This chapter describes all the utility functions currently available with TOP.

Contrarily to the entire application, these utilities are not destined only to mechanical designers, but to those who need extra help in AutoCAD drawing. These functions are complementary to all AutoCAD functions available to the designer.

Some of those utilities are new compared to the traditional AutoCAD commands, others draw on some appropriately modified. Thus, performance and functionality are optimized.

These innovations are Construction Lines and Circles. These functions allow drawing – with a set special linetype – horizontal/vertical lines, tangent lines, concentric circles, tangent circles, etc. and giving a valid reference on the drawing. These lines and circles can be hidden, erased or recovered with the appropriate commands. They do not have to be displayed, at the end of the drawing nor plotted. Their function is to give exact references to the designer.

The functions Fillet and Chamfer are complementary. They link or top two lines with some, but important differences compared to the AutoCAD commands. These can draw a link or a topping without modifying the second line selected. It is also possible that two linked or topped lines are linked by two thin continuous lines (to have a reference in the links dimensions). It is also possible to top two lines specifying only the distance to the first line and the bevel angle.

The commands described in paragraph Special Modifications are practical shortcuts of two combined AutoCAD commands. With one command you can move and rotate, or rotate and move, or copy and move, or rotate and copy a selection of objects. Thus, it is possible to select once the elements a use one command instead of two.

Other AutoCAD complementary commands concern "Special Texts". It can insert a text in the drawing with settings available in the customization file. There are set one Normal text and one Highlighted with one colour, one style and one height.

The welding functions are utilities destined to the mechanical designers. They can draw circular, linear welding or welding triangles with the settings in the customization file (customizable with a dialogue box).

The Working Marks and Roughness functions allow the user to insert in the drawing certain symbols to indicate the processing degree of a surface.

The functions described in the paragraph Mechanical Drawing are specifically conceived for mechanical designers,. They draw a shaft with different lengths and diameters, a rupture per shaft, the section axles and their references to any part, the cracks for flaps on shafts and hubs, the spline shafts and the break lines. These functions support those who have to draw with accuracy mechanical details without loosing time.

Moreover, always under the mechanical designer, is provided a convenient set of functionality, aimed at calculating and to the design of Trasmissions, with both chains and belts. These functions are designed to accompany the user step by step from the design of Sprockets orPulleys, through the selection of chains or belt, up to the adaptation and design of the transmission path.

The functions on the Dimensions are more general. They dimension holes and put before the dimension’s text the symbol of the simple or the threaded diameter. Other commands dimension a number of selected holes according to a reference point and display the measurements on the table.

There are commands regarding the Tolerances, which allow inserting the tolerance symbols and values on the dimensions and the texts. They also insert special geometrical tolerance symbols.

There are also a number of Special functions which optimize the drawing: zoom, manage blocks displayable before insertion, dimension lengths and angles, and other.

To understand better the utilities, hereinafter are listed and described their commands.