Exploding entities

The EXPLODE command converts complex entities, such as blocks, polylines, solids or dimensions into their component parts.

Exploding a polyline or dimension reduces it to a collection of individual line and arc entities that you can then modify individually.

Blocks are converted to the individual entities, possibly including other, nested blocks that composed the original entity.

MText entities explode into single line texts.

In general, exploding entities will have no visible effect in the drawing, except for:

  • If the original polyline had a width, the width information is lost when you explode it. The resulting lines and arcs follow the centerline of the original polyline.
  • If you explode a block containing attributes, the attributes are lost, but the original attribute definitions remain.
  • Colors and linetypes assigned BYBLOCK may appear different after exploding an entity, because they will adopt the default color and linetype.

The TXTEXP command explodes text entities into polylines. You can then use the JOIN command to create a single polyline for each letter. For some letters, such as a, e or p, a second polyline is needed for the ‘hole’).

Exploding entities

Do one of the following:

  • Launch the EXPLODE command.

    Select entities, then press Enter.

  • Select entities, then choose Explode in the Modify command group in the Quad.