Line drawing in AUTOSKETCH V9

[rod88s]

Is it just me missing the obvious but having just acquired a new computer I have finally upgraded to AS9 from the excellent simple to use AS 2.1a and I find that I cannot perform the simple task of drawing a line to a specific length!

In AS 2.1a you simply click on Draw / line and then click to fix the start point, enter the required length on the keyboard and press enter on the keyboard to fix the exact end point required. Exactly the same process is used if moving, copying, stretching,scaling etc. Very simple, very quick.

However in AS9 I cannot find a simple way of entering the exact required line length on the keyboard prior to fixing an endpoint! Am I missing an obvious process or is it simply that you cannot now perform this vital task. I would have stuck with AS 2.1a but it will not print out through windows XP.

Any advice on how I can use this new program as quickly as I was able use the previous version would be very much appreciated

[Anonymous]

"rod88s" wrote in message news:22944161.1094643809041.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum1.autodesk.com... > Is it just me missing the obvious but having just acquired a new computer I have finally upgraded to AS9 from the excellent simple to use AS 2.1a and I find that I cannot perform the simple task of drawing a line to a specific length! To draw a line of specific length is easy - you click to make the start point and then press "R" on your keyboard and hey presto you can enter the relative length as required. You can also use absolute positioning by pressing "A". > > In AS 2.1a you simply click on Draw / line and then click to fix the start point, enter the required length on the keyboard and press enter on the keyboard to fix the exact end point required. Exactly the same process is used if moving, copying, stretching,scaling etc. Very simple, very quick. > > However in AS9 I cannot find a simple way of entering the exact required line length on the keyboard prior to fixing an endpoint! Am I missing an obvious process or is it simply that you cannot now perform this vital task. I would have stuck with AS 2.1a but it will not print out through windows XP. > > Any advice on how I can use this new program as quickly as I was able use the previous version would be very much appreciated >

[Gadget]

I thought the exact same thing when I opened the box: It takes a while to get used to, but there are another couple of tips that make it easier;

Hitting "R" brings up the 'relative' mode to enter a point; when the dialoge is open you can switch between relative and absolute modes as well as changing between X,Y and polar from here.

Hitting "Esc" is the same as clicking "Cancel" - it closes the box and reverts you to the pick tool. Next time you are required to dictate a point, the dialogue box will pop up. If you click "Close", it will not pop up again unless you hit "R"

Hitting "Enter" drops the point on the drawing - the dialogue remains open for the next point.

Hitting "Tab" or "," (comma) will jump you from the X to the Y (or L to angle in Polar mode)

NB: the program remembers the last point entered, so if you are entering the first point of something (like another line) with the "2D" dialogue in 'relative' mode, the first point is reletive to the last one entered. This can be 'overcome' by first hitting "W" (set last working point) and clicking on your start point, THEN clicking on the line tool - just remember that the first point would be 0,0.

While using the mouse to enter points, Hitting "O" puts on "ortho" mode, and "U" removes it - this can be done at any point while entering in points (without the "enter 2D point dialogue active), although you have to move the mouse to regester it.

All the snaps are linked to keys "M"-mid, "E"-end etc. it's easy to switch them on/off to get the right snap.

Double clicking on a line allows you to grab the end 'node points' and strech them ("Edit verticies" mode) - If you double click on a 'node point' when the "2D Point" dialogue was canceled, it will pop up again and ask where you want it moved to rather than entering into the verticies mode.
To exit this mode for this entity, you need to double click another line, click on the "edit selection" button, hit escape or the selection tool button.

The "Offset" tool (triangle) is REALY handy; type in a value in the box, hit 'enter', move the mouse close to a line to be duplicated - click. Type in another number, enter, click... I find this sometimes easier than drawing lines; once the offsets are in place, I make sure that "end point" snap is on and join the dots.

You will also find that the trim tools both trim and extend - as a rule of thumb, click on the line you want to keep.

Hope this helps.

Gadget

[Anonymous]

ALL that to draw a line....!!!??? AutoSketch Tip: Buy LT....direct entry input (command line). Ric Norris. http://users.bigpond.net.au/cavedrawings "Gadget" wrote in message news:31807551.1094721299324.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum1.autodesk.com... >I thought the exact same thing when I opened the box: It takes a while to >get used to, but there are another couple of tips that make it easier; > > Hitting "R" brings up the 'relative' mode to enter a point; when the > dialoge is open you can switch between relative and absolute modes as well > as changing between X,Y and polar from here. > > Hitting "Esc" is the same as clicking "Cancel" - it closes the box and > reverts you to the pick tool. Next time you are required to dictate a > point, the dialogue box will pop up. If you click "Close", it will not > pop up again unless you hit "R" > > Hitting "Enter" drops the point on the drawing - the dialogue remains open > for the next point. > > Hitting "Tab" or "," (comma) will jump you from the X to the Y (or L to > angle in Polar mode) > > NB: the program remembers the last point entered, so if you are entering > the first point of something (like another line) with the "2D" dialogue in > 'relative' mode, the first point is reletive to the last one entered. This > can be 'overcome' by first hitting "W" (set last working point) and > clicking on your start point, THEN clicking on the line tool - just > remember that the first point would be 0,0. > > While using the mouse to enter points, Hitting "O" puts on "ortho" mode, > and "U" removes it - this can be done at any point while entering in > points (without the "enter 2D point dialogue active), although you have to > move the mouse to regester it. > > All the snaps are linked to keys "M"-mid, "E"-end etc. it's easy to switch > them on/off to get the right snap. > > Double clicking on a line allows you to grab the end 'node points' and > strech them ("Edit verticies" mode) - If you double click on a 'node > point' when the "2D Point" dialogue was canceled, it will pop up again and > ask where you want it moved to rather than entering into the verticies > mode. > To exit this mode for this entity, you need to double click another line, > click on the "edit selection" button, hit escape or the selection tool > button. > > The "Offset" tool (triangle) is REALY handy; type in a value in the box, > hit 'enter', move the mouse close to a line to be duplicated - click. Type > in another number, enter, click... I find this sometimes easier than > drawing lines; once the offsets are in place, I make sure that "end point" > snap is on and join the dots. > > You will also find that the trim tools both trim and extend - as a rule of > thumb, click on the line you want to keep. > > Hope this helps. > > Gadget

[Gadget]

>ALL that to draw a line....!!!???
Nope: click line, click, click. done.

Or: , click, "R100,200", *
instead of: "L",click,"@100,200", in LT.
(* assuming you set the Ctrl+Shift to that command)

hmmmm,
>AutoSketch Tip: Buy LT....direct entry input (command line).
is that worth five times the price?

The tips are stuff I found usefull in editing *after* I had drawn the line.

[rod88s]

Listen, thanks to all of you for the help and advice. This program is a bit daunting after AS 2a which is so easy in comparison. I'll just have keep at it. Why do they have to make simple software so complicated? If I wanted complicated I would buy AutoCAD !!!!!

[Anonymous]

You did good, Gadget, don't be at all defensive with our Ricky-boy, he's always on about LT. He's from Oz ya know. Hurricanes rotate to the right down there. I remember a thread I started many years ago with AS V5 about the many different ways to do just what you explicated nicely above. Everybody chirped in with their own ways, some of them quite remarkable as I remember. There are lotsa ways to skin cats with this relatively simple CAD program. That's what made it interesting to me. BTW, I think you left out 12 *other* ways to draw a line, I just don't have any more memory of it. I liked your insertion of the Working Point notion. That turns out to be one of the more useful features of AS. h >>ALL that to draw a line....!!!??? > > Nope: click line, click, click. done. > > Or: , click, "R100,200", * > instead of: "L",click,"@100,200", in LT. > (* assuming you set the Ctrl+Shift to that command) > > hmmmm, > >>AutoSketch Tip: Buy LT....direct entry input (command line). > > is that worth five times the price? > > The tips are stuff I found usefull in editing *after* I had drawn the line.

[Anonymous]

In news:31807551.1094721299324.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum1.autodesk.com, Gadget typed: > Hitting "Tab" or "," (comma) will jump you from the X to the Y (or L > to angle in Polar mode) "Shift" and Tab will jump you back from the Y to the X.

[Anonymous]

No it's not complicated at all it's just different to what you are used to. I also had to convert from AS2 to (Drafix then) AS6 and it takes a little while but it's nothing like as complicated as LT or Acad and once you get the hang of it then AS is a really cool little cad program. It's possibilites are limited (purposely by Adesk) but it is extreamly capable. Stick at it for a day or two and you will find it's quite quick and easy to use. Ask here for help, there's a lot of POSITIVE users amongst the negative ones... :-) "rod88s" wrote in message news:2425701.1094821828473.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum2.autodesk.com... > Listen, thanks to all of you for the help and advice. This program is a bit daunting after AS 2a which is so easy in comparison. I'll just have keep at it. Why do they have to make simple software so complicated? If I wanted complicated I would buy AutoCAD !!!!!

[Anonymous]

> Ask here for help, there's a lot of POSITIVE users amongst the negative > ones... :-) Hey....I resemble that remark...!!!! As I resemble it so much, I don't even take offence.....!!!! Ric Norris. http://users.bigpond.net.au/cavedrawings "AngryofMayfair" wrote in message news:4144e67f$1_2@newsprd01... > No it's not complicated at all it's just different to what you are used > to. > I also had to convert from AS2 to (Drafix then) AS6 and it takes a little > while but it's nothing like as complicated as LT or Acad and once you get > the hang of it then AS is a really cool little cad program. > It's possibilites are limited (purposely by Adesk) but it is extreamly > capable. Stick at it for a day or two and you will find it's quite quick > and > easy to use. > Ask here for help, there's a lot of POSITIVE users amongst the negative > ones... :-) > > > > "rod88s" wrote in message > news:2425701.1094821828473.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum2.autodesk.com... >> Listen, thanks to all of you for the help and advice. This program is a > bit daunting after AS 2a which is so easy in comparison. I'll just have > keep > at it. Why do they have to make simple software so complicated? If I > wanted > complicated I would buy AutoCAD !!!!! >

[Anonymous]

> Ask here for help, there's a lot of POSITIVE users amongst the negative > ones... :-) hey Hey HEY! We're *always* positive, Angry! Even the negative responses are positive. We always "Accentuate the positive, Eliminate the negative Latch on to the affirmative Don't mess with mister in between. "You've got to spread joy up to the maximum Bring gloom down to the minimum Have faith or pandemonium Liable to walk upon the scene "(To illustrate his last remark Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark What did they do Just when everything looked so dark) "Man, they said we better Accentuate the positive Eliminate the negative Latch on to the affirmative Don't mess with Mister In-Between No, do not mess with Mister In-Between Do you hear me, hmm?" und so weiter,,, http://www.rienzihills.com/SING/accentuate.htm yer welcum. I know there's someone here who kvetches about some posts being off topic and inane, but if you don't do that once in a while, your soul is too strangled. This cad stuff can be boring and disheartening sometimes. And where is our friend in Florida these days? Hoping he's OK. H

[Anonymous]

Good one Harvey! :-) In factthat cheered me up no end - it's been a bitch of a weekend fighting WinXP problems - that little posting made me chuckle, I swear you are getting funnier as you get older... :-) So, Ric - which aspect do you resemble the most? 🙂

[Anonymous]

The "Mister In-Between". Isn't that obvious...??? I find it quite amusing you spend your spare/weekend time fighting with your OS. I spend a lot of my working time fighting with QuickCAD/AutoSketch. My spare/weekend time is spent outside. My Operating System, ADT & LT purr along very nicely. Horses for courses I guess......!!!! Ric Norris. http://users.bigpond.net.au/cavedrawings "AngryofMayfair" wrote in message news:41451f2b_2@newsprd01... > Good one Harvey! :-) > In factthat cheered me up no end - it's been a bitch of a weekend fighting > WinXP problems - that little posting made me chuckle, I swear you are > getting funnier as you get older... :-) > > So, Ric - which aspect do you resemble the most? :-) > > >

[Gadget]

>"Shift" and Tab will jump you back from the Y to the X.
This is a 'feature' of any windows package; jumps to the next feild/button and takes you back one. Works in everything (almost 🙂

> ...don't be at all defensive with our Ricky-boy, he's always
> on about LT. Hurricanes rotate to the right down there.
Ahhh - that explains the backwards thinking :whistle: I suppose someone has to put up with LT.

> BTW, I think you left out 12 *other* ways to draw a line,
> I just don't have any more memory of it.
people tend to switch off after a page of schpeil*; I didn't want to bore everyone too much 😉 Thanks for the kind words.

...12... hmmm....to create lines without the line tool...we've done single/poly lines and offset...
1) double line
2) copy, paste
3) box/rectangle/polygone/cloud, explode
4) parallel offset
5) trim break/channel/alcove
6) rubber stamp
7) array
8) scale/strech/mirror/rotate/translate with duplicate
9) curves/circles/elipses/arcs
10) text to polly
11) dimension, explode
12)....
Nope, you've got me beat I can only get eleven more. :..(

(* I'm being generous - for some it's only a sentance worth before that glazed look appears.)

[Anonymous]

rod88s wrote: > If I wanted complicated I would buy AutoCAD !!!!! Bingo.