Offset

Offset is a frequently used command which helps us create graphics of the same kind such as concentric circles, parallel lines and so on. This post introduces the basics of Offset command by drawing the section of axle hole.

   Offset is a really helpful command when it comes to drawing concentric circles and arcs. The red part of the following drawing is a typical use of Offset.

How to use Offset?

1. Click on “Offset” button or enter O, and then press Enter
2. From the prompts, we can see that CAD provides two Offset modes —- distance and through.

“Through” is to offset an object through a specified point.

When prompted with the above message, we could either enter the offset distance or directly press Enter to move to the next step to select the object.

Alternatively, we could enter T (Through) when prompted with the above message, and then press Enter, this way, we’’ ll have to specify through point for the offset.

3. Please note that when prompted to select an object, just select the red circle in the following drawing.

4. When prompted to specify through point, just select point 1.

5. After specifying the through point, we can see how Offset works in the following drawing.

Using the same steps, we can also offset circles through point 2 and point 3.

As you can see in the command line when you offset an object, there are “Erase”, “Layer”, “Multiple” options, I will talk more about these options in my future posts.

In this post, I offset circles, but please note that Offset command supports many graphics from simple lines and arcs to Polyline, Ellipse, and Spline. How about doing some exercise with one of them?