WALLFILL
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Keyboard shortcut: WF
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Compatible with AutoCAD Versions: 2000, 2000i, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

WALL FILL

This command creates a pline (polyline) midway between two lines/plines that make up a wall. The thickness of the pline is the same as the distance between the two lines/plines so that it "fills" the wall.

Alternate method:

Many people have found that in AutoCAD release 2000 and later it is easier to fill walls with the "SOLID" hatch. This works just like any other hatch and will even stretch with the walls (assuming nothing has happened to remove the associativity of the hatch). The main drawback to doing wall fill by hatching is that the hatch cannot be trimmed when inserting an opening (like with the door or window commands). Any change in the geometry of the walls that the hatch fills (beyond just stretching) will force you to erase and redo the hatch. Another drawback is that the "SOLID" hatch may have to be changed to the correct layer for wall fill (or worse it may NOT get changed) while the WALLFILL command always puts the fill on the correct layer. Try it both ways and decide which works the best for you and your office.

User configurable options: none

Layers:

If you are using "No Layer Control" the fill pline will be drawn on whatever layer is current. See the Layer Control section of the APS Configuration Utility.

The default layer type for this fill pline is "Wall Fill".
- If you are using "Direct Layer Assignment" the layer name is assigned to this layer type in the Layer assignments portion of the Layer Control section of the APS-CONFIG command.
- If you are using "Layer Schemes" the layer name is assigned to this layer type in the Assigning Layer Names to Layer Types portion of the SCHEMEDIT command.
The layer type for this command can be changed in the Assigning Layer Types to Commands portion of the Layer Control section of the APS-CONFIG command.

Known limitations:

The length of the fill pline is the same length as the first wall line/pline selected. This can mean that sometimes the fill pline will not be the appropriate length. Extend, trim or stretch the fill pline as needed or select a more appropriate first wall line/pline (if one exists).
This command does NOT work with Mlines.
Submit a limitation not listed.

Alternate uses:

The lines/plines do not have to be walls. Use this command any time that you need a pline to fill between two lines/plines.
Submit an alternate use not listed

SAMPLE WALLFILL COMMAND SYNTAX:

Command:
Command: WF
Command: WALLFILL

Select first wall line to offset:

Select the first of the two wall lines. This is the line/pline that will be "offset". In other words the "fill" pline that will be created will be the same length as the line selected here. For more on which line to select first see the section below on Using the WALLFILL command.

Select other wall line:

Select the line/pline that makes up the other side of the wall.

--the pline "fill" line is drawn the thickness of the wall--

Using the WALLFILL command

As you use the WALLFILL command you will begin to get a feel for which line to select first and which second. Whether or not you use continuous plines for your walls or regular lines also affects how you would use this command so we will show examples of each.

[Continuous plines]

If we use the above example and assume that each side of the wall is a continuous pline we could fill the walls as follows:

Example 1

Select line 1
Then line 2
Creates

Example 2

Select line 1
Then line 2
Usually creates

Both methods above can create the fill shown. If we start by selecting the wall line with the "finger" in it (like example 2) the offset for this line can sometimes be unpredictable (the newer versions of AutoCAD seem to be better). Therefore the WALLFILL result can also be a little unpredictable. When presented with a situation like the examples above we recommend that you choose the lines in the order shown in example 1.

Select line 1
Then line 2
Creates

Now to finish filling in the wall. Even though we are actually selecting the same pline twice, this command knows to fill the "finger" wall as shown.

[end - Continuous plines]

[Standard lines]

We will use the same example as above only with standard lines...

Select line 1
Then line 2
Creates

With lines we have a different set of worries, here we just have to make sure that we select the wall lines in the correct order so that they always fill the corners.

Select line 1
Then line 2
Creates

Since this first fill pline has covered the corner we may select either of wall lines first. In this example if we had selected the top line first the fill line would overlap the existing fill line and would have covered both corners. For this example we will select the lines in an order that will cover each corner only once, but don't bog yourself down with trying to get it all selected in the perfect order. Getting the corners covered is the most important thing and even if you goof and leave a corner open it is easy enough just to extend or stretch one of the fill plines to cover it.

Select line 1
Then line 2
Creates

This corner has been left open so we must select the line that will cover the corner.

Select line 1
Then line 2
Creates

Once again we must select the line that will cover the corner.

Select line 1
Then line 2
Creates

To finish filling the wall we just have the "finger" wall to do.

[end - Standard lines]

Handy tip:

When selecting the second wall line, if for some reason it is difficult to select the wall line directly opposite of the first wall line selected, you may select another line that lines up with the wall line directly opposite.

Select line 1.
Hmmm...the wall line opposite is going to be hard to select so...
select line 2 here or

here
and since either lines up with the line opposite the first wall line selected you will get the wall filled like this.