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Important Concepts

AutoSketch allows you to create drawings that are

attractive, precise, and information rich. The building

blocks of any AutoSketch drawing are its entities, whose

geometry and appearance are defined by properties. A

hallmark 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

■

Properties

■

Coordinates

■

Drawing origin

■

Scale

■

Layers

Summary of Contents for AUTOSKETCH 8

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

Page 2: ...erface Autodesk Animator Clips Autodesk Animator Theatre Autodesk Device Interface Autodesk Inventor Autodesk PhotoEDIT Autodesk Software Developer s Kit Autodesk Streamline Autodesk View DwgX AutoFli...

Page 3: ...ge 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...

Page 4: ...ing 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...

Page 5: ...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 Int...

Page 6: ...g 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...

Page 7: ...rties 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 Im...

Page 8: ...ith 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 Selec...

Page 9: ...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...

Page 10: ...ata 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 Organi...

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: ...xibility 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...

Page 14: ...se 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 softwa...

Page 15: ...our 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...

Page 16: ...ng 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 ho...

Page 17: ...ndows 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 informatio...

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...

Page 19: ...us 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 top...

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 cr...

Page 22: ...ou 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...

Page 23: ...gons 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 pre...

Page 24: ...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 en...

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...

Page 26: ...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...

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...

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

Page 29: ...vide 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 d...

Page 30: ...it 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 AutoSketc...

Page 31: ...e 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 Sin...

Page 32: ...d 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 appea...

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...

Page 34: ...gin 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 locatio...

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...

Page 36: ...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 Patt...

Page 37: ...lge 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 ne...

Page 38: ...ght 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 l...

Page 39: ...e 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 che...

Page 40: ...ays 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...

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...

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

Page 43: ...es 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 Chapt...

Page 44: ...34...

Page 45: ...awing 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 Com...

Page 46: ...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 select Open as Read On...

Page 47: ...n the left side of the dialog box to navigate directly to the My Documents folder or the Personal folder depending on which operating system you are using the Desktop or the Favorites folder 3 Click t...

Page 48: ...appears 4 In the Name of FTP Site text box type the name of the FTP server 5 In the Log on as section choose either Anonymous or User 6 If you select the User option enter a user name in the combo bo...

Page 49: ...should save your work periodically A good rule of thumb is to save every 15 to 20 minutes or after you ve com pleted any work you wouldn t want to redo TIP AutoSketch can automatically save your draw...

Page 50: ...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...

Page 51: ...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...

Page 52: ...sources 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 th...

Page 53: ...s 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 Creati...

Page 54: ...ox 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...

Page 55: ...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 Th...

Page 56: ...lect 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 o...

Page 57: ...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 allow...

Page 58: ...e 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 Engineeri...

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...

Page 60: ...t 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 drawin...

Page 61: ...ck 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 62: ...e 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 p...

Page 63: ...r 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...

Page 64: ...ust 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...

Page 65: ...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 fr...

Page 66: ...ct 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 Ori...

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 Drawin...

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 type...

Page 70: ...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 ge...

Page 71: ...r 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 Appeara...

Page 72: ...etween 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 opt...

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...

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 display...

Page 75: ...nes 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...

Page 76: ...hecked 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...

Page 77: ...ong 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 ed...

Page 78: ...cular 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...

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 c...

Page 80: ...tions 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 u...

Page 81: ...id 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...

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 t...

Page 83: ...nge 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...

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

Page 85: ...eral 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 pap...

Page 86: ...ge the displayed page of a multi page drawing 3 optional To change the page size click Page then click the Size page tab in the Page Setup dialog box For more information on changing the page size see...

Page 87: ...g the printed pages together you must first cut away the margin area indicated by the tick marks For example let s assume you have created a drawing using an 11 x 17 page with a landscape orientation...

Page 88: ...urrent 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 appe...

Page 89: ...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 mu...

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 d...

Page 91: ...ittal 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 o...

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 Tran...

Page 93: ...ansmittal 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...

Page 94: ...ublish 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 You can customize the Publish to Web templates pr...

Page 95: ...orresponding bmp file located in the Install Drive Program Files Autodesk AutoSketch Templates PTWTemplates Support folder To add new themes add the css and bmp files to the same folder The name of th...

Page 96: ...late 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...

Page 97: ...r 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...

Page 98: ...r 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 toolba...

Page 99: ...er 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 locatio...

Page 100: ...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 Sel...

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...

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 c...

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...

Page 104: ...ly 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 sub...

Page 105: ...oolbar 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...

Page 106: ...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 rectangl...

Page 107: ...edraw 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 Vi...

Page 108: ...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 wind...

Page 109: ...ation 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...

Page 110: ...ing 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 se...

Page 111: ...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 modif...

Page 112: ...arest 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 Vertica...

Page 113: ...id 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 w...

Page 114: ...ombination 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 modifi...

Page 115: ...awing 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...

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 exist...

Page 117: ...ant 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 interse...

Page 118: ...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 P...

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 NO...

Page 120: ...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...

Page 121: ...ordinates 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...

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 1 663...

Page 123: ...o 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...

Page 124: ...ve 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 po...

Page 125: ...he 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...

Page 126: ...n 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...

Page 127: ...e 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 Po...

Page 128: ...e 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...

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 Au...

Page 130: ...nter 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 drawin...

Page 131: ...es 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...

Page 132: ...n 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 entit...

Page 133: ...gment 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 ang...

Page 134: ...le 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 e...

Page 135: ...t 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 length...

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: ...nt 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 ch...

Page 140: ...en 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 d...

Page 141: ...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 t...

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 Au...

Page 143: ...ter 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 a...

Page 144: ...c 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 circle...

Page 145: ...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 ang...

Page 146: ...es 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 lengt...

Page 147: ...nt 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 chang...

Page 148: ...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 l...

Page 149: ...t 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 degre...

Page 150: ...lick 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...

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...

Page 152: ...lyline 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...

Page 153: ...ments 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...

Page 154: ...he 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...

Page 155: ...nnecting 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 a...

Page 156: ...o 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...

Page 157: ...de 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 l...

Page 158: ...f 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...

Page 159: ...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 di...

Page 160: ...ox 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 fro...

Page 161: ...losed 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 rath...

Page 162: ...e 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 fitt...

Page 163: ...e 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 startpo...

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

Page 165: ...rawing 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 arc...

Page 166: ...enterpoint 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 poi...

Page 167: ...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 c...

Page 168: ...t 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 m...

Page 169: ...nter 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 pre...

Page 170: ...cond 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 th...

Page 171: ...u 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 trea...

Page 172: ...he 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 m...

Page 173: ...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 mi...

Page 174: ...ck 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 O...

Page 175: ...ng 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...

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 nee...

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...

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...

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 li...

Page 181: ...e 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 Openi...

Page 182: ...cise 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 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 fi...

Page 184: ...m 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 whi...

Page 185: ...formation 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 Symb...

Page 186: ...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 d...

Page 187: ...art 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 organi...

Page 188: ...n 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...

Page 189: ...ol 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 but...

Page 190: ...ol 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 b...

Page 191: ...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 S...

Page 192: ...uble 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 mat...

Page 193: ...on 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...

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

Page 195: ...ws 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 entiti...

Page 196: ...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...

Page 197: ...rude 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...

Page 198: ...on 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 t...

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 dis...

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 degre...

Page 201: ...ic 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 persp...

Page 202: ...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...

Page 203: ...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 ignore...

Page 204: ...ee 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 Optio...

Page 205: ...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 lef...

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

Page 207: ...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 t...

Page 208: ...d 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 com...

Page 209: ...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...

Page 210: ...elected 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 th...

Page 211: ...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...

Page 212: ...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 displa...

Page 213: ...ary 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...

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...

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...

Page 216: ...n 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 enti...

Page 217: ...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 e...

Page 218: ...le 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 y...

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: ...tions 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...

Page 222: ...ext 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...

Page 223: ...ermines 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...

Page 224: ...tangle 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 an...

Page 225: ...stification 3 Make sure the Formula check box on the edit bar is not checked 4 Press and hold CTRL and enter a point for the basepoint of the text 5 Enter a second point for the angle of the text The...

Page 226: ...a justification The justification determines the placement of the basepoint 4 Enter a point for the basepoint of the text rectangle A rubber band line follows the pointer 5 Press and hold CTRL and en...

Page 227: ...place editing or use the Text Editor Dialog button on the edit bar to switch to text editor mode Changing Text Height Angle and Justification AutoSketch allows you to individually place each text enti...

Page 228: ...hange 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...

Page 229: ...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 Do...

Page 230: ...open then click Open To merge a text file with the text in the editor 1 Select a text entity then click the Edit Text button on the edit bar The Text Editor window appears 2 Position the insertion po...

Page 231: ...le 3 Enter a filename and click Save To place text on the Clipboard 1 Select the text you want to put on the Clipboard 2 To place a copy of the text and leave the original on the Text Editor s Edit me...

Page 232: ...board 7 Click Close 8 Click to place the insertion point in the AutoSketch Text Editor then click Paste on the Text Editor s Edit Menu The characters you selected are placed in the Text Editor Editing...

Page 233: ...imension labels Database field values including symbol data fields in the Symbol Explorer Edit controls Dialog boxes Text Editor During a spell check AutoSketch matches the words in the drawing to the...

Page 234: ...ional To change custom dictionaries or to create a new custom dictionary enter a name for the dictionary in the Current text box Remember to include the CUS file extension 5 optional To add a word to...

Page 235: ...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 Format...

Page 236: ...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...

Page 237: ...e 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...

Page 238: ...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...

Page 239: ...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...

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 pre...

Page 241: ...n 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 lin...

Page 242: ...ick 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 Dimensio...

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 Ent...

Page 244: ...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 o...

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...

Page 246: ...rcle 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...

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 dim...

Page 248: ...int 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 po...

Page 249: ...ot 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 separa...

Page 250: ...xt 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 measur...

Page 251: ...ic 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 chapt...

Page 252: ...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...

Page 253: ...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...

Page 254: ...he 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 c...

Page 255: ...er 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 draw...

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

Page 257: ...ting 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 Explod...

Page 258: ...248...

Page 259: ...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 n...

Page 260: ...t 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...

Page 261: ...ree 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 s...

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 to...

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 statemen...

Page 264: ...awing 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 partial...

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...

Page 266: ...p 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...

Page 267: ...thods 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 Cl...

Page 268: ...uee 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 poin...

Page 269: ...e 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 fa...

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

Page 271: ...ng 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 allow...

Page 272: ...dit 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 t...

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 e...

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

Page 275: ...e 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...

Page 276: ...tch 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...

Page 277: ...int 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 the...

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...

Page 279: ...t 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 s...

Page 280: ...rval 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 o...

Page 281: ...yboard 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...

Page 282: ...ter 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 th...

Page 283: ...bber 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 i...

Page 284: ...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 b...

Page 285: ...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 space...

Page 286: ...ctor 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 sc...

Page 287: ...plicated 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 s...

Page 288: ...ows 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...

Page 289: ...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 tha...

Page 290: ...n 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 Chec...

Page 291: ...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 bas...

Page 292: ...or Copy check box on the edit bar to scale a copy of the selection set and leave the original 5 Click the Entity Basepoint button on the edit bar Stretching an Entity Stretching resizes an entity in...

Page 293: ...r shortens the line depending upon the points you enter If both endpoints were inside the marquee Stretch would move the entire line without stretching it To stretch entities inside a specified region...

Page 294: ...of the other entities Move to Back places an entity at the bottom of other entities To change the stacking order of entities 1 Select an entity or entities to arrange 2 On the Edit menu click Arrange...

Page 295: ...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...

Page 296: ...his 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 2...

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 round...

Page 298: ...ling 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 po...

Page 299: ...ylines 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...

Page 300: ...n 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 usi...

Page 301: ...he 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...

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 lin...

Page 303: ...e 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...

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...

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...

Page 306: ...on 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...

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 Di...

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

Page 309: ...int 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 seg...

Page 310: ...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...

Page 311: ...ordinate 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...

Page 312: ...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...

Page 313: ...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...

Page 314: ...n 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 edi...

Page 315: ...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...

Page 316: ...rtex 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...

Page 317: ...n 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 ed...

Page 318: ...lygon 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...

Page 319: ...ular 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...

Page 320: ...r 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 ellipti...

Page 321: ...artpoint 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...

Page 322: ...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 a...

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 wi...

Page 324: ...mbol 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...

Page 325: ...es 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...

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...

Page 327: ...rregular 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 th...

Page 328: ...y 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 ca...

Page 329: ...s 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 c...

Page 330: ...mponents 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 Definitio...

Page 331: ...iry 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...

Page 332: ...ths 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...

Page 333: ...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 propert...

Page 334: ...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...

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...

Page 336: ...s 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...

Page 337: ...ine 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 associ...

Page 338: ...sed 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...

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 corner...

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: ...formation 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...

Page 344: ...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 Fie...

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 t...

Page 346: ...ated 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...

Page 347: ...ame 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 s...

Page 348: ...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 co...

Page 349: ...ion 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 t...

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

Page 351: ...ful 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 displayin...

Page 352: ...s 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 inform...

Page 353: ...k 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 w...

Page 354: ...he 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 ar...

Page 355: ...an 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 sen...

Page 356: ...s 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 F...

Page 357: ...en 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 da...

Page 358: ...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...

Page 359: ...s 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 v...

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

Page 361: ...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 dyna...

Page 362: ...d 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 sev...

Page 363: ...f 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 cli...

Page 364: ...played on the edit bar To browse the hyperlinks in a drawing 1 On the Database menu click Browse or click the Browse Hyperlinks but ton on the Standard toolbar 2 Move the pointer over entities in the...

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...

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

Page 367: ...ced 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...

Page 368: ...es 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 Expr...

Page 369: ...creen 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...

Page 370: ...ws 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 g...

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...

Page 372: ...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 whos...

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 En...

Page 374: ...y 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...

Page 375: ...r 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 crea...

Page 376: ...s 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 mea...

Page 377: ...ve 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...

Page 378: ...point 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 r...

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 Som...

Page 380: ...oordinate 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 pie...

Page 381: ...e 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...

Page 382: ...actively 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...

Page 383: ...ss 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...

Page 384: ...x 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...

Page 385: ...rid 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...

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 Inte...

Page 387: ...s A point for instance that is 16 feet to the right of the origin and 25 feet below it has the world coordinates 16 25 x axis An imaginary horizontal line through the drawing origin that serves as a r...

Page 388: ...378 Glossary...

Page 389: ...ign 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...

Page 390: ...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 fo...

Page 391: ...Web template 84 85 Cut command Edit menu 269 D database assigning fields and values to entities 335 338 creating fields 334 335 database continued exporting 345 346 removing fields from 339 reports 3...

Page 392: ...ing along a new axis 272 beveling an intersection 288 editing entities continued combining two intersecting 295 converting 315 318 copying 267 270 creating a corner between two 286 deleting 259 dividi...

Page 393: ...ing to entities 335 338 auto 348 349 creating 334 335 editing 180 naming 334 removing 339 types of 334 user defined properties 15 file formats Comma Separated Value 345 file formats continued Fixed AS...

Page 394: ...ering 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 me...

Page 395: ...7 270 entities between layers 26 Multiple command Line menu 132 MultiSnap 100 N nearest point snap 104 nested symbols 174 using AutoExplode 181 New command File menu 45 new drawing files 45 using cust...

Page 396: ...r units 55 scalar values 57 previewing printing 76 Print command File menu 77 81 Print Preview command File menu 76 printer page changing default options 52 printing drawings 76 81 fitted output 79 80...

Page 397: ...drawing to 78 79 setting for drawings 47 48 Scale command Transform menu 281 282 scaling entities 281 282 symbols 170 screen major components of 19 31 scroll bars 23 seconds notation for entering 122...

Page 398: ...he Content Librarian 168 171 entering points at basepoints of 106 inserting in lines polylines or polygons 170 172 lengths associated with 121 325 nested 174 181 placing 168 170 scaling 170 system req...

Page 399: ...ting 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 views...

Page 400: ...390 Index...

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