How to Erase an Object or Group of Objects

Toolbar Erase Method:

1. Pick the Erase Icon from the Toolbar (which looks like a pencil eraser).

2. The command prompt will now ask you to "Select object(s)". This means to pick the lines, arcs, and circles you want to erase, i.e. make an "object selection set." You can pick these objects one at a time, after which each object picked will be highlighted in a different color or a different linetype. Alternatively, you can pick a blank area to the left of the objects you wish to select, and then stretch a rectangular "window" to the right, enclosing the entire object within the window. All objects that are completely enclosed in the rectangular window will be temporarily highlighted, meaning that they have been selected. Once all of the objects you want to erase are highlighted, type <RET> (or the right button of the mouse) and they will be erased.

Another method of selecting objects for erasing is to pick a blank area of the drawing to the right of the objects you wish to select, and then stretching a rectangular "crossing window" to the left. The outline of the crossing window will be shown in dashed lines. All objects which are either totally enclosed within this crossing window or which are partially enclosed (so-called "crossing" the window) will be temporarily highlighted, meaning that they have been selected. Once all of the objects you want to erase are highlighted, type <RET> (or the right button of the mouse) and they will be erased.

To manually create a "window" or a "crossing window," selection, type the letter "W" or "C" prior to starting to draw the corners of the window.

If you have selected too many objects and want to take some out of the selection set, type the letter "R" (for "Remove") and pick the objects you want to remove from the selection set. You could also hold the <Shift> key down while picking objects which have already been selected to unpick them. These removed objects will return to their non-highlighted appearance.

Conversely, if you have removed too many objects from the object selection set after typing the "R" sub-command to remove, and you want to add more objects to the selection set, type the letter "A" (for "Add") and pick the objects you want to add to the selection set. These objects will become highlighted.

3. Once you are satisfied with the object selection set for erasing, type <RET> to confirm the object selection. At the <RET>, all objects selected will be erased.

Note that if you made a mistake and you realize after you erased something that you did not want to erase it, you can either type OOPS <RET> or U <RET>. These two "rescue" commands are slightly different. The first command (OOPS) replaces the last thing erased and can be used at any time during a drawing session, even after performing other drawing or editing commands. The second one (U) stands for "Undo" and it will convey you back one step at a time in reverse order to the drawing or editing sequence. You can "Undo" to the beginning of the drawing, if you want, by successively typing U <RET> one after another.
 
 

Other Methods of Erasing Objects

Pull-down menu Erase method:

1. Pick "Modify" header in Pull-down menu

2. Pick "Erase" from Modify Pull-down menu. A sub-sub menu will appear to the right.

3. Follow from step 2 above.
 
 

 On-screen menu Erase method: 1. Select from the root menu: EDIT This will bring up the editing sub-menu.

2. Select from the EDIT sub-menu, the word ERASE.

3. Follow from step 2 above.
 
 

 Keyboard Erase method: 1. Type E<Ret> from the keyboard

2. Follow from step 2 above.
 
 

 Grips Erase Method: 1. At the Command: prompt, select the items you want to erase by picking them directly with the pickbox which is always present at the crosshairs center. You can also pick objects by using either a regular window (picking in space from left to right) or a crossing window (picking in space from right to left). This will highlight the objects selected and put "grips" (small blue squares) on their endpoints.

2. Type E <RET> or select the erase icon in the Toolbar. Everything highlighted will be erased.