After having had many problems trying to use the Wipeout command in AutoCAD, I have discovered some tips that make it easier. It’s not a comprehensive list by far, but it addresses some of the more frustrating situations I have encountered.

I generally use the Wipeout command only in blocks. That way the draworder, at least for that block, remains consistent.

Keep in mind that Wipeout will also affect lineweights. For example, wipeouts can be made only with polylines containing only line segments, so when I have a circular block that I need things behind not to show around, I draw a polyline all the way around the circle using the nearest Snap command, then offset it inside the circuit slightly so that I know it’s there. In the drawing, the circular block appears and things behind are masked, but when plotted (or previewed to plot) the circle’s lineweight is not consistent. The wipeout is blocking some of the lineweight. To fix this, I simply edit the block and send to back the wipeout using the Draworder command.

The wipeout itself needs to be on a layer that will plot, and that layer needs to be turned on. Within a block, I will put them on layer 0; that way they will be on the layer that they are inserted on and will therefore have all the attributes of that layer. If I am using wipeouts on their own (not in a block), then I create a separate layer (layer needs to be turned on and able to plot) to put them on that will stand out from the rest of my drawing so that I can see them more easily.

Before plotting, I make sure that the wipeouts themselves will not plot by using the Wipeout command, selecting the frames option, and setting it to D, Display Frames but Do Not Plot. Applying this command string to drawings that are received from other people prior to working with them is also a good idea, so you aren’t surprised by them later.

Sometimes the blocks containing wipeouts will not plot as wipeouts if placed on the same layer as information you are covering. In CAD it will appear that the wipeout is working correctly, but when printed it does not. To fix this, I use the Quickselect command to select all those blocks by name or by layer, then apply the draworder’s Bring to Front command.

Notes from Cadalyst tip reviewer R.K. McSwain: Wipeouts can be a little frustrating when you first start working with them. Depending on the situation, they may need to be on top of some entities but under other entities. These are some solid tips from Jessica to help make things work.