Drafting Tools in AutoCAD
We’ve got snap and grid in AutoCAD. Let’s point out snap and grid. let’s examine how we are able to use it and why wewould use it.
Snap restricts the cursor movements to specified intervals. that’s handy. Lines can have a selected length.
Still. If you are using object snaps than you’ll choose a degree that’s not on an interval that has been specified. We’ll point out object snap later.
With grid switched on dots are displayed within the screen. The dots facilitate to envision distances. typically the grid interval is that the same because the snap interval.
That is vital. you’ll have grid dots displayed within the screen. currently you would like to print your drawing. The dots don’t seem to be printed.
OK. we all know what snap and grid are. however we would like to grasp additional. we would like to grasp how we are able to set the intervals and the way we are able to switch it on and off. Let’s begin with setting the intervals. There are 2 ways that for doing that. no matter method you select. you are doing it over the Drafting Settings dialog box.
Click on Tools within the menu bar. A pull down menu shows up. within the pull down menu click on Drafting Settings. The Drafting Settings dialog box is displayed.
There are four tabs within the Drafting Settings dialog box. The Snap and Grid tab is in front. that is specifically what we would like.
In the dialog box we tend to see 2 check boxes and that we see four areas. The checkboxes is used for switching on or off snap and grid.
Let’s have a glance at the Snap space and also the Grid space. 1st the Snap space. In that space you’ll enter values for the spacing.
You can enter a price for the X spacing and you’ll enter a price for the Y pacing. The spacing set the interval i used to be talking regarding.
There is additional you’ll do in that space. you’ll enter an angle, an X base, and a Y base. The angle provides the
angle of the snap intervals. Most of the time you are doing not amendment the angle. you allow the angle at zero. however the X base and also the Y base.
What’s that?
The X base and also the Y base provides the start line of the snap. As before. don’t amendment it. Leave it because it is. At zero.
You currently skills you’ll do the settings for the snap. you are doing it within the Snap space of the Drafting Settings dialog box.
But we are able to conjointly do one thing with the settings of the grid. that’s drained the Grid space of the dialog box.
This time we are able to do less.
We can solely amendment the X spacing and also the Y spacing. we tend to cannot amendment the angle or the X base and Y base of the grid.
This is what’s done most of the time. Most of the time the spacing for the grid is that the same because the spacing for the snap.
That is what’s happening. The grid follows the snap settings for angle and also the X base and Y base. thus there’s no got to amendment those settings.
This is what we tend to currently saw. you’ll do the settings of the snap and also the grid within the Drafting Settings dialog box. And you’ll switch them on and off.
Before I continue. i have to tell you regarding the third space within the Drafting Settings dialog box. it’s the Snap vogue and kind space.
For the snap sort will|we will|we are able to} set Grid snap and that we can set PolarSnap. If we tend to select a Grid snap sort then e will choose an oblong snap or an isometric snap.
If you are making isometric drawings, then you would like to travel for an isometric snap. The snap can have the isometric angles.
I’m not aiming to point out PolarSnap currently. i’ll do this later. i’ll do this as we’re talking regarding Polar Tracking. within the next article.
But there’s in a different way. look into your screen. does one see the standing bar? within the standing bar there are 2 buttons.
In the standing bar there’s the Snap button and there’s the Grid button. you’ll click on the buttons. to own snap and grid switched on and off.
Something else you’ll do with the buttons. you’ll right click them. If you are doing a brief cut menu is displayed.
If you right click the Snap button then you will find the subsequent choices within the shortcut menu:
- PolartSnap On
- Grid Snap On
- Off
- Settings
If you right click on the Grid button then you will find the subsequent choices within the shortcut menu:
- On
- Off
- Settings
You can imagine where the on and off choices indicate. Those choices is sued to change snap and grid on or off.
But we tend to already saw. there’s a quicker method. we are able to conjointly click on the Snap and Grid buttons within the standing bar. In fact. there’s another fast method.
You can press the F7 operate key to change grid on or off. And you’ll press the F9 operate key to change snap on or off.
Oh. within the shortcut menu underneath the Snap button you furthermore mght see the PolarSnap On choice. As I said before. We’ll point out it alter.
But there’s the Settings choice within the shortcut menus underneath the Snap button and also the Grid button. Click on that choice.
If you are doing the Drafting Settings dialog box is opened. we tend to have already got seen what is drained the Drafting Settings dialog box.
But this can be what we tend to currently apprehend. Using the shortcut menu underneath the Snap and Grid button. that’s a quicker thanks to open the Drafting Settings dialog box.
This is it for nowadays. currently you recognize everything that you just got to realize snap and grid. Tomorrow we’re aiming to point out polar tracking.
See you tomorrow.
This is the primary article during a series of 5 articles. F- R- E- E. Written by Jos van Doorn. to induce the opposite articles. Send a blank e- mail to:
draftingtools@aweber.com
There are additional AutoCAD articles. Would you prefer to know? you’ll notice them here:
http://www.autocad-articles.blogspot.com
Jos van Doorn. AutoCAD specialist and AutoLISP programmer.