TRIM (Command)

Trims objects to meet the edges of other objects.

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Overview

There are two modes that you can use to trim objects, Quick mode and Standard mode.

Quick Mode. To trim objects, select the objects to be trimmed individually, press and drag to start a freehand selection path, or pick two empty locations to specify a crossing Fence. All objects automatically act as cutting edges. Selected objects that can't be trimmed are deleted instead.

The Quick mode options are as follows:

• Cutting edges
• Fence (not listed as an option)
• Crossing
• Mode
• Project
• Erase

Standard Mode. To trim objects, first select the boundaries and press Enter. Then select the objects to be trimmed. To use all objects as boundaries, press Enter at the first Select Objects prompt.

The Standard mode options are as follows:

• Select cutting edges . . .
• Cutting edges
• Fence
• Crossing
• Mode
• Project
• Edge
• Erase
• Undo

Note: The TRIMEXTENDMODE system variable controls whether the TRIM command defaults to Quick or Standard behavior.

The following prompts are displayed either in Quick mode or Standard mode.

Select cutting edges . . . Specifies one or more objects to be used as a boundary for the trim. TRIM projects the cutting edges and the objects to be trimmed onto the XY plane of the current user coordinate system (UCS). In Quick mode, selecting an object that doesn't cross a boundary deletes the object instead.

Note: To select cutting edges that include blocks, you can use only the single selection, Crossing, Fence, and Select All options.

Select object to trim or shift-select to extend . . .

Specifies portions of objects to trim individually. Shift-select extends the selected objects rather than trimming them. This option provides an easy method to switch between trimming and extending.

Select all

Specifies that all objects in the drawing can be used as trim boundaries.

Object to trim

Specifies the object to trim. If more than one trim result is possible, the location of the first selection point determines the result.

Shift-select to extend

Extends the selected objects rather than trimming them. This option provides an easy method to switch between trimming and extending.

Cutting edges

Uses the additional selected objects to define the boundary edges to which you want to trim an object.

Fence

Selects all objects that cross the selection fence. The selection fence is a series of temporary line segments that you specify with two or more fence points. The selection fence does not form a closed loop.

Crossing

Selects objects within and crossing a rectangular area defined by two points.

Note: Some crossing selections of objects to be trimmed are ambiguous. TRIM resolves the selection by following along the rectangular crossing window in a clockwise direction from the first point to the first object encountered.

Mode

Sets the default trim mode either to Quick, which uses all objects as potential cutting edges or to Standard, which prompts you to select cutting edges.

Project

Specifies the projection method used when trimming objects.

None

Specifies no projection. The command trims only objects that intersect with the cutting edge in 3D space.

UCS

Specifies projection onto the XY plane of the current UCS. The command trims objects that do not intersect with the cutting edge in 3D space.

View

Specifies projection along the current view direction. The command trims objects that intersect the boundary in the current view.

Edge

Determines whether an object is trimmed at another object's extrapolated edge or only to an object that intersects it in 3D space.

Extend

Extends the cutting edge along its natural path to intersect an object in 3D space.

Note: Sets the EDGEMODE system variable to 1 so that trimming the selected object to an imaginary extension of the cutting edge becomes the default.

No Extend

Specifies that the object is trimmed only at a cutting edge that intersects it in 3D space.

Note: Sets the EDGEMODE system variable to 0 so that using the selected cutting edge without any extensions becomes the default.

Note: When trimming hatches, do not set Edge to Extend. If you do, gaps in the trim boundaries will not be bridged when trimming hatches, even when the gap tolerance is set to a correct value.

Erase

Deletes selected objects. This option provides a convenient method to erase unneeded objects without leaving the TRIM command.

Undo

Reverses the most recent change made by TRIM.