Clip

Use it!

Used to crop a raster image (Clip Boundary), or to define a masked area (Clip Mask). An image can have one clipping boundary, but may have a number of clipping masks. Thus, when you create a new clipping boundary, any existing clipping boundary is cleared. When you create a clipping mask, however, it is added to any existing clipping masks for the selected image. New clipping masks cannot intersect previous clipping masks. If you try to intersect an existing clipping mask, an information box appears to tell you why your clipping mask is invalid.

The valid elements for clipping are circles, ellipses, squares, rectangles, B-splines and closed elements or shapes.

When applying clipping polygons to raster images in a 3D design file, the polygon's shape, used to clip the raster image, is that appearing in the Top view.

Tool Setting	Effect
Object	This option menu, lets you choose the type of object to be used to clip the raster image. Element — Lets you specify an existing (closed) element in the design file to use as a clipping polygon. Fence — Lets you use an existing fence as a clipping polygon. Block — Lets you interactively draw a block to be used as a clipping polygon.
Mode	This option menu lets you choose the clipping mode that is used to clip the raster image. Clip Boundary — Used when cropping images. The image is cropped back to the limits of the clipping object. Clip Mask — Used to mask a section within a raster image. This option lets you place a text box, for example, within a raster image file.

To crop a raster image using an element to define the boundary

1. Draw the element to define the clipping boundary.


2. Select the Clip tool.


3. In the tool settings window, set Object to Element and Mode to Clip Boundary.


4. If more than one raster image is attached to the design file, identify the raster image to be clipped.


5. Identify the clipping element.


6. Accept the element as the clipping polygon to clip the image.

To crop a raster image using a fence to define the boundary

1. Place a fence to define the clipping boundary.


2. Select the Clip tool.


3. In the tool settings window, set Object to Fence and Mode to Clip Boundary.


4. If more than one raster image is attached to the design file, identify the raster image to be clipped.


5. Accept the fence as the clipping polygon to clip the image.

To crop a raster image using a block to define the boundary

1. Select the Clip tool.


2. In the tool settings window, set Object to Block and Mode to Clip Boundary.


3. If more than one raster image is attached to the design file, identify the raster image to be clipped.


4. Enter a data point to define the first point of the block.


5. Enter a data point to define the opposite corner of the block.


6. Accept the block as the clipping polygon to clip the image.

To mask an area of a raster image using an element to define the boundary

1. Draw the element to define the mask boundary.


2. Select the Clip tool.


3. In the tool settings window, set Object to Element and Mode to Clip Mask.


4. If more than one raster image is attached to the design file, identify the raster image to be clipped.


5. Identify the clipping element.


6. Accept the element as the clipping polygon to mask part of the image.

To mask part of a raster image using a fence to define the boundary

1. Place a fence to define the clipping boundary.


2. Select the Clip tool.


3. In the tool settings window, set Object to Fence and Mode to Clip Mask.


4. If more than one raster image is attached to the design file, identify the raster image to be clipped.


5. Accept the fence as the clipping polygon to mask the image.

To mask part of a raster image using a block to define the boundary

1. Select the Clip tool.


2. In the tool settings window, set Object to Block and Mode to Clip Mask.


3. If more than one raster image is attached to the design file, identify the raster image to be clipped.


4. Enter a data point to define the first point of the block.


5. Enter a data point to define the opposite corner of the block.


6. Accept the block as the clipping polygon to mask the image.

Key-in: RASTER TOOLCLIP

Key-in: RASTER CLIP BOUNDARY

Key-in: RASTER CLIP MASK