Short description
๐ Convert3DFaceToPolyline is an AutoCAD and Civil 3D AutoLISP tooltip and command description for converting selected 3D Face objects into closed Polyline boundaries. It helps CAD users transform face-based DWG geometry into editable polyline outlines for drawing cleanup, drafting review, and Civil 3D production preparation.
Command:
๐งฐ Load the AutoLISP routine that defines Convert3DFaceToPolyline with APPLOAD or the project ribbon/tool palette loader.
๐ Run Convert3DFaceToPolyline from the AutoCAD command line or from the ribbon tooltip entry.
๐ Select one or more 3D Face or 3DFACE objects when prompted.
๐ The routine reads the vertex DXF data through entget, builds point variables such as pt1, pt2, pt3, and pt4, and creates closed polylines with the AutoCAD PLINE command.
๐ Target platform: AutoCAD and Civil 3D with standard AutoLISP command support.
Description:
๐ Convert3DFaceToPolyline is an AutoCAD and Civil 3D utility description for an AutoLISP workflow that converts selected 3D Face entities into closed Polyline geometry.
๐ The user runs Convert3DFaceToPolyline, selects 3D face objects in the drawing, and the program iterates through the selection set. For each selected face, the routine extracts the four vertex coordinates from the entity data and uses those points to draw a closed polyline outline.
๐ This workflow is useful when DWG files contain face-based geometry that needs to be reviewed, traced, simplified, exported, or managed as standard AutoCAD polyline boundaries. Civil 3D users can use the converted polyline outlines for cleanup, plan production, geometry checking, and preparation before other drafting or modeling tasks.
๐ง The provided file is a WPF or AutoCAD ribbon tooltip resource named Convert3DFaceToPolyline.xaml. It documents the command behavior and user workflow; the actual AutoLISP implementation must be loaded separately for the command to run.
Helper function: (if any)โ
- ๐ Command description resource –
Convert3DFaceToPolyline.xamldefines the ribbon tooltip content that explains the AutoLISP command workflow. - ๐ Selection logic –
ssgetis used by the described routine to let the user select one or more3D Faceentities from the active DWG. - ๐ Entity data extraction –
entgetretrieves the DXF data for each selected 3D face so vertex coordinates can be read from the entity definition. - ๐งฉ Vertex handling – the routine stores the four face corners in
pt1,pt2,pt3, andpt4before drawing the polyline. - ๐ข Polyline creation –
PLINEcreates the replacement outline from the extracted vertices. - ๐ Closed boundary output –
_CLOSEcloses the generated polyline so the result represents the original 3D face boundary. - ๐ด Invalid face handling – if a selected 3D face does not contain the expected four vertex points, the routine reports the problem and skips the invalid object.
- ๐ Ribbon tooltip integration –
Autodesk.Windows.RibbonToolTip,StackPanel, andTextBlockare used in the XAML file to present command help inside an AutoCAD ribbon environment.
Functionalities:
- ๐ Convert 3D faces to polylines – transforms selected face entities into practical editable AutoCAD polyline outlines.
- ๐ Select multiple 3D faces – processes a selection set so several objects can be converted in one command run.
- ๐ Extract face vertices – reads the four corner points from each selected 3D face using AutoLISP entity data.
- ๐งฉ Create closed polyline boundaries – builds closed shapes that visually represent the original 3D face perimeter.
- ๐ง Skip invalid geometry – reports 3D faces that do not contain the expected vertex information instead of stopping the whole workflow.
- ๐งน Support DWG cleanup – helps convert face-based legacy geometry into easier-to-edit CAD linework.
- ๐ Improve Civil 3D preparation – provides cleaner polyline geometry for review, drafting, surface-related preparation, and production drawing coordination.
- ๐ Provide ribbon help content – the XAML tooltip explains the command syntax, command behavior, important functions, and usage steps for users.
Result:
โ
The final result is an AutoCAD and Civil 3D workflow description for converting selected 3D Face objects into closed Polyline boundaries. It reduces manual tracing, improves drawing cleanup, makes face-based geometry easier to edit, and gives CAD users a clearer production workflow for managing 3D face outlines in DWG files.
Images, animations etc.
XAML code:
<ResourceDictionary xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation" xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" xmlns:src="clr-namespace:Autodesk.Windows;assembly=AdWindows"> <src:RibbonToolTip x:Key="Convert3DFaceToPolyline"> <src:RibbonToolTip.ExpandedContent> <StackPanel> <TextBlock Background="AntiqueWhite" TextAlignment="Left"> <Bold>Function Syntax: Convert3DFaceToPolyline</Bold> <LineBreak/> <Hyperlink>AI</Hyperlink> <LineBreak/> <Bold><Run Foreground="DodgerBlue">short_description:</Run></Bold><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ Convert3DFaceToPolyline is an AutoCAD and Civil 3D AutoLISP command description for converting selected </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="DarkRed">3D Face</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> objects into closed </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Polyline</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> boundaries.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="LimeGreen">The main benefit is faster DWG cleanup, easier CAD editing, and clearer Civil 3D production preparation.</Run><LineBreak/> <LineBreak/> <Bold><Run Foreground="DodgerBlue">command:</Run></Bold><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐งฐ Load the related AutoLISP routine with </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="Orange">APPLOAD</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> or your ribbon/tool palette loader.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ Run </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="Orange">Convert3DFaceToPolyline</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> from the AutoCAD command line.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ Select one or more </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="Orange">3D Face</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> or </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="Orange">3DFACE</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> objects when prompted.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ The routine uses </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="Orange">entget</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> to read vertices and </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="Orange">PLINE</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> plus </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="Orange">_CLOSE</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> to create closed polyline boundaries.</Run><LineBreak/> <LineBreak/> <Bold><Run Foreground="DodgerBlue">description:</Run></Bold><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ This AutoCAD and Civil 3D utility converts selected </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="DarkRed">3D Face</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> geometry into editable closed </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Polyline</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> outlines.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ The user selects the source faces, and the routine iterates through each selected entity.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ For every valid face, the four corner vertices are extracted and used to build a closed polyline representing the original perimeter.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="LimeGreen">This helps with DWG cleanup, legacy drawing conversion, drafting review, geometry checking, and Civil 3D production preparation.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="DarkOrange">The uploaded source is a XAML tooltip resource, so the AutoLISP command must be available separately for execution.</Run><LineBreak/> <LineBreak/> <Bold><Run Foreground="LimeGreen">helper_function:</Run></Bold><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="LimeGreen">Ribbon tooltip resource</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> - Convert3DFaceToPolyline.xaml documents the command inside an AutoCAD ribbon tooltip.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="LimeGreen">Selection set workflow</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> - ssget selects one or more 3D Face objects from the active drawing.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="LimeGreen">Entity data extraction</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> - entget reads the DXF data needed to extract source face vertices.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐งฉ </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="LimeGreen">Point variables</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> - pt1, pt2, pt3, and pt4 store the four face-corner coordinates before drawing.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ข </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="LimeGreen">Polyline creation</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> - PLINE creates the boundary from the extracted vertices.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="LimeGreen">Closed result</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> - _CLOSE closes the polyline so it represents the full 3D face perimeter.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ด </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Invalid geometry check</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> - faces without the expected four vertices are reported and skipped.</Run><LineBreak/> <LineBreak/> <Bold><Run Foreground="LimeGreen">functionalities:</Run></Bold><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="LimeGreen">Convert 3D Face to Polyline</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> - turns face entities into editable polyline outlines.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="LimeGreen">Batch select objects</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> - allows multiple 3D faces to be processed in one workflow.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="LimeGreen">Read four vertices</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> - extracts the source face corners from entity data.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐งฉ </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="LimeGreen">Create closed boundaries</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> - draws closed polylines that represent the selected 3D face perimeter.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐งน </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="LimeGreen">Clean legacy geometry</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> - replaces face-based outlines with simpler CAD linework.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="LimeGreen">Support Civil 3D workflows</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> - prepares polyline geometry for review, cleanup, drafting, and production coordination.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ท๏ธ </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="LimeGreen">Provide user help</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White"> - the XAML tooltip explains command syntax, important functions, and usage steps.</Run><LineBreak/> <LineBreak/> <Bold><Run Foreground="DodgerBlue">result:</Run></Bold><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">โ The final result is a lightweight AutoCAD and Civil 3D conversion workflow that creates closed polyline boundaries from selected 3D Face objects.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="LimeGreen">It reduces manual tracing, improves DWG cleanup, and makes face-based geometry easier to edit, inspect, and reuse.</Run><LineBreak/> <LineBreak/> <Bold><Run Foreground="DarkOrange">additional_info:</Run></Bold><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ The uploaded file is </Run><Bold><Run Foreground="Orange">Convert3DFaceToPolyline.xaml</Run></Bold><Run Foreground="White">, a tooltip resource, not the complete AutoLISP implementation.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ด The described command does not create Civil 3D surfaces, feature lines, alignments, corridors, profile views, section views, sample lines, labels, or bands.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ง The routine expects four vertex points per 3D face; unusual or triangular face definitions may require extra handling in the actual LISP.</Run><LineBreak/> <Run Foreground="White">๐ The command will run only when the corresponding AutoLISP code is loaded in AutoCAD or Civil 3D.</Run><LineBreak/> </TextBlock> <!-- Use MediaElement for GIF (static first frame) and Image as fallback --> </StackPanel> </src:RibbonToolTip.ExpandedContent> </src:RibbonToolTip> </ResourceDictionary>
Additional info:
Based on / Source code:
Comming soon …