Arc by center: Sketch an arc by specifying two end points first and then a center point of the circle to which the arc belongs.
   	Arc by points: Sketch an arc that traverses the three points that you pick, either clockwise or counter-clockwise.
   	Insulation: Draw hard or soft insulation that traverses the points you pick. To create the insulation, click the middle mouse button or press Space or Enter on the keyboard. For more information and for a list of properties, see Add insulation in drawings.
   	Trim or extend: Shorten or extend a line relative to the boundary you select in an open drawing. For more information, see Trim drawing lines.
   	Copy with offset: Copy lines, circles, polylines, polygons, and rectangles in the direction you point using the offset that you specify. For more information, see Copy sketch objects with offset.
   	Cut part lines: Create cut part lines to visualize the lines that are partially outside the view frame. You can create cut part lines automatically for all parts in the view, or for selected parts. For more information, see Indicate cut part lines in drawings.
   	Divide by n: Divide a sketch object into a number of segments that you specify in an open drawing. For more information, see Divide sketch objects into multiple segments.
   	Split: Cut a sketch object into two pieces at a point you select in an open drawing. For more information, see Split sketch objects.
   	Straight chamfer: Create a straight chamfer between two lines using a distance that you specify. For more information, see Create chamfers in drawings.
   	Round chamfer: Create a round chamfer between two lines using a radius that you specify. For more information, see Create chamfers in drawings.
   	Fillet: connect two intersecting lines by extending the two selected lines to their intersection point by creating a fillet. For more information, see Create fillets in drawings.
   	Combine: Combine separate lines, continuous lines, and polylines into a single polyline or a closed polygon. For more information, see Combine and explode sketch objects in drawings.
   	Explode: Explode sketch objects like polylines, rectangles, or polygons into separate straight lines. For more information, see Combine and explode sketch objects in drawings.
   	Cover-up line, Cover-up polyline, Cover-up rectangle, and Cover-up polygon: Use for quickly hiding areas of building object faces or outlines in drawings. For more information, see Hide part face areas and outlines with cover-up tools.

2. For some of the commands, you can modify the sketch properties. For example, you can add hatch patterns in rectangles, polygons, and circles.

   For details, see "Drawing sketch object properties" below.

3. Create the objects by following the instructions below and on the status bar.

   To stop sketching, press Esc

Drawing sketch object properties

Setting	Description
Save, load and search properties in property pane	To load existing properties, select the properties from the list. To save the modified properties, click . You can also save the properties with another name. To search for a property, start typing the property name.
Line
Line type or Type	Define the line type of the object. To define your own line types, see Define customized line types.
Line color or Color	Define the color of the object lines. You can use a standard color or a custom RGB color.
Bulge or Bulge for all lines	Allowed values 0 - 1. The bulge factor defines the curvature of the curved segments of objects using the following calculation: Arc height = Line length * Bulge factor Changing the bulge factor of a polyline or polygon modifies all the segments of that object.
Radius	Define the radius of arcs and circles.
Arrow
Arrow	Define the end arrow type for lines.
Position	Define the arrow position: None, Left, Right, Left and right.
Arrow height	Define the arrow height.
Arrow length	Define the arrow length.
Fill: You can use hatches (fills) also in sketch objects, such as rectangles, polygons, , and circles.
Type	Define the fill type to be used in a sketch object. Clicking ... shows the available fill types. Note that all settings are not available for automatic or hardware hatches.
Color	Define the color of the fill. You can use a standard color or a custom RGB color. This setting is disabled for automatic hatches.
Background	Define the background color of the fill. You can use a standard color or a custom RGB color. This setting is disabled for hardware hatches.
Angle	Rotate the fill. Angle 0.0 is for horizontal and 90.0 for vertical rotation. This setting is disabled for hardware hatches and automatic hatches.
X offset for hatch Y offset for hatch	Move the fill pattern inside the object in the X and Y direction by the specified value. This setting is disabled for hardware hatches and automatic hatches.
Scaling in X direction Scaling in Y direction	Define the fill scales in the x and y direction. This setting is disabled for hardware hatches and automatic hatches.
Keep ratio of x and y	Retain the relative proportions in the hatch pattern. This setting is disabled for hardware hatches and automatic hatches.
Position
Behind model objects	Select to place the sketch object behind model objects. This setting is not available for all sketch objects.