Autodesk 00308-011408-9F30A - VLA AUTOSKETCH R8-MEDIA W9X/NT User Manual Download Page 351

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341

Retrieving Data
From a Drawing

Once you’ve created and assigned fields to entities in

your drawing, you need to be able to access and

organize that information in a useful way. You can

retrieve information from your drawings using three

methods:

■

By creating database reports formatted in

spreadsheet-like grids.

■

By exporting data to a spreadsheet or database.

■

By displaying text from the database directly in the

drawing.

In this chapter

■

Creating reports

■

Organizing reports

■

Sending information to
other applications

■

Displaying values in
a drawing

Summary of Contents for 00308-011408-9F30A - VLA AUTOSKETCH R8-MEDIA W9X/NT

Page 1: ...October 2001 AutoSketch User s Guide RELEASE 8 ...

Page 2: ...rface Autodesk Animator Clips Autodesk Animator Theatre Autodesk Device Interface Autodesk Inventor Autodesk PhotoEDIT Autodesk Software Developer s Kit Autodesk Streamline Autodesk View DwgX AutoFlix AutoSnap AutoTrack Built with ObjectARX logo ClearScale Colour Warper Combustion Concept Studio Content Explorer cornerStone Toolkit Dancing Baby image DesignCenter Design Doctor Designer s Toolkit D...

Page 3: ...age 4 System Requirements 4 Device Drivers 5 Installing AutoSketch 5 Registering AutoSketch 6 About This Guide 6 Visual Cues 7 Illustrations 8 Online Help 9 Chapter 2 Important Concepts 11 Entities 13 Properties 15 Coordinates 15 Drawing Origin 16 Grid Origin 17 Drawing Scale 17 Layers 17 ...

Page 4: ...ning Two Drawings 38 Saving a Drawing 39 Closing a Drawing 41 Finding a Drawing 41 Accessing Autodesk Point A 42 Chapter 5 Setting Up a New Drawing 43 The Wizards 44 Creating a New Drawing 44 Selecting a Template 46 Setting the Drawing Scale 47 Moving the Drawing Origin 49 Setting the Page Size 51 Using Rulers 53 Setting the Margins 54 Setting the Units of Measurement 54 Setting the International ...

Page 5: ...e Web 83 Customizing a Publish to Web Template 84 Chapter 8 Controlling Views 87 Viewing Several Areas at Once 88 Using Preset Views 90 Zooming In and Out 90 Panning Across the Drawing 92 Using the IntelliMouse 93 Returning to a Previous View 94 Saving and Recalling Views 94 Viewing Drawing Details 95 Redrawing a Pane or Window 97 Arranging Drawing Windows 97 Chapter 9 Entering Modifying Points 99...

Page 6: ...5 Part III Basic Drawing 127 Chapter 11 Lines 129 Drawing Single Lines 130 Drawing Connected Lines 131 Drawing a Line in Relation to an Entity 134 Chapter 12 Polylines Polygons Curves 137 Drawing Polylines 139 Sketching 141 Drawing Irregular Polygons 143 Drawing Clouds 145 Drawing Regular Polygons 147 Drawing Curves 151 Chapter 13 Arcs Circles 155 Drawing Arcs Based on Points 157 Drawing Circles B...

Page 7: ...tings 194 Changing Isometric Origin Settings 195 Chapter 16 Pen Pattern Properties 197 Setting Pen Properties 198 Using Color Palettes 200 Setting the Pattern Properties of an Entity 202 Creating a Boundary Fill 203 Matching Entity Properties 206 Changing the Hatch Spacing and Angle 207 Adding Bitmap Images for Bitmap Fills 207 Part IV Annotating a Drawing 209 Chapter 17 Working With Text 211 Plac...

Page 8: ...ter 19 Markers 241 Placing a Marker 242 Selecting a Marker Type 245 Part V Editing Entities 247 Chapter 20 Selecting Deleting Entities 249 Selecting Entities with the Mouse 250 Selecting All Entities in a Drawing 252 Using the Selection Modifier 252 Aligning the Selection Handles 255 Clearing a Selection Set 256 Modifying the Properties for the Entire Selection Set 256 Marquee Selection 257 Deleti...

Page 9: ...Joining Entities 294 Combining Two Polygons 295 Creating a Polygon from the Intersection of Two Polygons 296 Subtracting One Polygon From Another 296 Chapter 24 Reshaping Entities 299 Selecting Vertices 301 Moving and Aligning Vertices 301 Moving a Segment 303 Adding a Vertex Segment or Bulge 303 Editing the Properties of a Polyline or Polygon Segment 305 Controlling the Visibility of a Segment 30...

Page 10: ...As a Database 331 Chapter 27 Storing Data in a Drawing 333 Creating Fields 334 Assigning Fields and Values to Entities 335 Calculated Values 336 Removing Fields 339 Chapter 28 Retrieving Data From a Drawing 341 Creating Reports 342 Organizing Reports 344 Sending Information to Other Applications 345 Displaying Values in a Drawing 347 Including AutoFields 348 Chapter 29 Using Web Tools 351 Assignin...

Page 11: ...1 Part 1 First Things to Know Chapter 1 Welcome Chapter 2 Important Concepts Chapter 3 Screen Layout ...

Page 12: ...2 ...

Page 13: ...exibility afforded by Windows NT 4 0 Windows 98 Windows ME Windows 2000 or Windows XP Uses for AutoSketch include Engineering drawings Architectural drawings Electrical schematics Facility plans Office layouts Interior design drawings Process flow diagrams Maps Business graphics In this chapter Contents of package System requirements Device drivers Installing AutoSketch Registering AutoSketch Abou...

Page 14: ...d use the software The package includes the following items AutoSketch CD AutoSketch Getting Started Guide Read This First card System Requirements To run AutoSketch on your computer the following software and hardware are required Minimum System Requirements Microsoft Windows NT 4 0 Windows 98 Windows ME Windows 2000 or Windows XP AutoSketch is not compatible with earlier versions of Windows Pent...

Page 15: ...your hard drive To install AutoSketch you must run the setup appli cation from the AutoSketch CD Before installing AutoSketch you must have Windows NT 4 0 Windows 98 Windows ME Windows 2000 or Windows XP installed on your system Refer to your Windows online Help for information on installing and configuring Windows To install AutoSketch 1 Insert the AutoSketch CD into your CD ROM drive Installatio...

Page 16: ... be launched during installation Registering makes you eligible for technical support and for early notification when new product releases become available It also provides Autodesk with important information about how you use your software About This Guide You can use this guide both as a tool for learning AutoSketch and as a refer ence manual after you re familiar with the software This guide is...

Page 17: ...indows ME Windows 2000 or Windows XP online Help before attempting any serious work with AutoSketch Visual Cues This guide uses certain symbols and typographical conventions to help you find information quickly They are listed here Typographical conventions Convention Meaning item in a list 1 step in a procedure Bold denotes something you must type exactly as it appears Italics signals a new term ...

Page 18: ... in procedural illustrations Elements used in procedural illustrations Convention Meaning existing entity new entity imaginary line e g rubber band line or line used to show alignment mouse click that selects an entity or a point the number when present specifies the mouse click s position in a series of clicks click and drag operation beginning of arrow indicates where to start end of arrow indic...

Page 19: ...lus information not found in the guide Advanced topics such as information on tracing importing and exporting and customizing AutoSketch are found exclu sively in online Help For a complete list of topics which appear exclusively in online Help refer to the Appendix on page 357 To access the online Help system click AutoSketch Help on the Help menu or press F1 ...

Page 20: ...10 Chapter 1 Welcome ...

Page 21: ... of AutoSketch is its ability to store drawing information in a database From the manufacturer of a product to the World Wide Web address of the company where you can buy it AutoSketch allows you to create drawings that are greater than their appear ance This chapter introduces you to the general concepts of AutoSketch so that you can take full advantage of its power In this chapter Entities Prope...

Page 22: ...you to zoom in or out of your drawing almost without limit And during all of this it keeps track of the scale of your drawing showing you exactly how it will appear when printed But there is more to a AutoSketch drawing than the way it looks Underlying each drawing is a database a series of predefined and user defined proper ties that you can use as a basis for selecting entities generating report...

Page 23: ...ygons Curves which begins on page 137 Detail view An entity that displays a portion of a previously saved view For more information see Viewing Drawing Details on page 95 Dimension A dimension is a predefined collection of lines arcs markers and text used to display a measurement in the drawing The text label is updated automatically when you stretch or reshape the dimension For more information s...

Page 24: ...e it as needed For more information see Tracing in AutoSketch in online Help Polygon A polygon is a closed polyline that can contain a fill pattern Use a polygon when you need to know the area of an enclosed region or when you need to fill an area with a hatch pattern bitmap fill or a solid color For more information see the chapter titled Polylines Polygons Curves which begins on page 137 Polylin...

Page 25: ... and style A resistor symbol for a printed circuit board could have fields for resistance wattage and tolerance You can assign fields to any entity except a text entity a marker or a dimen sion A field has two components a field name such as Manufacturer and a value such as AAA Casements Assigning this value to the Manufacturer field of a window symbol attaches that information to the symbol Coord...

Page 26: ...e two dimensional views of a three dimensional object Drawing Origin AutoSketch locates most points in relation to the drawing origin even if you move the grid origin If you move the drawing origin on the page the entire drawing shifts to reflect that change The drawing origin appears onscreen as colored arrows indicating the positive x and y and if isometric z directions It does not appear on pri...

Page 27: ... You can also create scaleless 1 1 draw ings in AutoSketch without regard for scale Specifying a drawing scale however has two important benefits It allows AutoSketch to accurately depict onscreen how your drawing will look on a printed page And it allows you to specify entities such as text markers and dimensions by output size This is usually more convenient than specifying such entities accordi...

Page 28: ...18 Chapter 2 Important Concepts ...

Page 29: ...ovide detailed information on standard Windows concepts or on specific menu items For information on standard Windows concepts such as the mouse the Control menu the window border the maximize button dialog box controls and so on refer to Windows online Help In this chapter Title bar Menu bar Drawing windows Drawing and grid origin Toolbars Property bar Edit bar Status bar Content Librarian Pop up...

Page 30: ...xit AutoSketch by clicking the Control menu box then clicking close on the drop down menu Double clicking the Control menu box at the left end of the title bar is another quick way to exit If AutoSketch is running in a window rather than maximized dragging the title bar moves the entire window on the desktop Menu Bar You can choose menu items using either the mouse or the keyboard To use the mouse...

Page 31: ...he item s name You can use the techniques for choosing menu items in combination For instance you could press ALT D to choose Draw then use the down arrow to choose Line then use the mouse to click Single Drawing Windows The large area in the center of the AutoSketch screen is the workspace This area contains drawing windows for each open drawing The amount of memory in your computer limits the nu...

Page 32: ...id is invisible It is the grid to which points snap when you use Gridpoint snap The major and minor grids are comprised of lines crosses or dots and appear onscreen for reference only They do not appear on printed output You can also create guidelines whose purpose is similar to the reference grid Guidelines are lines which extend infinitely or circles to which you can snap points to help you draw...

Page 33: ... object you are drawing or the current page output size depending on which ruler is active To switch between rulers click the toggle button in the upper left corner of the drawing window To hide rulers from view uncheck the Rulers check box on the Appearance page of the View Options dialog box For more information on using Rulers in AutoSketch see Using Rulers on page 53 Split Boxes Split boxes al...

Page 34: ...igin By default the drawing and grid origins are located in the lower left corner of the drawing page AutoSketch measures all points in relation to the draw ing origin You can easily change the location of the origin but if you move the origin all entities in the drawing move with it To hide the origin from view uncheck the Drawing Origin check box on the Appearance page of the View Options dialog...

Page 35: ...contains buttons that perform some of the most com mon tasks in AutoSketch such as opening copying and printing files and so on Buttons on the left side of the Standard toolbar are exactly the same as other toolbars in Microsoft Office 97 compatible products The Standard toolbar also contains the context sensitive Help button which you can use to display pop up window Help on buttons or anything e...

Page 36: ...y setting on the property bar If you forget the meaning of an item on the property bar or in a drop down list hold the pointer over it for a moment and a ToolTip and status bar message appears The Pattern control is somewhat different from other controls on the prop erty bar It applies only to polygons and closed curves The Pattern control has three settings None specifies no pattern fill Solid co...

Page 37: ...ulge factors and other information appropriate to the entity that is selected You can change any of these values by clicking in the appropriate text box to place an insertion point then entering the new value on the keyboard and pressing ENTER If you want to change more than one value use TAB to move the insertion point to the next text box to the right You can change the location of the edit bar ...

Page 38: ...ight end of the status bar The coordinates on the left display the absolute location of the point its position in relation to the draw ing origin and the coordinates on the right display the relative location of the point its position in relation to the last point entered You can specify whether AutoSketch displays coordinates as XY polar or isometric coordinates To change the type of coordinates ...

Page 39: ...re displayed by checking their correspond ing check boxes You can specify whether the status bar is hidden or displayed by right clicking any bar and clicking Status on the pop up menu If Status is checked it is displayed If it is unchecked it is hidden from view The same is true for all bars listed on the pop up menu ...

Page 40: ...ways At the bottom of the Content Librarian click the appropriate tool for placing symbols by their basepoint inserting them in lines or creating arrays The Content Librarian also allows you to fill a bounded area with a solid color hatch or bitmap fill Simply click the solid color hatch or bitmap fill on the Content Librarian drag it into the drawing and drop it in an area that is bounded on all ...

Page 41: ... provide brief information about the name or nature of toolbar buttons and controls AutoSketch displays a ToolTip next to a button if you place the pointer over the button and pause a moment Additional informa tion is shown on the status bar You can hide ToolTips from view by uncheck ing the Show ToolTips check box in the Toolbars dialog box To display the Toolbars dialog box click Toolbars on the...

Page 42: ...32 Chapter 3 Screen Layout ...

Page 43: ...les Chapter 4 Opening Saving Drawings Chapter 5 Setting Up a New Drawing Chapter 6 Customizing the Grid Chapter 7 Printing Plotting Chapter 8 Controlling Views Chapter 9 Entering Modifying Points Chapter 10 Entering Lengths Angles ...

Page 44: ...34 ...

Page 45: ...rawing Before you can work on a drawing you must open it that is display it on your screen Once the drawing file is open you can modify print save and view it In this chapter Opening a drawing file Combining two drawings Saving a drawing Closing a drawing Finding a Drawing Accessing Autodesk Point A ...

Page 46: ...ed on Internet or FTP locations using the Open command on the File menu You can open a file as read only to protect you from accidentally making changes to an important drawing If you check the Open as Read Only check box and then try to save changes AutoSketch displays a message that the file is read only If you need to modify the original open it without using the read only feature To open a rec...

Page 47: ... Documents folder or the Personal folder depending on which operating system you are using the Desktop or the Favorites folder 3 Click the name of the drawing you want to open in the Filename list box or enter the name of the drawing in the Filename text box 4 optional If you want to open a file of a different type click a new file type from the Files of Type drop down list box For more informatio...

Page 48: ...r option enter a user name in the combo box 7 Enter a password in the Password text box 8 Click Add 9 Click OK to return to the Open Drawing File dialog box 10 Navigate the FTP site using standard Windows navigation methods 11 From the list of drawings select the drawing you want to open 12 Click Open Combining Two Drawings You can add the contents of another drawing to the current drawing by merg...

Page 49: ...15 to 20 minutes or after you ve com pleted any work you wouldn t want to redo TIP AutoSketch can automatically save your drawing periodically using the Automatic Save feature For information about how to enable Automatic Save see online Help Before you save a drawing for the first time it is recommended that you assign project information about your drawing Project information is descriptive text...

Page 50: ...r Save As The Save Drawing File dialog box appears 2 In the Filename text box enter a filename AutoSketch automatically adds a SKF extension unless you specify another extension 3 Click Save To save a drawing to a different name format drive or folder 1 On the File menu click Save As The Save Drawing File dialog box appears 2 If you want to save the drawing under another name enter a new file name...

Page 51: ...s have unsaved changes you are prompted to save them before you close the files Finding a Drawing AutoSketch s Find tool allows you to search for a drawing based on it s file name file type or even its last modified date To find a drawing 1 On the File menu click Open or click the Open File button on the Standard toolbar The Open Drawing File dialog box appears 2 On the Tool menu click Find 3 On t...

Page 52: ...esources and services provide one stop productivity improvement for Autodesk customers Clicking the Point A button launches the Point A site in your Internet browser To access Autodesk Point A Click the Point A button on the standard toolbar to launch Autodesk Point A in your Internet browser ...

Page 53: ...is chapter discusses most of the options available when starting a new drawing For a discussion of grid options see the chapter titled Customizing the Grid on page 59 In this chapter The WIzards Creating a new drawing Selecting a template Setting the drawing scale Moving the drawing origin Setting the page size Using rulers Setting the margins Setting the units of measure ...

Page 54: ...box appears when you first begin AutoSketch and allows you to Start new drawings Select from a list of the most recently opened drawings Load a template You can also begin a new drawing after you have started a drawing session The New dialog box is a simpler form of the Start Up dialog box Both list two ways to begin a drawing Create New Drawing From Scratch allows you to begin drawing immediately...

Page 55: ...k Create New Drawing From Scratch then click OK To create a new drawing using custom settings 1 On the File menu click New The New dialog box appears 2 Click Create Precision Drawing then click OK 3 The New Drawing File Wizard presents a series of dialog boxes that walk you through the process of setting up your drawing If you don t want the Start Up dialog box or the New dialog box to appear they...

Page 56: ...elect a template 1 In the Start Up dialog box click the Template page tab 2 Click a new template from the Template list box Notice that a preview of the template style appears in the Preview window 3 optional Check the Use Selection as New Default check box When this option is checked your selection becomes the new default template 4 Click OK OR 1 Click New on the File menu then click the Template...

Page 57: ...g Scale The drawing scale is the ratio of an object s size on scaled output to its real world size AutoSketch lets you draw and measure using the real world size of the items you are drawing This allows you to enter lengths using real world measurements AutoSketch uses the drawing scale to resize your printed drawing For example in a drawing whose scale is at one quarter inch equals one foot a lin...

Page 58: ...he drawing scale to a custom scale 1 On the Tools menu click Drawing Options The Drawing Options dialog box appears 2 Click the Scale page tab 3 Click the page tab for Any Scale Architectural Engineering Mapping or Metric 4 Click Custom Scale from the list box 5 Enter the page units in the Page Output text box 6 Enter the actual units in the Actual World text box The ratio of the page units to the...

Page 59: ... the drawing origin is not displayed 9 Click Add The scale you created is added to the list of custom scales 10 Click OK NOTE If you click Select After OK from the Drawing Origin drop down list box you can use the mouse and any snap to place the drawing origin on the page Moving the drawing origin causes all entities in the drawing to move the same distance and direction on the page Moving the Dra...

Page 60: ...xt boxes to specify the location of the drawing origin on the page These coordinates are measured in relation to the page size from the lower left corner of the page 5 Click OK To reposition the drawing origin using the mouse 1 On the Tools menu click Drawing Options The Drawing Options dialog box appears 2 Click the Scale page tab 3 Click Select After OK from the Drawing Origin drop down list box...

Page 61: ...ick OK in each dialog box Setting the Page Size You can set the page size by Using the page size of the current Windows printer Specifying a standard size Entering a tiling pattern based on the printer page Entering custom measurements When you create a new drawing AutoSketch sets the page size using the size of the current Windows printer If you need to create a drawing larger than the paper size...

Page 62: ...ge tab 3 Click the Standard Size option button 4 Click an item from the page size drop down list box 5 Click either portrait or landscape from the orientation drop down list box 6 Click OK To set the page size by tiling printer pages together 1 On the File menu click Page Setup The Page Setup dialog box appears 2 Click the Size page tab 3 Click the Tiling Pattern option button 4 Enter the number o...

Page 63: ...or more infor mation on setting the current page size see Setting the Page Size on page 51 Alternating between page output rulers and actual world rulers is as simple as clicking the mouse To alternate between actual world rulers and page output rulers Click the actual or page icon in the upper left corner of the drawing window where the top and left rulers intersect To change the actual world sca...

Page 64: ...just the margins 1 On the File menu click Page Setup The Page Setup dialog box appears 2 Click the Margins page tab 3 Enter the margin values in the appropriate text boxes 4 Click OK Setting the Units of Measurement You can set the default units of measurement using the Drawing Options dialog box The default units of measurement are the ones used by AutoSketch to display measurements AutoSketch al...

Page 65: ...4 optional Check the Show Leading Zeros check box 5 optional Click the Period or Comma option button in the Decimal Symbol section 6 Click OK Setting the Linear Units AutoSketch allows you to choose from nine standard units of measurement for lengths Six are English measures and three are Metric You can also specify the precision AutoSketch uses to display decimal and fractional linear values sepa...

Page 66: ...ect the angular units of measurement from the first drop down list box in the Angle section 4 optional Select a value from the Decimal Precision drop down list box 5 optional Select a method in the Orientation drop down list box 6 Click OK Setting the Area Units of Measurement AutoSketch allows you to choose from eight standard units of measurement for areas Five are English measurements and three...

Page 67: ... unitless numbers such as symbol scale or a bulge factor for a polyline segment The choices for decimal precision range from 1 to 0 0000001 To set the decimal precision 1 On the Tools menu click Drawing Options The Drawing Options dialog box appears 2 Click the Units page tab 3 Click a precision from the Precision drop down list box in the Scalar section 4 Click OK ...

Page 68: ...58 Chapter 5 Setting Up a New Drawing ...

Page 69: ... visual aid for drawing or increase the precision and uniformity of the points you enter by using Gridpoint snap to automatically snap points to the grid This chapter describes the three different types of reference grids available in AutoSketch and how you can use them to your advantage In this chapter Changing the grid Using guidelines Using the Grid edit bar Using the Grid toolbar ...

Page 70: ...s Circular grids extend radially from the grid origin They provide an excel lent reference tool for drawings that require alignment of points along an arc or circle such as a mechanical drawing of a gear Isometric grids align along three major axes instead of two This allows you to create two dimensional drawings of three dimensional objects Because perspective is not applied the objects can be ac...

Page 71: ...or angle Changes to the grid settings are performed on the Grid page of the Drawing Options dialog box Changes to the default color or style of lines dots and the Drawing Origin are made on the Appearance page of the View Options dialog box Setting Up the Grid The grid snap interval the distance between the points on the reference grid affects a drawing anytime you are using Gridpoint snap When yo...

Page 72: ...between major lines When the check box is checked you must enter the interval between major lines 6 optional Enter the number of snap intervals between major lines in the Major Frequency text box 7 optional Enter the distance between major lines in the Major Interval text box 8 Select a style from the Minor Style drop down list box None removes the minor lines from the reference grid Subdivisions ...

Page 73: ... enter the interval between major lines 5 optional Enter the number of snap intervals between major lines in the Major Frequency text box 6 optional Enter the distance between major lines in the Major Interval text box 7 Select a style from the Minor Style drop down list box None removes the minor lines from the reference grid Subdivisions creates a pattern of minor lines equally spaced between ma...

Page 74: ... each of the following steps 4 Enter the distance between gridpoints in the Snap Interval text box 5 optional Check the Major as Interval check box This check box is the direct link between the displayed grid and the snap interval grid When the check box is unchecked you must enter the number of snap intervals between major lines When the check box is checked you must enter the interval between ma...

Page 75: ...ines crosses or dots that make up the reference grid For information on configuring the refer ence grid see Setting Up the Grid on page 61 You can hide the reference grid if you don t need this drawing aid AutoSketch automatically hides grid lines or dots if the current zoom level would place so many of them onscreen that it would obscure the drawing Gridpoint snap continues to operate correctly r...

Page 76: ...checked the Reference Grid is hidden 4 Click OK To change the colors of the drawing and grid origins 1 On the View menu click Options The View Options dialog box appears 2 Click the Appearance page tab 3 Click the X Y or Z axis color button The Color dialog box appears 4 Click one of the pre mixed colors from the palette on the left or design your own custom color using the controls on the right 5...

Page 77: ...long the guideline especially near the intersections of guidelines To place a horizontal guideline 1 On the Draw menu click Guidelines or click the Edit Guidelines button on the Standard toolbar The edit bar displays tools for drawing guidelines 2 Click the Horizontal Guideline button on the edit bar A rubber band guideline stretching horizontally across the drawing appears and follows the pointer...

Page 78: ...rcular guideline A rubber band circle appears and follows the pointer 4 Click a second point to place the circular guideline To place a circular guideline by entering two sides 1 On the Draw menu click Guidelines or click the Edit Guidelines button on the Standard toolbar The edit bar displays tools for drawing guidelines 2 Click the Side Side Circle Guideline button on the edit bar 3 Click a poin...

Page 79: ... bar Guidelines are high lighted as you move the pointer over them in the drawing 3 When the guideline you want to delete is highlighted click to delete it To delete all guidelines 1 On the Draw menu click Guidelines or click the Edit Guidelines button on the Standard toolbar The edit bar displays tools for drawing guidelines 2 Click the Delete All Guidelines button on the edit bar To control the ...

Page 80: ...ptions dialog box and the Grid page of the Drawing Options dialog box The Grid edit bar appears when you click the Edit Grid button on the Standard toolbar and remains until you cancel the command or until you click the Close button at the right end of the bar Changing a Drawing s Grid Type on the Grid Edit Bar While the default reference grid is rectangular AutoSketch s Grid edit bar allows you t...

Page 81: ...rid button on the Standard toolbar The Grid edit bar appears 2 optional Enter a new value in the Grid Snap Interval text box 3 optional Enter a new value in the Major Line Interval text box This number should be a multiple of the grid snap interval 4 optional If you selected Subdivisions from the Minor Style drop down list box enter the number of subdivisions in the Minor Subdivisions text box 5 o...

Page 82: ... s helpful to use the isometric top grid to draw on a top plane the isometric left grid to draw on a left plane and the isometric right grid to draw on a right plane By clicking one of the buttons on the Grid toolbar you can easily switch between grid types The final two buttons allow you to change the size of the reference grid by increasing or decreasing the Major Line Interval by a factor of tw...

Page 83: ...ange the grid type and size using the Grid toolbar 1 Click one of the Grid Type buttons Rectangular Circular Isometric Top Isometric Left or Isometric Right on the Grid toolbar 2 Click one of the Grid Size buttons on the Grid toolbar ...

Page 84: ...74 Chapter 6 Customizing the Grid ...

Page 85: ...veral sheets of paper AutoSketch allows you to print an entire drawing to scale or the largest possible image onto a single sheet of paper If on the other hand your printer only supports a standard paper size you can tile the drawing across several sheets of paper This chapter describes the various ways you can reproduce your drawing on a printer or plotter In this chapter Understanding page tilin...

Page 86: ...lick Page then click the Size page tab in the Page Setup dialog box For more information on changing the page size see Setting the Page Size on page 51 4 optional To change the page margins click Page then click the Margins page tab in the Page Setup dialog box Enter margin sizes in the text boxes 5 optional To change the paper size orientation or source click the Page button then click the Printe...

Page 87: ...the tick marks For example let s assume you have created a drawing using an 11 x 17 page with a landscape orientation However your printer only supports 8 5 x 11 pages In addition you discover that there is a 25 wide margin at all sides of the printer page that the printer can t print on This means that you only have an active printing area of 8 x 10 5 Fortunately AutoSketch can print this drawing...

Page 88: ...current drawing scale For information on setting the drawing scale see Setting the Drawing Scale on page 47 To print the entire drawing to scale 1 On the File menu click Print The Print dialog box appears 2 In the View to Print drop down list box click Extent View 3 In the Sizing Method drop down list box click Scaled 4 To print the grid check the Print Grid check box For more information see Sett...

Page 89: ...t View 3 In the Sizing Method drop down list box click Fitted to Printer Page 4 To print the grid check the Print Grid check box For more information see Setting Up the Grid on page 61 Note that you must have the Show Grid option selected in the View Options dialog box to print the grid 5 Click OK To print part of the drawing on a single page 1 On the File menu click Print The Print dialog box app...

Page 90: ... When you need to print your drawing as large as possible on a single page AutoSketch can set the scale for you automatically AutoScale causes AutoSketch to choose a standard scale that displays your drawing as large as possible on the page and it adjusts the drawing origin to center your drawing on the page AutoFit causes AutoSketch to choose a non standard scale which may not meet certain buildi...

Page 91: ...mittal set and you can create a self extracting executable or zip file that packages all the files Once all options are specified eTransmit attaches the files to the email To create a transmittal set of individual files to send via email 1 From the File menu choose eTransmit 2 Optional Specify any additional comments to include with the report file in Notes 3 Select Set of Files from the Type list...

Page 92: ... from the Type list Self Extracting Executable exe Zip zip 5 Optional Choose Password to specify a password for the transmittal set and do the following Enter a password in Password for Compressed Transmittal Re enter the password in Password Confirmation Choose OK 6 Specify the transmittal file name using one of the following from the Path processing list Don t preserve path Preserve path without...

Page 93: ...urposes To unpack a self extracting executable transmittal set 1 In Windows Explorer double click the transmittal set file 2 In the eTransmit dialog box choose Browse to specify the folder to unpack the transmittal set files to 3 Choose OK 4 If the transmittal set is password protected you are prompted to enter the password 5 The unpack status displays 6 Choose OK to exit Publishing a Drawing to t...

Page 94: ... the colors and fonts in your Web page You can also use the wizard to modify existing HTML pages that were created using the PUBLISHTOWEB command NOTE You can customize any of the Publish to Web templates that you use for your Web page To use the Publish to Web wizard 1 From the File menu choose Publish to Web 2 Follow the instructions to generate a Web page Customizing a Publish to Web Template Y...

Page 95: ...ted across the page in rows You cannot alter the presentation of the images but you can wrap text and graphics around this table of images NOTE You can also create your own themes or edit the themes provided with AutoSketch To change the color scheme of existing themes edit the appropri ate ccs file and corresponding bmp file located in the Install Drive Program Files Autodesk AutoSketch Templates...

Page 96: ...s contents paste it into the PTWTemplates folder and rename the new folder 4 Rename the Publish to Web template PWT file with an HTM or HTML extension 5 Open the template file in an HTML editor or text editor The template file contains comments that help you determine which areas of the code you can modify to create your new Web page 6 Review the comments and make changes to parts of the template ...

Page 97: ...or pan dynamically or by increments AutoSketch also offers a number of preset views designed to quickly give you the views you use the most If you find that you need quick access to other areas of your drawing you can save and recall your own views In this chapter Viewing several areas at once Using preset views Zooming in and out Panning across the drawing Using the IntelliMouse Returning to a pr...

Page 98: ...ur needs including changing the screen reference grid and drawing page For more information see online Help View commands can be accessed from the View menu or the View toolset on the All In One toolbar You can also activate the View toolbar which con tains the same commands but can be docked anywhere onscreen by right clicking a bar then clicking Toolbars on the pop up menu that appears Simply ch...

Page 99: ...her split bar To return the drawing window to a single pane Click the UnSplit command on the drawing window Control menu or drag either the horizontal or vertical split bar back to its original location at the top and left sides of the display respectively or double click either split bar To open another window for the active drawing On the Window menu click New Window To change the active pane Cl...

Page 100: ...t or click the View Extent button on the All In One toolbar To view all entities in all panes of a single window on the drawing window Control menu click View All Extent To view the selection set 1 Select an entity or group of entities 2 On the View menu click Selection or click the View Selection button on the All In One toolbar To view all entities in all panes of a single window on the drawing ...

Page 101: ... OR Enter a zoom factor or select a pre defined factor from the Zoom Control drop down list on the Standard toolbar To zoom out 1 On the View menu click Zoom Out or click the Zoom Out button on the All In One toolbar 2 Click and drag to indicate the area the current view should occupy after the zoom To zoom out by a preset factor Instead of drawing a region after clicking Zoom Out simply click in ...

Page 102: ... AutoSketch allows you to pan using any of three methods Click and drag to make the view move the distance and angle of the two points you enter Click once in the drawing to move that location to the center of the view Click and drag using Realtime Pan to pan interactively To pan in any direction 1 On the View menu click Pan or click the Pan button on the All In One toolbar 2 Click and drag to est...

Page 103: ... AutoSketch commands You can also set the IntelliMouse zoom factor to fit your needs By default the zoom factor is set at 120 with each increment in the wheel rotation changing the zoom level by 20 For more information on zoom and pan see Using Preset Views on page 90 and Panning Across the Drawing on page 92 To zoom in or out using the IntelliMouse Rotate the wheel button forward to zoom in backw...

Page 104: ...ely drawn before issuing another command to return to a previous view To return to a previous view On the View menu click Last or click the Last View button on the All In One toolbar To return to a subsequent view On the View menu click Next or click the Next View button on the All In One toolbar IMPORTANT You must use the Last View tool before you can use the Next View tool The Next View tool has...

Page 105: ...toolbar The View Recall dialog box appears 2 Click a saved view from the list A preview of the selected view appears 3 Click OK Viewing Drawing Details Sometimes it is helpful to compose a drawing with multiple scales The Detail View command allows you to define and place a rectangular area on the page in which the detail of a previously saved view appears In an architectural floorplan for example...

Page 106: ...9 optional To change the scale of the detail view to a fixed scale click the Fixed Scale check box on the edit bar The fixed scale will only change the scale of the detail view the size of the rectangle will not change To view and scale details in a drawing 1 Save the view of a drawing you want to include as a detail view For more information see Saving and Recalling Views on page 94 2 On the Draw...

Page 107: ...redraw feature in AutoSketch allows you to perform most operations during redraw Simply continue working normally and AutoSketch redraws during idle moments in your work To redraw the drawing On the View menu click Redraw or click the Redraw button on the All In One toolbar To redraw all panes of a single window on the drawing window Control menu click View All Redraw Arranging Drawing Windows Aut...

Page 108: ...s so each title bar is visible On the Window menu click Cascade You can use the Window menu list to activate a different drawing window that is obscured by other drawing windows Clicking a drawing window on the Window menu makes it the active drawing window in AutoSketch To switch between drawing windows On the Window menu click the drawing you want to make active from the list of open drawings at...

Page 109: ...cation of the point in relation to the reference grid or to another entity you can click near the location and have AutoSketch enter the coordinates for you Advanced Topics Found in Help To change the size of the AutoPoint Indicator To change the default snap To change the number of quadrant snap points To change to the advanced Enter 2D Coordinates dialog box In this chapter Using snaps Entering ...

Page 110: ...king their buttons on the All In One toolbar or by typing the letter shown on the button In many CAD applications you are limited to using one snap at a time However MultiSnap mode allows you to use several snaps simultaneously allowing you to draw complete entities without pausing to switch between snaps MultiSnap mode allows you to select almost any combination of snaps while you re drawing You ...

Page 111: ...s As you move the pointer over the drawing each type of snap point is repre sented by a different symbol squares for endpoints triangles for midpoints circles for centerpoints and so on If a lock modifier is active as well a dotted line extends from the AutoPoint Indicator to the actual point as constrained by the lock modifier For instance if you draw a diagonal line from top to bottom then activ...

Page 112: ...earest Point snap O Orthogonal P Perpendicular snap Q Quadrant snap R Relative S Snap off T Tangent snap U Unlocked disables lock modifiers W Set Last Working point X X axis Horizontal Y Y axis Vertical Keys used to specify snaps and lock modifiers continued Key Snap AutoPoint Indicator Lock Modifier ...

Page 113: ...rid which begins on page 59 To enter a point based only on the position of the pointer 1 While in a drawing mode type S to disable snaps or click the Snap Off button on the All In One toolbar 2 Click where you want to enter the point IMPORTANT Do not use Snap Off to enter precise locations such as the midpoint or endpoint of an entity When you zoom in or print the drawing the imprecision will beco...

Page 114: ...combination with lock modifiers For example to draw a line that extends vertically from the previous point and ends at a specific entity you could combine Nearest Point snap with the Y axis lock modifier As you move the pointer in the drawing an hourglass shaped AutoPoint Indicator identifies the Nearest point To enter the nearest point on an entity 1 While in a drawing mode activate Nearest snap ...

Page 115: ...rawing an AutoPoint Indicator identifies the nearest Jump point To enter a precise Jump point on an entity 1 While in a drawing mode activate Jump snap on the Snaps toolbar The Jump Settings dialog box appears 2 In the Jump Method drop down list box click either distance or percentage 3 In the Jump Value text box enter either a distance or a percentage value depending on which method you selected ...

Page 116: ... the Snaps toolbar 2 Click the entity TIP Midpoint snap is the same as Jump snap set to 50 Entering a Point at a Symbol Basepoint Basepoint snap allows you to enter a point at the basepoint of an existing symbol As you move the pointer over the drawing a diamond shaped AutoPoint Indicator identifies the basepoint of any symbol you pass over To enter a point at the basepoint of an existing symbol 1...

Page 117: ...want to enter TIP Endpoint snap is the same as Jump snap set to 0 Entering a Point Where Two Entities Intersect There are two types of Intersection snaps which allow you to enter a point at the intersection of two entities These entities can include lines arcs circles polygon segments or polyline segments Intersection snap allows you to enter a point at the apparent intersection of two entities me...

Page 118: ...r a point where two entities are projected to intersect 1 While in a drawing mode activate 2 Point Intersection snap on the Snaps toolbar 2 Click the first entity 3 Click the second entity Entering a Point That Creates a Perpendicular Perpendicular snap allows you to enter a point that creates a line perpendic ular to an existing line polyline segment or polygon segment When used with an arc circl...

Page 119: ... allows you to enter a point at the center of an arc circle or regular polygon As you move the pointer over the drawing the AutoPoint Indicator identifies the centerpoint of any entity you pass over NOTE Centerpoint snap cannot be used to enter a point at the center of irreg ular polygons during MultiSnap mode To enter a point at the center of an arc or circle 1 While in a drawing mode activate Ce...

Page 120: ...e 1 While in a drawing mode activate Tangent snap on the Snaps toolbar 2 Click the entity Because there are two tangent points you must click near the tangent point you want to use Entering a Quadrant Point on an Arc or Circle Quadrant snap allows you to enter a point that coincides with a quadrant snap point on an arc or circle As you move the pointer over the entity the AutoPoint Indicator ident...

Page 121: ...oordinates of a point either in relation to the last point or to the drawing grid or page origin When you type A to enable Absolute snap or R to enable Relative snap the Enter 2D Coordinate dialog box appears This dialog box displays text boxes for entering coordinates The first coordinate is entered in the top text box and the second coordinate in the bottom text box When you finish entering the ...

Page 122: ... units of measurement are assumed to be expressed in the default units of measurement for lengths or angles Units can be mixed Both of the following for example are valid coordinate pairs 8 1 2cm 1 66305 2 6 3 4 12 6m Spaces are optional in coordinate input They are not allowed inside a number All of the following for example have the same effect when entered in the dialog box 5 75 in 5 75in 5 75 ...

Page 123: ...to enter another point 6 Click Close To enter a point from the keyboard using absolute polar coordinates 1 While in a drawing mode type A to switch to absolute snap The Enter 2D Coordinates dialog box appears 2 Click the Polar coordinate button 3 Enter the distance of the point in the R text box and press TAB 4 Enter the angle of the point in the Angle text box and click Enter 5 optional Repeat st...

Page 124: ...ive polar coordinates 1 While in a drawing mode type R to switch to relative snap The Enter 2D Coordinates dialog box appears 2 Click the Polar coordinate button 3 Enter the relative distance of the point in the R text box and press TAB 4 Enter the relative angle of the point in the Angle text box and click Enter 5 optional Repeat steps 3 and 4 to enter another point 6 Click Close Using Lock Modif...

Page 125: ...the grid is rotated so too are the reference lines for the lock modifiers For more information see Setting Up the Grid on page 61 To enter a point aligned horizontally with the last point 1 While in a drawing mode type X to apply the X axis lock modifier or click the X axis lock modifier button on the All In One toolbar 2 Enter the point using any snap To enter a point aligned vertically with the ...

Page 126: ...on on the All In One toolbar 2 Enter the point using any snap To enter a point aligned normally with the last two points 1 While in a drawing mode type L to apply the Normal lock modifier or click the Normal lock modifier button on the All In One toolbar 2 Enter the point using any snap To disable lock modification While in a drawing mode type U to switch to unlock mode or click the Unlock modifie...

Page 127: ...he Set Last Working Point button on the All In One toolbar to specify that the next point is a working point 2 Enter the working point s using any combination of snaps and lock modifiers Modifying a Point Sometimes it becomes necessary to move one of the points you ve used to construct an entity By using the controls in the Change Coordinates dialog box you can move a line s startpoint or endpoint...

Page 128: ...ce the insertion point in the appropriate Coordinate text box on the edit bar then right click A pop up menu appears 3 Click Change Coordinate The Change Coordinate dialog box appears 4 optional Click either the Absolute Input or Relative Input button at the top of the dialog box 5 optional Click a new coordinate system from the Coordinate System toolbar 6 Enter new locations in the X and or Y tex...

Page 129: ... with the drawing in its actual size You can for example specify that a line is eight meters or eight millimeters long This chapter describes the methods you can use to specify exact measurements in AutoSketch In this chapter Entering lengths Entering angles Entering a scalar value Entering a percentage value ...

Page 130: ...enter a length with the mouse by entering two points or by clicking on an entity in the drawing To enter a length on the edit bar by entering two points 1 Select an entity such as a line in your drawing 2 Place the insertion point in the length text box and press CTRL ENTER 3 Enter a point in the drawing using any of the snap or keyboard snaps A rubber band line appears from this point 4 Enter a s...

Page 131: ...les compass angles and bearings Standard angles measure rotation counterclockwise with respect to the x axis Compass angles measure rotation clockwise with respect to the y axis Entity type Associated length Where to click Arc circle Radius of the arc circle On the arc circle Ellipse Major or minor radius On the ellipse near its radius Line Length of the line On the line Marker Height of the marke...

Page 132: ...in the drawing Entering two points in the drawing Clicking an arc line polyline or polygon segment text entity marker or symbol To enter an angle on the edit bar based on three points 1 Select an entity in the drawing 2 Place the insertion point in the Angle text box and press CTRL ENTER 3 Enter the vertex the center point of the angle 4 Enter a point that defines the beginning point of rotation A...

Page 133: ...egment 1 Select an entity in the drawing 2 Place the insertion point in the Angle text box and press CTRL ENTER 3 Press and hold SHIFT 4 Click an entity in the drawing that establishes the angle An angle is entered based on entity type To enter an angle on the edit bar based on an arc 1 Select an entity in the drawing 2 Place the insertion point in the Angle text box and press CTRL ENTER 3 Press a...

Page 134: ...gle is entered based on entity type Symbols have angles associated with each base entity The exact number of angles associated with a symbol varies with the individual symbol To enter an angle on the edit bar based on a symbol 1 Select an entity in the drawing 2 Place the insertion point in the Angle text box and press CTRL ENTER 3 Press and hold SHIFT 4 Click the portion of the symbol in the draw...

Page 135: ...it bar using the mouse 1 Select an entity such as a symbol in the drawing 2 Place the insertion point in the Scalar text box and press CTRL ENTER 3 Enter two lengths using any method of entering lengths previously discussed To enter a scalar value using the keyboard Select the existing value from the edit bar enter the new one and press ENTER Entering a Percentage Value There are some instances wh...

Page 136: ...126 Chapter 10 Entering Lengths Angles ...

Page 137: ...127 Part 3 Basic Drawing Chapter 11 Lines Chapter 12 Polylines Polygons Curves Chapter 13 Arcs Circles Chapter 14 Symbols Chapter 15 3D Effects Chapter 16 Pen Pattern Properties ...

Page 138: ...128 ...

Page 139: ...int and ends at an endpoint But apart from being just lines in a drawing these entities can represent a wide range of real world objects from a slot in the head of a screw to the edge of a wall This chapter describes the similarities and differences between lines and the tools you can use to draw them In this chapter Drawing single lines Drawing connected lines Drawing a line in relation to an ent...

Page 140: ...hen clicking Toolbars on the pop up menu that appears Simply check the Line check box in the Toolbars dialog box then click OK to make the Line toolbar visible onscreen Edit bar controls allow you to directly modify the length startpoint end point or associated angle of the entity by entering new values You can join lines to convert them to polylines For more information on joining lines see the c...

Page 141: ...c keypad or press F5 to rotate the segment 4 Click to place the line OR Press CTRL while clicking to place one end of the line A rubber band line anchored to the point you clicked appears and follows the pointer Click again to place the other end of the line Drawing Connected Lines You draw connected lines by entering two or more points using the Draw menu s multiple line command Use connected lin...

Page 142: ... From controls on the edit bar you can specify the Width Offset method Offset distance The Width text box allows you to specify the distance between the double lines The offset method determines how AutoSketch draws the double lines with respect to the points you enter either left centered right or user defined offset The left and right methods determine which of the two lines intersect the points...

Page 143: ...nter the distance between lines in the Offset Distance text box on the edit bar 4 Click a point to start the series Rubber band lines appear from that point 5 Click one or more points Each point ends and trims the previous pair of lines and begins a new pair If you press CTRL and enter a point AutoSketch moves to that point without drawing a line and begins a new pair To change the minimum angle o...

Page 144: ...rc or circle that is closest to where you select the entity This is true even when you select an arc that does not extend to the point of tangency To draw a line tangent to a pair of arcs and or circles 1 On the Draw menu click Line Tangent or click the Tangent Line button on the All In One toolbar 2 Click a point on an arc or circle 3 Click a point on a second arc or circle The Draw menu s perpen...

Page 145: ...o allows you to draw a line at a specific angle from the end point of an existing line The new line starts at the endpoint nearest the point you clicked and extends in one of four directions at the angle you specify on the edit bar The second point defines the direction and length of the line To draw a line at a specific angle to an existing line 1 On the Draw menu click Line Angle or click the An...

Page 146: ...nes 3 Click near the end of the line where you want the new line to start A rubber band line appears from the endpoint of the line locked to the specified angle 4 Click the point that defines the length of the new line ...

Page 147: ...ent but usually contains more Polygons have three or more segments Curves contain many segments This chapter describes the various ways you can draw poly entities Advanced Topics Found in Help To change the smoothness of fitted curves To change the smoothness of spline curves In this chapter Drawing polylines Sketching Drawing irregular polygons Drawing regular polygons Drawing curves ...

Page 148: ...e 299 You can explode polylines to lines and arcs or join connected lines and arcs to form a polyline Therefore you needn t be overly concerned with the initial choice you make between drawing with a line or polyline For more information on converting polylines to lines refer to the chapter titled Converting Exploding Entity Types which begins on page 313 Polygons are closed shapes bounded by thre...

Page 149: ...nt of one quarter of the angle of the bulge For example for a bulge of 180 degrees one quarter is 45 degrees The tangent of 45 degrees is 1 so typing 1 in the Bulge text box yields a bulge of 180 degrees between the startpoint and endpoint of the polyline segment If you enter the bulge as a numeric expression AutoSketch calculates the trigonometry For example to calculate the bulge factor for a se...

Page 150: ...Click a startpoint A rubber band line appears from that point 4 Enter one or more additional vertices Each one continues from the end point of the previous segment and begins a new segment If you make a mistake press DELETE to remove vertices one at a time in reverse order 5 Right click to complete the polyline In addition to regular polylines there are four other ways of drawing polylines in Auto...

Page 151: ... polyline segment or polygon segment The segment appears highlighted and a rubber band line appears and follows the pointer at right angles to the segment 3 Click an endpoint for the polyline To draw a corner polyline 1 On the Draw menu click Polyline Corner or click the Corner Polyline button on the All In One toolbar The pointer changes to a drawing tool 2 Enter lengths in the Corner Length 1 an...

Page 152: ...olyline Larger values result in rougher sketches and a simpler entity The default number is 8 Increasing the number creates longer segments that take up less memory To draw a freehand polyline 1 On the Draw menu click Polyline Sketch or click the Sketch Polyline button on the All In One toolbar 2 optional Change the Width setting on the edit bar 3 Click a point where you want the polyline to begin...

Page 153: ...gments refer to page 139 When you select an irregular polygon AutoSketch displays settings on the edit bar that allow you to change the width of all the segments of the polygon and to align the polygon with the grid Vertex editing allows you to change the shape of an existing irregular poly gon and to add or delete vertices For information on vertex editing see the chapter titled Reshaping Entitie...

Page 154: ...the edit bar When this button is checked the rectangle is aligned to the grid type and angle 3 Click the point that defines one corner of the rectangle A rubber band rectangle appears beginning at the selected point 4 Click the point that defines the opposite corner to draw the rectangle AutoSketch also allows you to draw a rotated rectangle by clicking three points The first point defines the cor...

Page 155: ...onnecting the vertices with bulged polyline segments In operation it is very similar to the Draw menu s irregular polygon command As you draw a cloud a text box for the segment width and bulge factor appear on the edit bar Vertex editing allows you to change the shape of an existing cloud and to add or delete vertices For information on vertex editing see the chapter titled Reshaping Entities whic...

Page 156: ...to complete the cloud To draw a cloud with equal segments 1 On the Draw menu click Polygon Cloud or click the Cloud button on the All In One toolbar 2 Set the segment width and bulge factor in the text boxes on the edit bar The value of the bulge is equal to two times the measured height of the bulge divided by the distance between its startpoint and endpoint A bulge value of 0 is equivalent to no...

Page 157: ...ide midpoint opposite corners or sides two adjacent corners or sides a center and the radius of the reference circle As you draw a regular polygon a text box for the width of the segments a drop down list box specifying inscribed or circumscribed polygon and another specifying the number of segments appear on the edit bar If you use the Regular Center Radius command to draw a polygon a text box ap...

Page 158: ...if the polygon is inscribed in the reference circle or circumscribed around it This setting determines the meaning of the points you enter in the following steps 4 Click the centerpoint of the regular polygon A small diamond marker marks the point and a rubber band polygon appears moving with the pointer 5 optional Press and hold CTRL while you click the point in the next step to reverse the point...

Page 159: ...r polygon by entering adjacent corners or sides 1 On the Draw menu click Polygon Regular Edge Adjacent or click the Edge Adjacent Polygon button on the All In One toolbar 2 optional Click or enter a different number of sides in the Number of Segments box on the edit bar and press ENTER 3 optional Click Inscribe or Circumscribe from the drop down list box on the edit bar to determine if the polygon...

Page 160: ...box on the edit bar to determine if the polygon is inscribed in the reference circle or circumscribed around it This setting determines the meaning of the radius of the polygon 4 Enter the distance from the centerpoint to the corner of the polygon in the Radius text box on the edit bar and press ENTER if the button on the edit bar displays Inscribe or enter the distance from the centerpoint to the...

Page 161: ...closed and you can assign it real world width You can apply pattern fill to closed curves Unlike a polyline a curve has uniform width throughout its length and it must have at least three vertices rather than two You can convert a curve to a polyline at any time by selecting it and changing the current type setting in the drop down list box on the left side of the edit bar You can convert a curve ...

Page 162: ...he Curve check box in the Toolbars dialog box then click OK to make the Curve toolbar visible onscreen TIP As you are drawing a curve you can press DELETE to remove the last drawn vertex To draw a fitted curve 1 On the Draw menu click Curve Fitted or click the Fitted Curve button on the All In One toolbar 2 Check the Closed check box on the edit bar if you want a closed curve If you want an open c...

Page 163: ...ne Curve button on the All In One toolbar 2 Check the Open Close Curve check box on the edit bar leaving it checked if you want a closed curve or unchecked if you want an open curve 3 Click the startpoint A rubber band line appears 4 Click three or more vertices 5 Right click to complete the curve ...

Page 164: ...154 Chapter 12 Polylines Polygons Curves ...

Page 165: ...drawing methods at your disposal you are almost certain to find a tool at hand that allows you to work within the parameters of your current design This chapter describes the many ways you can draw arcs circles and ellipses In this chapter Drawing arcs based on points Drawing circles based on points Drawing tangent circles Drawing ellipses ...

Page 166: ...centerpoint Startpoint endpoint and included angle An elliptical arc is an ellipse with less than 360 degrees You can draw an elliptical arc by specifying any of the following A rectangle using two points in which an ellipse is tangent to all four sides start angle and included angle Major and minor axes using three points start angle and included angle You can draw a circle by specifying any of t...

Page 167: ...s Simply check Arc or Circle then click OK to make the Arc or Circle toolbar visible onscreen Drawing Arcs Based on Points The Draw menu has three commands for drawing arcs based on points Two of the commands 3 Points and 2 Points Center have modifier keys In each case pressing CTRL as you enter the third point switches the second and third points Instead of entering the startpoint endpoint and a ...

Page 168: ...nt 3 Click a second point Another small diamond marks the point 4 Click the centerpoint or press CTRL to click the endpoint To draw an arc by specifying its endpoints and included angle 1 On the Draw menu click Arc 2 Points Angle or click the 2 Points Angle button on the All In One toolbar 2 Enter the included angle on the edit bar and press ENTER 3 Click the startpoint A small diamond marks the p...

Page 169: ...enter Side Circle button on the All In One toolbar 2 Click the centerpoint or a point on the circle A small diamond marks the point and a rubber band circle appears 3 Click a point on the circle or press CTRL and click the centerpoint To draw a circle by entering two points on opposite sides of the circle 1 On the Draw menu click Circle Side Side or click the Side Side Circle button on the All In ...

Page 170: ...econd point on the circle A small diamond marks this point as well and a rubber band circle appears 4 Click a third point on the circle To draw a circle by specifying its centerpoint and radius 1 On the Draw menu click Circle Center Radius or click the Center Radius Circle button on the All In One toolbar A rubber band circle appears 2 optional Enter the radius in the Radius text box on the edit b...

Page 171: ...ou can use any combination of Lines Circular arcs Circles Poly segments When used for this purpose lines and poly segments are treated as lines of infinite length Arcs and bulged poly segments are treated as circles Because of this a tangent circle may not actually touch any of the entities used to define it Often AutoSketch is able to draw several circles that are tangent to the enti ties you spe...

Page 172: ...The entity is highlighted 4 Click the second entity Notice that which side of each entity you click affects the location of the circle To draw a circle that is tangent to three entities 1 On the Draw menu click Circle Tangent 3 Entities or click the Tangent 3 Entities Circle button on the All In One toolbar 2 Click the first entity The entity is highlighted 3 Click the second entity The entity is ...

Page 173: ...d also lets you create a slanted ellipse using the third point to determine slant for the ellipse An elliptical arc is an ellipse with less than 360 degrees It is defined by a centerpoint major axis minor axis starting angle and included angle It might be used to illustrate an isometric view of a circular arc To draw an ellipse that fills a rectangle 1 On the Draw menu click Circle Ellipse Rectang...

Page 174: ...ick a third point to complete the ellipse To draw an elliptical arc that fills a rectangle 1 On the Draw menu click Arc Elliptical Rectangle or click the Elliptical Arc Rectangle button on the All In One toolbar 2 Click a point that defines one corner of the rectangle A rubber band rectangle follows the movement of the pointer 3 Click a point that defines the diagonal corner of the rectangle A rub...

Page 175: ...ing at the entered point 3 Click another point to determine the length of the major axis A rubber band ellipse follows the movement of the pointer 4 Click a third point to complete the ellipse A rubber band line appears from the ellipse s centerpoint and follows the pointer letting you define the start and end angles 5 Click the start angle Notice the start angle appears on the edit bar 6 Click th...

Page 176: ...166 Chapter 13 Arcs Circles ...

Page 177: ... your own custom symbols or select from among thousands of pre existing symbols Simply drag and drop symbols from the Content Librarian to your drawing Using symbols in your drawings eliminates the need to redraw the same thing over and over again And using symbols enhances the performance of AutoSketch In this chapter Placing a symbol Inserting symbols in lines polylines and polygons Creating sym...

Page 178: ... on storing database fields in symbols see Creating Symbol Definitions on page 173 A drawing created with symbols is easier to update and maintain than one without symbols For example assume you have a drawing of an office floor plan with many identical doors With symbols if you decide to redesign the doors you need only edit one door and redefine the symbol All instances of the symbol are then au...

Page 179: ... the pop up menu that appears Simply check the Symbol check box in the Toolbars dialog box then click OK to make the Symbol toolbar visible onscreen To place a symbol by entering a single point 1 Click the Symbol page tab on the Content Librarian 2 Click and drag the symbol into the drawing 3 optional Rotate the symbol by pressing plus or minus on the numeric keypad or F5 or SHIFT F5 4 Click the b...

Page 180: ... or extent box of a symbol appears and moves with the pointer and its name appears in the drop down list box on the edit bar You can place this symbol or select a different symbol from the drop down list box Inserting Symbols in Lines Polylines and Polygons AutoSketch can automatically open a gap in lines polylines or polygons when you insert symbols on top of them Many symbols are designed for yo...

Page 181: ...ge tab on the Content Librarian 2 Click the Insert Symbol button at the bottom of the Content Librarian 3 Click and drag the symbol into the drawing 4 optional Enter a custom opening width in the Opening Width text box on the edit bar and press ENTER The default setting uses the width of the symbol extent 5 Click a point on a line polyline or polygon for the basepoint of the symbol 6 Click a secon...

Page 182: ...ecise offset measured from the endpoint of the segment To automatically insert symbols 1 Near the top of the Content Librarian click the Explorer button The Content Explorer appears 2 Click the Symbol page tab then select a symbol library 3 Select a symbol name then right click To select multiple symbol names press SHIFT 4 Click Draw with Insert from the pop up menu that appears 5 Click Close NOTE...

Page 183: ... how to create them To learn how to modify them see Manag ing Symbols in the Content Explorer on page 176 There are three major components of a symbol definition Geometry Graphic properties Database fields The geometry and graphic properties of a symbol definition are determined by the component entities that are selected and combined to create it If you want the graphic properties to be changed b...

Page 184: ...ym bol inside another symbol There is no firm limit to how many times you can nest a symbol but repeated nesting can deteriorate system performance To create a new symbol 1 Select the entities from which you want to create a symbol 2 In the Content Librarian click the Symbol page tab then click the Symbol Create button at the bottom of the page The Create Symbol Definition dialog box appears 3 Ent...

Page 185: ...nformation on hyperlinks see the chapter titled Using Web Tools which begins on page 351 10 Click Finish 11 optional If the symbol name you entered already exists in the current drawing the Create Symbol Definition Symbol Already Exists dialog box appears To replace the existing symbol with the one you just created click Yes However if you want to change the name of the symbol you just created cli...

Page 186: ...t boxes 9 optional Enter a hyperlink in the corresponding text box For more information on hyperlinks see the chapter titled Using Web Tools which begins on page 351 10 Click Fields The Symbol Fields dialog box appears If no fields are avail able for the current drawing the button is grayed For information about creating fields and adding them to a drawing see Creating Fields on page 334 11 Click ...

Page 187: ...tart the Content Explorer On the Draw menu click Symbol Explore OR On the Symbol page of the Content Librarian click the Explorer button Managing Symbol Libraries Symbol libraries are a means to organize your symbol collection and the Symbol page of the Content Explorer is a means to organize the libraries You can organize symbols in libraries by using methods such as industry project author and s...

Page 188: ...In the Content Librarian click the Symbol page tab 2 Click the Explorer button or click Symbol Explore on the Draw menu The Content Explorer appears 3 optional Change the current library see Setting a Current Library on page 182 4 Click a library name then select the symbol definitions you want to copy to another library 5 Drag the selected symbol definitions and drop them on the name of a library...

Page 189: ...bol Library button at the top of the Content Explorer 4 Enter a name for the library file 5 Click Close To delete a library 1 In the Content Librarian click the Symbol page tab 2 Click the Explorer button or click Symbol Explore on the Draw menu The Content Explorer appears 3 Right click a library file and click Delete from the pop up menu 4 A prompt box appears asking if you re sure you want to d...

Page 190: ...bol Fields dialog box appears 5 Edit the fields you want to change Grayed areas can t be edited To edit a symbol name select only one symbol in step 2 6 optional Check one or more of the Update check boxes if you edit the fields for only one symbol the check boxes do not appear If a box is checked the value in the corresponding text box replaces any values previously assigned to that field for all...

Page 191: ...g it is exploded To disable AutoExplode 1 In the Content Librarian click the Symbol page tab 2 Click the Explorer button or click Symbol Explore on the Draw menu The Content Explorer appears 3 On the Symbols page select the symbol library file you want to use 4 Select a symbol name then right click To select multiple symbol names press SHIFT 5 Uncheck AutoExplode from the pop up menu that appears ...

Page 192: ...ouble click the symbol Setting a Current Library There are several ways to choose a current library One simple way is to use the Symbol Explorer to choose a current symbol from a library which auto matically makes that library current too You can change symbol libraries without changing the current symbol You have the option of creating a new library at the same time you create a new symbol defini...

Page 193: ...ton or click Symbol Explore on the Draw menu The Content Explorer appears 3 On the Symbols page tab select a symbol library file 4 Select a symbol name 5 Click Set Current then click Close The selected library and symbol become current NOTE When you change libraries with the Open Symbol Library dialog box whatever symbol library you open becomes the current library For more information see page 17...

Page 194: ...184 Chapter 14 Symbols ...

Page 195: ...aws lines to connect the corresponding vertices Isometric transformation tools help you create 3D models from existing 2D drawing components With just a few clicks of the mouse you can transform entities to appear as if they were drawn on an isometric grid You can then assemble the components into an isometric model In this chapter Using extrusion tools Using isometric transformation tools Customi...

Page 196: ...o an isometric model In addition you can customize how AutoSketch creates 3D Effects in the 3D Effects Options dialog box These controls let you control how extruded entities are rendered whether text groups or symbols are automatically exploded or ignored during an extrusion even the colors used to create extrusion entities Using Extrusion Tools One way to simulate 3D is to place two partially ov...

Page 197: ...trude an ellipse to create a rail for the legs 3D Perspective Extrusion requires you to enter a to point only However this command has one additional control When you click the 3D Perspective Extrusion button on the 3D Effects toolbar the edit bar displays the Depth text box The Depth value is a percentage that determines how far toward the vanishing point represented by the pointer the extru sion...

Page 198: ...ion set will be extruded A rubber band extru sion appears and moves the same distance and direction as the pointer 5 Click a to point The selection set is extruded the distance and direction that the two points indicated TIP When performing an extrusion operation it is helpful to visualize the extrusion extending away from you To apply perspective extrusion to a selection set 1 Click the 3D Effect...

Page 199: ... copy A rubber band copy of the selection set scaled to the same percentage you specified appears and moves with the pointer 5 Click a to point 3D Perspective is applied to the selection set in the distance and direction that you indicated NOTE You can change the way AutoSketch extrudes to entities using controls in the 3D Effects Options dialog box For more information on set ting 3D options see ...

Page 200: ... and is therefore useful for creating different faces of the model Transform Top Isometric skews the entity along 30 and 150 degree axes Transform Left Isometric skews the entity along 90 and 150 degree axes Transform Right Isometric skews the entity along 90 and 30 degree axes Once you ve skewed the components you can assemble them to create an isometric model by positioning the components adjace...

Page 201: ...ric button Customizing 3D Effects By default AutoSketch uses the entity s properties to determine how an extrusion will appear However you can change the way AutoSketch applies parallel extrusion perspective extrusion or isometric effects using controls in the 3D Effects Options dialog box NOTE Changing settings in the 3D Effects Options dialog box only affects future 3D Effects operations Changes...

Page 202: ...s AutoSketch to draw the extrusion as a group of polygons This allows you to apply solid fill To change the way extrusion entities are rendered 1 Click the 3D Effects button on the Standard toolbar The 3D Effects toolbar appears 2 Click the 3D Effects Options button on the 3D Effects toolbar The 3D Effects Options dialog box appears 3 In the Render section click either Wireframe or Hidden Line 4 I...

Page 203: ...e operation When the AutoExplode Symbols Groups check box is checked AutoSketch automatically explodes symbols and groups to base entities during an extrusion If this box is unchecked AutoSketch ignores symbols or groups during an extrusion The Conversion Quality drop down list box controls the number of vertices and consequently the number of connecting lines or polygons that are created when an ...

Page 204: ...see Changing Render Settings on page 191 To change the properties of extrusion entities 1 Click the 3D Effects button on the Standard toolbar The 3D Effects toolbar appears 2 Click the 3D Effects Options button on the 3D Effects toolbar The 3D Effects Options dialog box appears 3 optional In the Extrusion Properties section check the Use Entity Properties check box When this option is checked Auto...

Page 205: ...d 150 degree axes Transform Left Isometric originates from the lower right corner of the entity and skews the entity along 90 and 150 degree axes Transform Right Isometric originates from the lower left corner of the entity and skews the entity along 90 and 30 degree axes To change the way the isometric origin is selected 1 Click the 3D Effects button on the Standard toolbar The 3D Effects toolbar...

Page 206: ...196 Chapter 15 3D Effects ...

Page 207: ...u to hatch areas instead of entities For instance you can drag and drop hatch patterns or bitmap fills from the Content Librarian to the overlapping area of two rectan gles AutoSketch also allows you to match the properties of one entity to another using the Property Painter tool Advanced Topics Found in Help Creating Custom Pen Styles Creating Custom Hatch Patterns Adding Bitmap Images for Bitmap...

Page 208: ...id color is displayed You can change the pattern type of the polygon select a solid fill color or even reshape the resulting polygon using entity editing Also a hatched polygon can be exploded into component entities From the Content Librarian you can drag and drop hatches bitmap images and solid fill color into any enclosed area including areas not defined by a single entity You can for example f...

Page 209: ...r an entity is on just by looking at the drawing For information on setting up layers for your drawings see online Help You can also assign pen properties by symbol Again you determine the asso ciated color style and width for a symbol using the Graphic Options dialog box This makes it easier to distinguish between symbols by sight NOTE The first nine pen styles retain their appearance regardless ...

Page 210: ...selected all information is grayed out To customize color palette presentation 1 On the Tools menu click Graphic Options The Graphic Options dialog box appears OR Right click a pen or pattern box on the property bar then click Graphic Options on the pop up menu that appears 2 Click the Palette page tab 3 optional In the Presentation Order section click an option button to select the order in which...

Page 211: ...u click in the color spectrum 5 Adjust the Red Green Blue values and the Intensity level to create the custom color you want then click OK 6 Enter a name for your new custom color in the Name text box and press ENTER To save a color palette 1 On the Tools menu click Graphic Options The Graphic Options dialog box appears OR Right click a pen or pattern box on the property bar then click Graphic Opt...

Page 212: ...e pattern for new entities as well as any highlighted polygons or closed curves The pattern style you select depends on how you use the drawing Solid fills look great on color displays but don t display as clearly when printed using a black and white printer Hatch patterns aren t as bright as solid fill colors but they display sharply using most printers and plotters Bitmap images can combine colo...

Page 213: ...dary Fill The Hatch feature allows you to create a special filled polygon whose shape conforms to the outline of a bounded area or selection set All the polygon segments are hidden so only the pattern is displayed You can change the hatch pattern of the polygon change the bitmap fill of the polygon select a solid fill color or even reshape the resulting polygon using entity editing Also a hatched ...

Page 214: ... fill an area with a bitmap fill 1 On the Draw menu click Fill Hatch or click the Fill Hatch button on the All In One toolbar The pointer is enclosed in a preview of the bitmap fill or hatch pattern 2 optional On the property bar click Hatch in the Pattern drop down list box then click a bitmap fill from the Hatch drop down list box 3 optional Enter a new value in the Scale Factor text box on the ...

Page 215: ... fill a closed area with a bitmap fill using the Content Librarian 1 In the Content Librarian click the Hatch page tab 2 optional Enter a new value in the Scale Factor text box on the edit bar 3 Click and drag the bitmap fill to the polygons and or closed curves you want to fill Notice the pointer includes a preview of the selected bitmap image To fill a closed area with color using the Content Li...

Page 216: ...an be assigned to other entities that haven t yet been added to the drawing Simply select the entity to match and pick which properties to extract to the property bar To match the properties of an entity or entities to a selection set 1 Click the Property Painter button on the Standard toolbar 2 Select the entity whose properties you want to extract the source entity 3 On the edit bar check the pr...

Page 217: ...e Tools menu click Graphic Options The Graphic Options dialog box appears 2 Click the Current page tab 3 To set the hatch spacing enter a length in the Hatch Spacing text box 4 To set the hatch angle enter an angle in the Hatch Rotation text box 5 Click OK NOTE Changes to hatch spacing and angle do not apply to bitmap fill images Adding Bitmap Images for Bitmap Fills You can add bitmap images bmp ...

Page 218: ...ile to the Property folder 5 The bitmap image will appear in the hatch drop down list after you restart AutoSketch NOTE Only images with the bmp extension are displayed in the hatch drop down list If you add other image types to the Property folder they are not available as bitmap fills ...

Page 219: ...209 Part 4 Annotating a Drawing Chapter 17 Working With Text Chapter 18 Creating Dimensions Chapter 19 Markers ...

Page 220: ...210 ...

Page 221: ...ations or specifications for portions of the drawing AutoSketch makes placing text in your drawing whether it is a word phrase or several paragraphs easy accurate and powerful Advanced Topics Found in Help Working with Formulas In this chapter Placing text Modifying text Checking spelling ...

Page 222: ...Text Editor dialog box provides a blank workspace for you to compose and edit your text before placing it in the drawing AutoSketch allows you to choose the editing mode that you prefer and thereafter defaults to the last edit mode used AutoSketch does not consider text to represent real objects in the drawing Instead it views text as annotation to the drawing similar to markers dimensions and hat...

Page 223: ...termines the direction the text box will expand if the text should overrun the bounds of the original box A justification of Top Right for instance will place the text basepoint at the top right corner of the text box expanding downward if necessary A text border allows you to outline the text entity with a box Controls on the property bar allow you to control the line style weight and color of th...

Page 224: ...he justification determines the placement of the basepoint 4 Click the point that defines one corner of the text rectangle A rubber band rectangle with an arrow appears beginning at the selected point The arrow points away from the basepoint which is determined by the justi fication option you selected in step 4 and indicates the direction the text box will extend to accommodate text 5 Click the p...

Page 225: ...onal On the edit bar change the font height and or justification 3 Make sure the Formula check box on the edit bar is not checked 4 optional To automatically wrap text check the Wrap Width check box on the edit bar then enter a value in the Wrap Width text box and press ENTER 5 Press and hold CTRL and enter a point for the basepoint of the text 6 Enter a second point for the angle of the text The ...

Page 226: ...5 Click a second point to define the angle and width of the text rectangle A rubber band rectangle follows the pointer 6 Click a third point to define the height of the text rectangle Press and hold CTRL to skew or slant the rectangle 7 Enter the text To enter more than one line of text click Editor The text edit mode defaults to the last text edit mode used To change text edit modes use the Inpla...

Page 227: ...ext editor mode Changing Text Height Angle Justification and Wrap Width AutoSketch allows you to individually place each text entity For each text entity you can define Height Angle Justification Wrap Width You can modify any of these settings on the edit bar by entering new values in the appropriate text boxes To change the height angle justification and wrap width of an existing text entity 1 Se...

Page 228: ...ou want to change 3 optional Select a new font from the Font drop down list box 4 optional Select a new style by clicking one of the style buttons on the Text Editor edit bar 5 optional Enter a new text height in the Height text box 6 Click OK when you are finished modifying text For inplace editing move the pointer away from the text box and click CTRL ENTER Editing Text with the Text Editor Auto...

Page 229: ...editing to the text editor mode use CTRL E Character editing keys supported by the text editor Key Function Right Arrow move one character right Left Arrow move one character left Up Arrow move one line up Down Arrow move one line down HOME move to the beginning of the current line END move to the end of the current line PAGE UP scroll up one window height PAGE DOWN scroll down one window height B...

Page 230: ...or window appears 2 Position the insertion point at the location you want to merge the new text 3 On the Text Editor s File menu or the standard toolbar for inplace edit ing click Merge The Open Text File dialog box appears 4 Click the folder that contains the file click the name of the file you want to merge and click Open The text appears in the Text Editor dialog box 5 Click OK For inplace edit...

Page 231: ...ported by most popular word processors Be sure the word processor you use can save an ASCII text file To change the text font characteristics 1 Select a text entity 2 Right click the Font drop down list box 3 Click Font on the edit bar pop up menu The Font dialog box appears 4 Click a different font style or height A sample will appear in the window 5 Click OK For inplace editing move the pointer ...

Page 232: ...g supports cut copy and paste operations through the Windows Clipboard and features Spelling tools The inplace editor supports a number of character editing keys that speed up text editing These keys control the position of the pointer help you add and delete text and control the text selection Use the commands on the standard toolbar property bar and edit bar for these and other functions Charact...

Page 233: ...m dictionaries To check spelling 1 optional Define a selection set 2 On the Tools menu click Spelling or click the Spelling button on the Standard toolbar or press F7 3 If AutoSketch finds no misspellings it displays a message saying Spell Check is Complete Click OK OR If AutoSketch finds a misspelled word the Check Spelling dialog box appears with a list of possible corrections in the Suggestions...

Page 234: ...tionary enter it in the Words text box then click Add 6 optional To remove a word from the custom dictionary select it from the Words list then click Delete 7 Click OK To specify other spelling options 1 Place text in the drawing 2 Press SHIFT while clicking Spelling on the Tools menu or while clicking the Spelling button on the Standard toolbar The Spelling Options dialog box appears 3 optional T...

Page 235: ...s explicitly using dimension entities Most dimension types also have variations that allow you to create almost any type of standard dimension notation in a drawing Advanced Topics Found in Help Formatting Dimensions In this chapter Linear dimensions Angular dimensions Radius dimensions Diameter dimensions Centerline dimensions Ordinate dimensions ...

Page 236: ...e measured value In a horizontal dimension the dimension line is always horizontal no matter where dimension points are located A vertical dimension is similar but its dimension line is always vertical In an aligned dimension the angle of the dimension line matches that of a line drawn between the two dimension points In a rotated dimension the angle of the dimension line is specified on the edit ...

Page 237: ...se remember that single chained and baseline dimensioning are merely different ways to enter the same basic type of entity They make it easy to arrange those entities in a specific way After entering a linear dimension you can edit it using any of several techniques For information on editing linear dimensions see page 231 NOTE For precise dimensioning use snaps to identify snap points For more in...

Page 238: ...t any time For information on changing a linear dimension after it is drawn see page 231 4 Enter the first dimension point A rubber band dimension appears 5 Enter the second dimension point to complete the dimension Notice that where you place the second point determines the orientation of the dimension You can reverse the orientation of the dimension by pressing CTRL as you enter the second dimen...

Page 239: ...l offset on the edit bar This is the distance from the dimen sion line to the closest dimension point on printed output It applies to the first dimension only Other dimensions in the chain are aligned with the first For information on changing a linear dimension after it is drawn see page 231 4 Enter the first dimension point A rubber band dimension appears 5 Enter the second dimension point to co...

Page 240: ... All In One toolbar The edit bar displays controls for linear dimensions 2 From the Dimension Method drop down list box on the edit bar click Baseline 3 Enter the initial offset on the edit bar and press ENTER This is the distance from the dimension line to the closest dimension point on printed output It applies to the first dimension only For information on chang ing a linear dimension after it ...

Page 241: ...on it and dragging the appropriate vertex to new locations Using this technique you can change the location of the dimension line the dimension label and both dimension points To move the dimension line of a linear dimension 1 Double click the dimension or right click it and click Edit Vertices from the pop up menu Vertices appear over the dimension points 2 Click the arrow shaped vertex and drag ...

Page 242: ...lick Edit Vertices on the pop up menu Vertices appear over the dimension points 2 Click the vertex and drag it to the new location A rubber band line shows the new position as you drag Angular Dimensions An angular dimension notes the angle that exists between two entities in a drawing It is similar to a linear dimension but the dimension line is an arc rather than a line and extension lines when ...

Page 243: ... Click two nonparallel lines in the drawing A rubber band dimension appears Notice that you can dimension one of four angles one between the two entities or dimension lines and three other angles 3 Enter a point to establish the location of the dimension line The dimen sion line passes through this point when it is drawn Changing Angular Dimensions With the Mouse You can reshape an angular dimensi...

Page 244: ...d drag it to the new location A rubber band line shows the new position as you drag Radius Dimensions A radius dimension notes the radius of an arc including a bulged segment of a polygon or polyline or circle You can place the label for a radius dimen sion inside or outside of the referenced arc or circle Clicking just inside the arc or circle places it inside Clicking just outside the arc or cir...

Page 245: ... it is drawn by double clicking on it and dragging the appropriate vertex to new locations You can use this tech nique to change the angle of the dimension line or to move the dimension label To change the angle of a radius dimension 1 Double click the dimension or right click it and click Edit Vertices on the pop up menu 2 Click the vertex on the dimension line and drag it to the new location The...

Page 246: ...ircle You can place the label for a diameter dimension inside or outside of the referenced arc or circle Clicking just inside the arc or circle places it inside Clicking just outside the arc or circle places it outside AutoSketch automatically calculates the value displayed in the dimension label based on settings in the Dimension Format dialog box For information on formatting a diameter dimensio...

Page 247: ... relative location To move the label and change the angle of a diameter dimension 1 Double click the dimension or right click it and click Edit Vertices on the pop up menu 2 Click the vertex on the dimension label and drag it to the new location The dimension label moves to the new location and the dimension is aligned to match To move the label of a diameter dimension 1 Double click the dimension...

Page 248: ...oint AutoSketch measures the coordinate either from the drawing origin or from a temporary origin you specify You must specify two points to create an ordinate dimension an ordinate point and a text point The position of the text point in relation to the ordinate point determines whether the x or y coordinate is displayed AutoSketch automatically calculates the value displayed in the dimension lab...

Page 249: ...not display a measurement They do however reflect certain settings in the Dimension Format dialog box When you add a leader AutoSketch does not add a leader entity to the drawing Instead it adds separate polylines markers and text entities This makes it easy to edit a leader after creation To add a leader 1 On the Draw menu click Dimension Leader or click Leader Dimension on the All In One toolbar...

Page 250: ...ext dialog box appears 5 Enter the text you want beside the arrow and click OK NOTE Leaders are notes that reference specific points in a drawing Unlike other dimensions leaders do not display a measurement They do however reflect certain settings in the Dimension Format dialog box When you add a leader AutoSketch does not add a leader entity to the drawing Instead it adds separate polylines marke...

Page 251: ...fic coordinate the endpoint of a line directional flow and so on Markers are not intended to represent real objects in the drawing Instead AutoSketch views them as annotations to the drawing This chapter describes the various types of markers and how to place them in your drawings In this chapter Placing a marker Selecting a marker type ...

Page 252: ...t in the drawing for the marker base point Markers make it easy to draw attention to a point in the drawing because the basepoint is usually the focal point of the marker You can use the plus and minus keys on the numeric keypad or use F5 or SHIFT F5 if you don t have a keypad to rotate a marker before or after you enter its basepoint You can specify this angle of rotation by modifying the Plus Mi...

Page 253: ...e Marker Point button on the All In One toolbar 2 Click the marker type from the Marker Types drop down list box on the edit bar 3 Enter the marker basepoint To add a marker aligned to two points 1 On the Draw menu click Marker Point or click the Marker Point button on the All In One toolbar 2 optional Click the marker type from the drop down list box on the edit bar 3 Press and hold CTRL while en...

Page 254: ...the point you want the marker to appear Use the plus and minus keys on the numeric keypad or SHIFT F5 to rotate the marker To add a marker to the endpoint of a line polyline or arc 1 On the Draw menu click Marker Align to Endpoint or click the Marker Align Endpoint Marker button on the All In One toolbar 2 optional Select the marker type from the drop down list box on the edit bar 3 An outline of ...

Page 255: ...ker after you click Marker Point on the Draw menu When Autoselect is active and you place the marker the marker is highlighted While it remains highlighted you can change the marker type TIP While drawing markers if Autoselect mode is active changing marker types on the edit bar causes the highlighted marker to change The following marker types are available ...

Page 256: ...246 Chapter 19 Markers ...

Page 257: ...cting Deleting Entities Chapter 21 Undoing Redoing Repeating Actions Chapter 22 Moving Rotating Resizing Entities Chapter 23 Trimming Entities Chapter 24 Reshaping Entities Chapter 25 Converting Exploding Entity Types Chapter 26 Making Inquiries ...

Page 258: ...248 ...

Page 259: ...u can add entities to the selection set and remove them anytime you like With each change the handles are adjusted to reflect the extent of the current selection set The selection set can contain any number of entities from a single entity to all entities in the drawing Any action you perform on the selection set affects all selected entities In this chapter Selecting entities with the mouse Selec...

Page 260: ...nt of the current selection set The selection set can contain any number of entities from a single entity to all entities in the drawing Any action you perform on the selection set affects all selected entities Selecting Entities with the Mouse Using the mouse is the simplest way to select an entity With the mouse you can select a single entity cycle through overlapping entities or select multi pl...

Page 261: ...hree or more vertices to define the region A rubber band line follows the pointer Press DELETE to remove the last vertex entered 3 Right click The entities completely inside the irregular polygon are selected To select entities using a polyline 1 On the Edit menu click Select Fence or click the Select Fence button on the All In One toolbar 2 Enter two or more vertices to define the polyline A rubb...

Page 262: ... from the selec tion set based on their properties On the Edit menu click Select Modify Selection to access the Selection Modifier dialog box or click the Selection Modifier button on the All In One toolbar Using the Selection Modifier you can select all entities on the Electrical Connections layer all entities displayed with red dashed lines all symbols that represent equipment purchased from a s...

Page 263: ... set or subtract them For the duration of the current drawing session the Selection Modifier retains the last selection statement for each open drawing At any point you can clear the selection statement and start over or you can cancel the Selection Modifier entirely To add a qualifier that selects all entities 1 On the Edit menu click Select Modify Selection or click the Modify Selection button o...

Page 264: ...rawing otherwise these commands appear grayed 3 Click Totally Inside to include entities that are totally inside the marquee or click the corresponding menu command to include entities that are partially inside totally outside or partially outside the marquee To add a qualifier that selects entities based on a database field 1 On the Edit menu click Select Modify Selection or click the Modify Sele...

Page 265: ... be aligned to the ellipse itself allowing you to resize or scale the ellipse without changing the orientation of its axes The grid By default if a selection set contains multiple entities the han dles are aligned to the grid This is especially useful if you have changed the grid angle because it allows you to accurately resize the selection set with the aid of the reference grid The World You can...

Page 266: ...up menu OR Press ESC or click outside the selection set Modifying the Properties for the Entire Selection Set Once you have created a selection set you can make modifications to all the entities in the selection set If your selection set is a single entity you can use the controls on the edit bar and property bar to make changes to the entity s geometric and graphic properties If your selection is...

Page 267: ...ethods that allow you to select entities marquee selection allows you to select an area onscreen You can define a marquee to Copy a bitmap to the Clipboard For information on copying a bitmap to the Clipboard see Using the Clipboard OLE in online Help Reference in the Selection Modifier For information on referencing a marquee in the Selection Modifier see page 252 Save a view For information on s...

Page 268: ...quee 1 On the Edit menu click Select Irregular Marquee or click the Irregular Marquee Selection button on the All In One toolbar 2 Enter a point to begin the marquee A rubber band line follows the pointer 3 Enter a point to define a corner of the marquee A rubber band polygon follows the pointer Repeat this step until you define all of the corners of the marquee 4 Right click A dotted line defines...

Page 269: ...he ability to quickly delete entities makes cleaning up a drawing fast You should delete any unneeded entities from your drawings to cut down on the size of the file and to make redrawing the screen faster To delete entities 1 Select the entities to delete 2 On the Edit menu click Delete OR Press DELETE ...

Page 270: ...260 Chapter 20 Selecting Deleting Entities ...

Page 271: ...ing the last action or series of actions performed This makes the drawing process more efficient by making it easier to correct mistakes Likewise if you mistakenly undo an action the Redo command allows you to reinstate the action or series of actions most recently undone In this chapter Undoing actions Redoing actions Repeating commands ...

Page 272: ...Edit or click the Undo button on the Standard toolbar AutoSketch restores the drawing to its state before you performed the last action To reverse multiple actions 1 Click the Undo drop down arrow on the Standard toolbar A list of edit actions appears 2 Move the pointer down the list until all of the actions you want to undo are highlighted then click AutoSketch reverses the actions Redoing Action...

Page 273: ... the drawing Instead of selecting the same commands each time you can use AutoSketch s Repeat Edit to access the command again When there is no action to repeat Repeat Edit is grayed out To repeat an editing command On the Edit menu click Repeat Edit or press F3 To repeat a draw command On the Draw menu click Repeat Draw or press F4 ...

Page 274: ...264 Chapter 21 Undoing Redoing Repeating Actions ...

Page 275: ...ge them in a specific pattern called an array An array can contain any number of copies and you can specify the exact size and shape of the resulting array Advanced Topics Found in Help Creating Linear and Rectangular Arrays Creating Circular Arrays Specifying Irregular Spacing in Arrays In this chapter Working with the About Point Moving or copying an entity Rotating an entity Rubber Stamping an ...

Page 276: ...etch gives you the flexibility to move the about point to another location For example you can move the about point of a chair that faces a table to the center of the table Rotating the chair using the Leave Original option creates another copy of the chair that is positioned facing the table Repeating the transformation creates another copy of the chair at the speci fied rotation angle around the...

Page 277: ...oint of any entity If the selection set contains multiple entities the about point is placed in the center of the selection set To return the about point to its default location 1 Select the entity then right click above the about point 2 On the pop up menu click Entity About Point Moving or Copying an Entity You can move or copy one or more selected entities from their present loca tion to a new ...

Page 278: ... anywhere inside the selection handles to move the selection set to another location OR 1 Select the entity or entities to move 2 Right click and drag anywhere inside the selection handles to move the selection set to another location When you release the right mouse button a pop up menu appears 3 Click Move Here or Copy Here on the pop up menu To enter two points that define how far to move the s...

Page 279: ...at different locations To move entities using the Clipboard 1 Select the entity or entities to move 2 On the Edit menu click Cut or click the Cut button on the Standard toolbar AutoSketch removes the selection set from the drawing and places it on the Clipboard 3 optional Open another drawing and click inside its window to make that drawing window active if you want to move the entities to another...

Page 280: ...erval Rotating an Entity Rotating an entity changes its orientation about a point AutoSketch allows you to rotate entities by Dragging the rotation handle with the mouse Using the plus and minus keys on the numeric keypad or F5 and SHIFT F5 to rotate the selection set by the plus minus rotation interval Using Transform Rotate on the Edit menu to rotate the selection set a specified angle around a ...

Page 281: ...eyboard Pressing plus or minus on the numeric keypad rotates the selection set by the plus minus rotation interval The F5 and SHIFT F5 keys duplicate the actions of the plus and minus keys respectively To rotate the selection set using the keyboard 1 Select the entity or entities to rotate 2 Use the plus and minus keys on the numeric keypad or the F5 and SHIFT F5 keys to rotate the selection set T...

Page 282: ...ster images and OLE objects cannot be rotated Align rotates and moves the selection set Aligning is useful when you know the location and angle you want for a particular selection but you don t know the exact angle measurements and distance When you align you simply enter two points to define the current location and orientation of the selection set and another two points that define the new locat...

Page 283: ...ubber Stamp creates an exact duplicate of the selection set that can be placed in a drawing multiple times You can place the copies visually or use any combination of snaps or lock modifiers For more information on using snaps and lock modifiers see the chapter titled Entering Modifying Points which begins on page 99 To rubber stamp an entity by entering a single point 1 Select an entity or entiti...

Page 284: ...r or right click the entity and click Rubber Stamp on the pop up menu that appears An outline of the entity appears and follows the pointer 3 Press SHIFT CTRL and click a point in the drawing for the basepoint of the entity A rubber band outline appears and rotates and scales with the pointer 4 Continue pressing SHIFT CTRL and click a second point The copy is placed Creating Patterns of Duplicate ...

Page 285: ...h places another instance of the symbol Middle Gaps means that symbols are spaced evenly along the length of the entity with symbols at the startpoint and endpoint All Gaps means that symbols are spaced evenly along the length of the entity with gaps at the startpoint and endpoint Enter vertical and horizontal spacing of symbols The entered values are the increments of length that must be drawn be...

Page 286: ...actor text box on the edit bar then check the Scaling Factor check box When this check box is checked symbols are scaled proportionately When it is unchecked you must enter separate height and width scaling factors 8 Draw the entity you selected in step 4 To arrange selected entities in a pattern 1 Select a single entity or multiple entities 2 On the Edit menu click Transform Rubber Stamp Array Th...

Page 287: ...uplicated arcs and circles share the same centerpoint You can use either of two methods to create duplicate parallel entities If you click Duplicate Parallel on the Draw menu AutoSketch allows you to specify the original entity in your drawing then creates a rubber band parallel dupli cate entity You can visually place the duplicate entity or use any combina tion of snaps and lock modifiers to hel...

Page 288: ...lows the movement of the pointer 3 Position the rubber band entity in the new location and click To create a duplicate line arc or circle that is offset at a specific distance 1 On the Draw menu click Duplicate then click Offset or click the Offset button on the All In One toolbar 2 optional Enter a new value in the Offset Distance text box on the edit bar and press ENTER 3 Position the pointer on...

Page 289: ...u can mirror by dragging one of the middle selection handles across the selection set or you can use the Mirror tool Either method can reduce your drawing time by half when you re drawing something that is symmet rical With mirroring you need only create half of the symmetrical drawing and then use a mirroring procedure to create the other half If you need another copy of an existing entity in you...

Page 290: ...on To mirror entities across an axis you specify 1 Select the entity or entities to mirror 2 On the Edit menu click Transform Mirror or click the Mirror button on the All In One toolbar 3 optional Check the Copy or Move check box on the edit bar to mirror a copy of the selection set and leave the original 4 Enter the startpoint of the axis about which to perform the mirror transformation ...

Page 291: ...d factor using Transform Scale on the Edit menu When you do this you have the option of scaling the entities about a point you enter or you can scale markers text and symbols about their respective basepoints If you need another copy of an existing entity in your drawing pressing CTRL while scaling an entity specifies that AutoSketch leaves the original entity behind and scales a copy of the selec...

Page 292: ... Basepoint button on the edit bar Stretching an Entity Stretching resizes an entity in one direction the result is taller or wider than the original Stretching an entity moves its basepoint thereby moving the entity You can only stretch entities drawn between a start and endpoint Consequently entities such as text markers and symbols which are drawn at a basepoint cannot be stretched To stretch ar...

Page 293: ... region to stretch by drawing a marquee 3 optional Check the Copy or Move check box on the edit bar to stretch a copy of the selection set and leave the original 4 Enter the startpoint of the stretch 5 Enter the endpoint of the stretch Arranging Entities The order that entities stack becomes more apparent when your drawing contains overlapping entities that are different colors or use fills When t...

Page 294: ...range Move to Front to place the selection set on top of other entities or on the Edit menu click Arrange Move to Back to place the selection set under other entities Repeating a Transformation After you complete any copy move rotate stretch or scale transformation you can repeat it by pressing a shortcut key You can repeat the last transfor mation once or many times To repeat the last transformat...

Page 295: ...n polygons are also provided Unlike most of the Edit commands in AutoSketch Trim requires you to select a command before you specify the entities you want to trim Choosing Trim clears the selection set In this chapter Creating a corner between two entities Rounding an intersection Beveling an intersection Trimming to an edge Removing sections of entities Dividing an entity Dividing an entity into ...

Page 296: ...This procedure does not create a single entity by joining the two entities together The two entities you specify remain separate entities For informa tion on joining lines arcs and polylines see page 294 To form a corner between two entities 1 On the Edit menu click Trim Corner or click the Corner button on the All In One toolbar 2 Click the first entity you want to trim Click the portion of the e...

Page 297: ... rounding two end segments of a polyline the polyline becomes a closed polygon When a circle is rounded to another entity it breaks into an arc at the point where it intersects with the new arc A rounded corner may create three separate entities which are not joined together For information on joining entities refer to page 294 To round the intersection of two entities 1 On the Edit menu click Tri...

Page 298: ...eling two adjacent segments of a polyline the bevel edge becomes a new segment of the polyline Non adjacent segments of the same polyline are not allowed to bevel When beveling two end segments of a polyline the polyline becomes a closed polygon Beveling an intersection usually results in three separate entities which are not automatically joined together For information on joining entities see pa...

Page 299: ...lylines polygons arcs or circles to the edge of another AutoSketch automatically extends or shortens the entities as necessary Each entity remains separate and individ ually editable For information on joining lines polylines and arcs see page 294 NOTE The Edge command will not effect polygons with holes produced using the Union Intersection or Difference commands To trim one or more entities to t...

Page 300: ...on from an entity either by breaking or channeling results in two separate entities which can be selected or edited independently NOTE Break and Channel will not effect polygons with holes produced using the Union Intersection or Difference To remove a section from a single entity 1 On the Edit menu click Trim Break or click the Break button on the All In One toolbar 2 Click the entity you want to...

Page 301: ...the section of this entity that is inside the path of the channel Repeat this step to trim additional entities that intersect the channel Dividing an Entity On the Edit menu click Trim Divide to divide two lines arcs or circles at the point where they intersect When dividing two intersecting entities the resulting entities are four separate entities with new endpoints at their intersection When di...

Page 302: ... the entity 3 Click the second entity you want to divide AutoSketch divides the entities at the intersection Dividing an Entity into Equal Segments On the Edit menu click Trim Subdivide to divide a line polyline segment polygon segment arc or circle into a specified number of equal lengths You can use it to create up to 64 equal length entities from a single entity Subdividing an arc or circle res...

Page 303: ...ve opening and another point that specifies its depth AutoSketch breaks the line or polyline at the first set of points and moves that segment the distance specified by another point AutoSketch creates polyline segments between the break opening and the moved segment at the angle set in the angle text box on the edit bar Specifying a 45 or 60 degree angle results in an alcove that resembles a bay ...

Page 304: ... drawing file In AutoSketch you can join any line polyline or arc to any other line polyline or arc if the two entities share an endpoint You can also join a series of lines polylines or arcs together if each entity shares an endpoint with the next entity If the entities do not share an endpoint you must trim them to a corner before you join them For information on trimming entities to a corner re...

Page 305: ... an entity in the series AutoSketch joins any connected entities Combining Two Polygons AutoSketch allows you to combine two intersecting polygons The new polygon assumes the combined shape of the two polygons The new entity has the graphic properties of the second polygon you click NOTE The original polygons are removed by this procedure If you want to keep the original polygons make a copy befor...

Page 306: ...ion or click the Intersection button on the All In One toolbar 2 Click the first polygon 3 Click the second polygon Subtracting One Polygon From Another On the Edit menu click Trim Difference to create a new polygon by subtract ing an intersecting polygon from another The new polygon assumes the shape of the second polygon with the first polygon removed The new entity has the graphic properties of...

Page 307: ... Click the second polygon AutoSketch removes the shape of the first poly gon from the second To create a hole in a polygon using another polygon 1 On the Edit menu click Trim Difference or click the Difference button on the All In One toolbar 2 Click the first polygon This polygon defines the shape of the hole 3 Click the second polygon AutoSketch removes the shape of the first polygon from the se...

Page 308: ...298 Chapter 23 Trimming Entities ...

Page 309: ...oint You can add move or delete a vertex You can also add or remove segments and specify if a segment is displayed or hidden In this chapter Selecting vertices Moving and aligning vertices Moving a segment Adding a vertex segment or bulge Editing the properties of a polyline or polygon segment Controlling the visibility of a segment Deleting a vertex or segment Opening and closing poly entities Di...

Page 310: ...e entities using similar tools For example in vertex editing mode you can change the diameter of a circle or change the start angle of an elliptical arc The ability to reshape entities can drastically impact the way you create a drawing For instance you can quickly rough in entities to get an overall feel for the drawing then refine these entities using vertex editing later To enter vertex editing...

Page 311: ...oordinate location for the vertex is displayed on the edit bar To select multiple vertices Click and drag the pointer over all the vertices you want to select All the vertices in the region you define will become selected OR Press SHIFT while clicking the individual vertices you want to edit To select all the vertices in an entity Click the Select All Vertices button on the edit bar All the vertic...

Page 312: ...r enter new coordinates for the location of the vertex and press ENTER To align a set of vertices 1 Enter vertex editing mode 2 Select the vertices to align for more information on selecting single or multiple vertices see Selecting Vertices on page 301 3 Click an alignment option left right bottom or top from the Alignment drop down list box on the edit bar To move multiple vertices or endpoints ...

Page 313: ...r Bulge You can add a vertex at any point between the startpoint and the endpoint of a polyline segment by simply clicking on the point along the segment and beginning to drag Release the mouse button when the new vertex is where you want it to be If you need to add a vertex to the end of a polyline or curve use the Extend command You can add as many vertices or segments as you need After you add ...

Page 314: ...on and release the left mouse button To add a segment at the end of a poly entity 1 Enter vertex editing mode 2 Click one of the vertex endpoints of the poly entity 3 Click the Extend button on the edit bar To create or modify a bulge in a polyline or polygon segment 1 Enter vertex editing mode 2 Position the pointer on the segment where you want to create the bulge and press CTRL The segment is h...

Page 315: ...s startpoint and endpoint Another way to measure bulge is the tangent of one quarter of its included angle For infor mation on bulges refer to Drawing Polylines on page 139 To change the properties of a polyline or polygon segment 1 Enter vertex editing mode 2 Click the segment you want to edit The segment is highlighted 3 Change the settings for start width end width bulge or other settings on th...

Page 316: ...ertex and the next one Deleting any other vertex creates a single segment between the vertices on either side After you use vertex editing you may find that the resulting entity contains extra vertices If you delete a vertex that is colinear with the startpoint and the endpoint of an adjacent segment or one that is located on top of another vertex the shape of the entity does not change The Clean ...

Page 317: ...in vertex editing mode by clicking the Open button on the edit bar This command opens the segment you select converting the entity to a polyline or open curve You close a polyline or curve in vertex editing mode by clicking the Close button on the edit bar This command adds a segment connecting the entity s startpoint and endpoint TIP Opening and closing an entity using vertex editing has a simila...

Page 318: ...olygon Types drop down list on the edit bar click Irregular Polygon Dividing a Polyline at a Vertex If a polyline has at least three vertices you can divide it into individual polylines For example you can divide a polyline with 5 vertices into 4 3 or 2 separate polylines You cannot divide a closed curve or a polyline with less than two segments To divide a polyline with two or more segments 1 Ent...

Page 319: ...cular arc The length of the X and Y axes the start angle end angle and included angle of an elliptical arc The diameter of a circle The length of the X and Y axes of an ellipse To enter vertex editing mode select the entity you want to reshape then click the Edit Vertices button on the edit bar To change the radius of a circular arc 1 Enter vertex editing mode 2 Click the radius vertex of the arc ...

Page 320: ...or the included angle vertex to the new location and release the left mouse button 3 Drag the vertex to the new location and release the left mouse button To change the length of the axes of an elliptical arc 1 Enter vertex editing mode 2 Click either the X or the Y axis vertex 3 Drag the vertex to the new location and release the left mouse button ...

Page 321: ...tartpoint or the included angle vertex 3 Drag the vertex to the new location and release the left mouse button To change the diameter of a circle 1 Enter vertex editing mode 2 Click the diameter vertex of the circle A rubber band circle appears and follows the pointer 3 Drag the vertex to the new location and release the left mouse button ...

Page 322: ...e Y axis segment 3 Drag the vertex to the new location and release the left mouse button NOTE It is possible for you to reshape an ellipse in such a way that the X and Y axes are interchanged This is apparent when you view the edit bar where the lengths found in the Major Radius and Minor Radius text boxes reflect the change you made to the ellipse ...

Page 323: ... use one type of entity rather than another for a particular purpose Converting an entity or group of entities from one type to another allows you to gain the features of the new entity type usually without noticeably altering the look of the drawing In this chapter Converting polylines and polygons Converting TrueType fonts Creating groups Exploding entities ...

Page 324: ...ymbol you could select the individual lines and arcs that make up the door This is particularly useful when you need to create symbols using existing symbols as a basis Entity conversion Convert Entity Convert to arc open curve polyline or elliptical arc circle closed curve polygon or ellipse polyline curve or polygon polygon curve or polyline curve polyline or polygon line s polyline by joining t...

Page 325: ...ies and have common endpoints If a series of lines and or polylines forms a closed shape with the first and last entities sharing an endpoint a polygon is formed You can convert this closed polyline to lines and in turn convert the lines to an irregular polygon to which you can apply pattern fill To convert a pair of pre trimmed entities to a polyline 1 On the Edit menu click Trim Join or click th...

Page 326: ... convert back and forth between curves and polylines or polygons by choosing an entity type from the edit bar AutoSketch converts each control point to a vertex for the polyline or polygon This type of conversion creates a rough polyline it does not look like the curve You can also convert a curve to a polyline or polygon that looks like the orig inal curve by converting the fine segments that Aut...

Page 327: ...irregular polygon you must close the polyline In fact an irregular polygon is a closed polyline To close a polyline you can click Close on the vertex editing edit bar or click Irregular Polygon from the drop down list box on the edit bar Simply moving the startpoint and the endpoint of the polyline on top of one another does not close the polyline and create a polygon You lose any solid fill when ...

Page 328: ...ny segment of the polygon and click the Open button on the Edit bar Converting TrueType Fonts Some plotters do not support TrueType fonts Converting text entities that use TrueType fonts to polygons can greatly improve the appearance of TrueType text on such plotters Converting TrueType text to polygons also makes it possible for you to reshape individual characters To convert TrueType text to pol...

Page 329: ...ns such as Duplicate Offset or Perpendicular Polyline Transform operations such as Move Scale or Align affect all members in a group Unlike a symbol a group is not named or saved in libraries and you cannot use the Dropper tool or perform Trim or Database operations on groups Also unlike a symbol changing pen color or other graphic properties on the property bar permanently affects all members in ...

Page 330: ...omponents of an entity On the Draw menu click Symbol Create if you want to update a symbol definition after editing its components For more information on creating symbols see Creating Symbol Definitions on page 173 You must select the component entities first To explode an entity 1 Select the entity you want to explode 2 On the Edit menu click Explode or click the Explode button on the edit bar ...

Page 331: ...uiry to provide a list of symbols and the number of times each appears in the current drawing This feature might be useful to count chairs in an office or to tally the different sizes of bolts and the number of each size in a machine part In this chapter Displaying information about a specific entity Displaying information on the selection set Displaying the coordinates of a point Measuring distan...

Page 332: ...gths angles and areas using current units of measurement for the drawing On the Tools menu click Options to change the units of measurement used for a specific type of value For information on changing the current units of measurement see Setting the Units of Measurement on page 54 Displaying Information About a Specific Entity AutoSketch allows you to inquire about the properties of a selected en...

Page 333: ...o display the extent and entity totals for the current selection set On the Inquire menu click Selection Properties or click the Inquire Selection button on the All In One toolbar The Selection property sheet appears OR Right click the selection set and click Selection Properties on the pop up menu To display the extent and entity totals for the current drawing On the Inquire menu click Drawing Pr...

Page 334: ...g box appears displaying the coordinates of the point you entered 3 Click Close or click Inquire Again to display another coordinate or click the Copy button to copy the currently displayed coordinates to the Clipboard Measuring Distances Often you need to know the distance between two points but you don t want to draw a dimension For example you might want to know the distance between home plate ...

Page 335: ... an entity or entity component 1 On the Inquire menu click Distance or click the Inquire Distance button on the All In One toolbar If a selection set exists AutoSketch temporarily suspends it and grays the selection handles 2 Select the entity in the drawing while pressing SHIFT The Distance dialog box appears displaying one of the following distances The distance displayed is for the axis closest...

Page 336: ...es the vertex of the angle you want to measure The remaining points define the angle to include To display an angle defined by three points 1 On the Inquire menu click Angle or click the Inquire Angle button on the All In One toolbar If a selection set exists AutoSketch temporarily suspends it 2 Enter the vertex the center point of the angle 3 Enter the beginning point of rotation A rubber band ar...

Page 337: ...line segments and polygon sides have two associated angles one for each endpoint AutoSketch displays the angle associated with the endpoint closest to where you click on the entity Arcs have two associated angles one for each endpoint When you make an inquiry about an arc AutoSketch displays the angle associated with the end point closest to where you click on the arc Symbols have angles associate...

Page 338: ...ased on a formula 1 On the Inquire menu click Angle or click the Inquire Angle button on the All In One toolbar If a selection set exists AutoSketch temporarily suspends it 2 Type equal sign The Angle Input dialog box appears 3 Enter the formula that evaluates to an angle and click OK The Angle dialog box appears and displays the angle Measuring Areas AutoSketch allows you to make an inquiry that ...

Page 339: ... irregular polygon A rubber band line follows the pointer 3 Enter a point to define a corner of the polygon A rubber band polygon follows the pointer Repeat this step until you define all of the corners of the irregular polygon 4 Right click The Area and Perimeter dialog box appears 5 Click Close or click Inquire Again to display another area and perimeter or click the Copy button to copy the curr...

Page 340: ...330 Chapter 26 Making Inquiries ...

Page 341: ...331 Part 6 Using a Drawing As a Database Chapter 27 Storing Data in a Drawing Chapter 28 Retrieving Data from a Drawing Chapter 29 Using Web Tools ...

Page 342: ...332 ...

Page 343: ...nformation in entities to which you can assign properties You can create your own properties called fields when you need to store information that does not correspond to an existing property Think of a field as a custom container of infor mation For instance you might create a Purchase Price field and assign a dollar value to entities that represent valuables You could then create an insurance rep...

Page 344: ...n have many fields in a drawing but each field you create must have a unique name The field name should describe the data it contains because it appears when you request information about an entity Field names can contain letters numbers spaces and punctuation marks When you are naming fields that you plan to export to another application consider that some programs do not support the use of blank...

Page 345: ... through 7 to create other fields 9 Click Close TIP If you are planning to create several drawings that require similar fields you can create a blank drawing with the necessary fields and use it as a template for the drawings Assigning Fields and Values to Entities Once you ve created the fields to store data in your drawing you must assign those fields to specific entities This adds your fields t...

Page 346: ...lated Values Instead of entering a constant value in a field you can assign it a calculated value AutoSketch updates the calculated value each time the drawing changes For example the calculated value Length returns the length of a line arc circle polyline or polygon and stores the length in the field If you change the length of that entity AutoSketch instantly updates the calculated value assigne...

Page 347: ...name Color any color name Style any style name Width any width name Value For entity type Returns Color any color index Width any width index SX marker or symbol horizontal scaling ratio SY marker or symbol vertical scaling ratio Value For entity type Returns Length line arc circle polyline or polygon length Height any height of extent Width any width of extent X marker or symbol x coordinate of b...

Page 348: ...h the area type Y arc or circle y coordinate of centerpoint Radius arc or circle radius xRadius ellipse major radius yRadius ellipse minor radius xStart line x coordinate of startpoint yStart line y coordinate of startpoint xEnd line x coordinate of endpoint yEnd line y coordinate of endpoint Value For entity type Returns Angle line marker or symbol associated angle Alpha arc angle from center to ...

Page 349: ...tion set 1 Select the entity whose fields you want to unassign 2 On the Database menu click Delete Field The Delete Field dialog box appears 3 Click a field in the list that you want to unassign from the selected entity 4 Click OK To delete a field from the drawing 1 On the Database menu click Options The Database Options dialog box appears 2 Click the Fields page tab Any existing fields in the dr...

Page 350: ...340 Chapter 27 Storing Data in a Drawing ...

Page 351: ...eful way You can retrieve information from your drawings using three methods By creating database reports formatted in spreadsheet like grids By exporting data to a spreadsheet or database By displaying text from the database directly in the drawing In this chapter Creating reports Organizing reports Sending information to other applications Displaying values in a drawing ...

Page 352: ...ts display information you store in the drawing There are two types of reports detail and summary Detail reports display information for every entity in the selection set Summary reports display information for each symbol definition in the selection set along with a count of the number of instances of each symbol Summary reports exclude non symbol entities You can display the sum of a column of n...

Page 353: ...ck the Detail option button or the Summary option button 9 optional In the Selection Criteria section of the dialog box click Change to change the selection set for this report The Selection Modifier window appears For more information on the Selection Modifier see Using the Selection Modifier on page 252 10 Click OK The Custom Report Column Configuration dialog box appears 11 optional Enter new t...

Page 354: ...the Type drop down list box 6 Repeat steps 3 5 on the Secondary Key side of the dialog box In the event that there are identical occurrences of the Primary Key this controls what order those symbols are listed in 7 Click OK TIP You can click a column heading to sort by a single column in ascending order or click again to sort in descending order Organizing Reports AutoSketch reports can be stored ...

Page 355: ...can send information stored in your drawings to other applications AutoSketch allows you to send the information contained in a report or to export all of the stored values for selected entities To send the information displayed in a report you copy the report and paste it in a Windows applica tion that supports the Clipboard such as a spreadsheet database or word processor To export all of the da...

Page 356: ...as as string text rather than numbers 5 optional Check the Automatically Calculate Width and Precision check box This limits exported character strings and numeric values according to settings in the Field Setup dialog box This option is ignored for Microsoft Excel files 6 Click OK 7 On the Database menu click Export The Export Database File dialog box appears 8 optional In the Save As Type drop d...

Page 357: ...hen it is written by itself To display database values in a drawing 1 Select the entities whose database values you want to display 2 On the Database menu click Make Visible To format the display of database values 1 On the Database menu click Options The Database Options dialog box appears 2 Click the Format page tab 3 In the Text Font drop down list box click a font 4 Enter the text height in th...

Page 358: ...l then click Edit Fields and enter new values for this field Symbol Fields A set of database fields whose values were defined when the symbol was created The fields become part of the database when you place the symbol containing them in your drawing To edit this field click Symbol Explore on the Draw menu In the Symbol Explorer click the Drawings page tab click the drawing click the symbol then c...

Page 359: ...ds are visible 1 On the Database menu click Options The Database Options dialog box appears 2 Click the Format page tab 3 Check the check boxes next to any of the fields that you want to include with visible fields Uncheck the check boxes next to the fields you want hidden 4 Click OK ...

Page 360: ...350 Chapter 28 Retrieving Data From a Drawing ...

Page 361: ...e Internet Your Internet Browser can even be launched from AutoSketch Hyperlinks are embedded operations that open specific documents in the same or other appli cations These documents can contain dynamic data such as text image audio or video files Hyperlinks are similar to topic jumps in an online Help system In this chapter Assigning URLs Browsing hyperlinks Using hyperlink jumps ...

Page 362: ...ed vector based files are completely accurate representations of drawing data They are easier to generate than comparable bitmap images and usually take less time to download Once you have assigned several hyperlinks you can use the Web Edit tools to browse the drawing for hyperlinks and to select entities or groups of entities based on shared URLs Unique Resource Locators A URL is a type of filen...

Page 363: ... If it s a valid address Windows opens the document To assign a URL to an entity or group of entities 1 Select the entity or entities to which you want to assign the hyperlink 2 On the Database menu click Edit or click the Hyperlink Edit button on the Standard toolbar The Edit Hyperlink dialog box appears 3 Enter the URL address in the Hyperlink File or URL text box then click OK The entities are ...

Page 364: ...splayed on the edit bar To browse the hyperlinks in a drawing 1 On the Database menu click Browse or click the Browse Hyperlinks button on the Standard toolbar 2 Move the pointer over entities in the drawing Those entities which are hyperlinked are highlighted and the attached URL address is displayed on the edit bar NOTE Entities which are placed on masked layers cannot be identified by the Brows...

Page 365: ...elp To use a hyperlink jump Select a hyperlinked entity in the drawing then right click Click Jump to Hyperlink on the pop up menu OR 1 On the Database menu click Browse or click the Browse Hyperlinks button on the Standard toolbar The pointer becomes a browse tool 2 Move the pointer over the drawing noticing that items which have hyperlinks assigned to them appear highlighted when the pointer pas...

Page 366: ...356 Chapter 29 Using Web Tools ...

Page 367: ...nced topics noted at the beginning of each chapter online Help features several chapters that do not appear in the User s Guide A short description of each chapter appears on the following page In this appendix Advanced topics found in online Help ...

Page 368: ...les compass angles and bearings This topic discusses the three types of angles and methods for displaying angles in degrees minutes degrees minutes seconds radians grads and bearings Using Numeric Expressions A numeric expression is a mathematical formula that evaluates to a single number For example the expression 2 2 evaluates to the number 4 AutoSketch lets you enter numeric expres sions instea...

Page 369: ...screen is controlled by view settings The size the drawing appears on printed output is controlled by drawing scale and print settings View and print settings do not effect the actual drawing size See also page size and world coordinates alcove An offset created in a line or polyline by adding four vertices to the entity For instance alcoves are useful to create bay windows in an architectural flo...

Page 370: ...ows uses the ANSI character set arc A partial circle AutoSketch uses an arc s center radius starting angle and delta angle to determine its shape See also elliptical arc array A series of entities or groups of entities arranged in a rectangular or circular pattern See also rectangular array circular array symbol array and rubber stamp array arrow keys The four keys on your keyboard labeled with ar...

Page 371: ...hat consists of a single drawing element such as a line arc or circle See also entity baseline dimensioning A type of dimensioning in which each dimension in a series of linear dimensions is measured from a single extension line See also chain dimen sioning and single dimensioning basepoint A reference point used for positioning or manipulating entities in a draw ing See also rotation basepoint sy...

Page 372: ...o specified parallel lines circle An entity defined by a centerpoint and a radius circular array A series of entities or entity groups arranged in a circular pattern circular grid A reference grid whose axes extend radially from the grid origin Circular grids provide an excellent reference tool for drawings that require alignment of points along an arc or circle such as a mechanical drawing of a g...

Page 373: ... layer pen color pen width pen style or pattern setting that will be applied to new entities Current properties appear on the property bar current layer The layer on which all new entities are drawn Entities on the current layer are both visible and editable See also editable layer background layer and masked layer current symbol The symbol that appears in the drawing when you click a button or Dr...

Page 374: ...ty DLL Dynamic Link Library A file that contains program code that can be used by any Windows application double line Parallel lines created when you click Line Double on the Draw menu Double lines are frequently used to create walls in architectural drawings drawing file A storage container for a drawing A AutoSketch drawing file contains information such as the list of layers and database fields...

Page 375: ...or more base entities entity handles Points which allow you to change the entity s shape and geometry Each entity type displays a unique set of entity handles eTransmit The tool that allows you to create a transmittal set of an AutoSketch draw ing including all related files The transmittal set is created as an email attachment explode To convert an entity to its base entities See also base entity...

Page 376: ...as a fraction in which fractional numeric values are displayed Fractional precision is expressed as a fraction such as 1 2 1 4 1 8 and so on AutoSketch displays a fraction in its simplest form This means that the fraction 16 32 is displayed as 1 2 even when fractional precision is set to 1 32 function A component either built in or user defined that performs a task and returns a value You can incl...

Page 377: ...ive line patterns crosshatches that you can use to annotate an area or polygon horizontal dimension A linear dimension that measures the horizontal distance between two points hyperlink A jump or link to another location within a document or a location in a different document The target of a hyperlink can be text an image audio or video file A hyperlink is similar to a topic jump in a help file Se...

Page 378: ...epoint at the top right corner of the text extent last point The previous point entered in the current command Used for Relative snap and lock modifiers layer An organizational structure in a drawing roughly equivalent to a sheet of mylar in conventional overlay drafting layer description A detailed description of a layer Layer descriptions have a maxi mum of 63 characters layer name The name of a...

Page 379: ... layer math coprocessor A chip designed to speed math intensive programs such as AutoSketch Math coprocessors handle math operations rapidly freeing the main processor or CPU to work on other tasks Some CPUs such as the 486DX and Pentium processors have math coprocessors built in merge To add the contents of a drawing file to the current drawing metafile See Windows metafile Midpoint snap A snap t...

Page 380: ...coordinate system Orthogonal lock modifier The lock modifier which restricts input to a points aligned either horizontally or vertically with the previous point See also lock modifier page A single piece of paper By default the page size is set as the printer page size For instance if you select an envelope size in your default printer setup that will be used as the default page size If the select...

Page 381: ...iple sides A polyline whose beginning and ending points are connected closed See also irregular polygon and regular polygon polyline A series of lines with connected endpoints Polylines are treated as a single entity by AutoSketch poly width Width in world coordinates of the start or end of a poly segment See also pen width pop up menu A menu which appears at the current pointer location over the ...

Page 382: ...eractively with the mouse instead of zooming by increments rectangle In AutoSketch a four sided irregular polygon whose opposite sides are equal and whose angles are all 90 degrees rectangular array To repeat a selection set in a two dimensional array based on a list of x and y values The list may be regular even spacing or irregular rectangular grid A reference grid with snap intervals and lines ...

Page 383: ...ess number An example of this is Text Aspect on the Label page of the Linear Dimension Format dialog box scale In AutoSketch the ratio between the size of an entity on scaled output and the size of the real world object it represents For example if an entity that is one inch long on scaled output represents a real world object that is 48 inches long the drawing scale is 1 48 segment A straight lin...

Page 384: ...ox The black box found on the scroll bars of drawing windows Dragging a split box toward the center of its scroll bar causes the drawing area to be split into two or four separate panes standard angle An angle measured assuming positive angles rotate counterclock wise and zero degrees is in the three o clock direction See also compass angle Standard toolbar A Microsoft Office compatible toolbar wi...

Page 385: ...grid spacing units and so on have been set You can use templates to quickly set up a new drawing When you use a template you should save the new drawing under a different name to preserve the template file terminator See line terminator text angle In dimensioning the orientation of the dimension label with respect to the page There are two choices aligned and one direction Aligned text runs parall...

Page 386: ... assigns to each entity automatically URL Uniform Resource Locator A networked extension of the standard filename concept that points to a file in a directory that can exist on any computer on the Internet and can be served using a variety of different methods URLs can point to many things other than files including documents stored within a database queries a Web page and so on undo To reverse th...

Page 387: ... has the world coordinates 16 25 wrap width A value that defines the width of a selected text entity AutoSketch will automatically break a line of text and continue it on a new line as it reaches this width x axis An imaginary horizontal line through the drawing origin that serves as a reference for all horizontal distances in the drawing See also drawing origin and y axis X Axis lock modifier The...

Page 388: ...378 Glossary ...

Page 389: ...lign command Transform menu 272 aligned dimensions 226 231 entities 272 aligned continued markers 243 244 selection handles 255 symbols 169 170 All In One toolbar 25 Angle command Inquire menu 326 328 angles bearings 121 calculated values for 338 compass 121 dimensioning 232 234 entering 121 124 inquiring 326 measuring 326 notation for entering 122 setting units of measurement 56 standard 121 type...

Page 390: ...nter Edge command Polygon menu 148 Center Radius command Circle menu 160 Center Radius command Polygon menu 150 Center Side command Circle menu 159 centerline dimensions 238 centerpoint snap 109 centimeters notation for entering 120 chained dimensions 228 chamfered corner between two lines creating 288 changing active pane 23 89 angular dimensions 233 colors 200 202 coordinates of existing points ...

Page 391: ...for 202 207 opening and closing 151 307 reshaping 299 custom color palettes creating 201 customizing Publish to Web template 84 85 Cut command Edit menu 269 D database assigning fields and values to entities 335 338 creating fields 334 335 exporting 345 346 removing fields from 339 reports 343 selecting entities using 254 decimal separator 55 degrees notation for entering 122 Delete command Edit m...

Page 392: ...ommand Polygon menu 148 edge trimming entities to 289 290 edit bar docking 27 entering lengths on 120 121 hiding 27 moving 27 Edit Entity Fields command Database menu 336 editing entities aligning along a new axis 272 beveling an intersection 288 combining two intersecting 295 converting 315 318 copying 267 270 creating a corner between two 286 deleting 259 dividing 291 293 duplicating 269 273 279...

Page 393: ... 90 extrusion properties 194 extrusion tools 186 F feet notation for entering 120 Field Setup command Database menu 335 fields assigning to entities 335 338 auto 348 349 creating 334 335 fields continued editing 180 naming 334 removing 339 types of 334 user defined properties 15 file formats Comma Separated Value 345 Fixed ASCII 345 Microsoft Excel 345 files closing 41 opening 36 read only 37 savi...

Page 394: ... setting up 64 types 64 isometric transformations 190 191 items 13 J Join command Trim menu 295 315 joining entities 294 295 315 jump snap 105 justification changing text 213 214 216 217 K keyboard entering angles using 122 entering points using 111 114 selecting menu commands with 21 L last point changing 117 layers 17 calculated values for 337 changing current settings of 26 duplicate names in m...

Page 395: ...ies 279 281 mouse device driver for 5 displaying pop up menus with 31 entering angles using 122 123 entering lengths using 120 entering points using 103 111 selecting entities with 250 251 Move to Back command Arrange menu 284 Move to Front command Arrange menu 284 moving about point 266 267 application window 20 25 entities 267 270 entities between layers 26 Multiple command Line menu 132 MultiSn...

Page 396: ...3 308 drawing 139 142 editing the properties of 305 inserting symbols in 170 172 joining 294 lengths associated with 325 opening and closing 307 parallel and offset 278 279 removing sections from 290 polylines continued reshaping 299 selecting vertices of 301 sketching freehand 141 pop up menus and windows 31 precision angular units 56 areas 56 changing sketch 142 linear units 55 scalar values 57 ...

Page 397: ...anging actual world scale factor 53 hiding 53 page output 53 using 53 S Save As command File menu 40 Save command File menu 40 saving drawing files 39 40 views 94 95 scalar values entering 125 setting decimal precision for 57 scale 17 composing a page with multiple scales 95 printing a drawing to 78 79 setting for drawings 47 48 Scale command Transform menu 281 282 scaling entities 281 282 symbols...

Page 398: ...rer 176 177 symbol library changing 173 creating 179 managing 177 symbols angles associated with 124 327 changing libraries 173 creating definitions 173 current 181 symbols continued defining database fields when creating 173 displaying definition totals 323 dragging from the Content Librarian 168 171 entering points at basepoints of 106 inserting in lines polylines or polygons 170 172 lengths ass...

Page 399: ...vertex editing adding vertices to poly entities 303 deleting vertices or segments 306 dividing polylines at a vertex 308 vertex editing continued moving and aligning vertices 301 selecting vertices 301 vertical dimensions 226 231 vertical lock modifier See y axis lock modifier View Last View menu 94 View Next View menu 94 views controlling 88 97 displaying drawing details 95 displaying multiple 88...

Page 400: ...390 Index ...

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