Draw lines and polygons

Lines and polygons are quick ways to lay out a profile. A closed planar boundary can become a face, which is the starting point for many solid operations.

Draw connected lines

Choose Draw line (L). In the drawing options, choose Line and click to place the first point, then click the next point to create a segment. Keep clicking to continue a connected chain. To set an exact length, enter it in Length before placing the next point; the pointer sets the direction. Click the first point again to close the outline. Snap cues help you return to an existing point precisely. Press Escape to cancel the current drawing action.

For regular shapes, switch to Polygon in the drawing options. Set Sides from 3 to 64, then choose a placement method: Center & vertex, 3 vertices for triangles, or 2 corners for four-sided shapes. Optional radius, width, and height fields let you size the polygon. Center & vertex and 2 corners need two clicks; 3 vertices needs three. Click the displayed anchor point first, then place the remaining defining point or points.

A valid coplanar closed loop can become a face automatically. If it does not, check for a small gap, crossing edges, or points on different planes. If you already have boundary curves and need to create a surface explicitly, see Create a face.

Create a face explicitly

Choose Create face (F) and select boundary curves, or select them before choosing the tool. When the selection is ready, press Enter or leave the tool to create the face. Use the Method menu to choose a supported construction method. Inner loops can define holes. For the full workflow, see Create a face.

Once you have a face, extrude it or revolve it. Learn about placing points, arcs and circles, curves, and snapping for other boundary types.