topic Re: Z Axis value display issue in AutoCAD Forum

Z Axis value display issue

Anonymous — Fri, 27 May 2016 10:56:24 GMT

Hi everyone,

I am having an issue with the way AutoCAD is displaying my Z axis values on screen.

My origin is X - 500000, Y - 500000, Z - 97.090

When I use the list command on other points, the Z axis reading I get are all related back to the origin Z axis and that is fine.

However, if I click on a level on my drawing (e.g. 95.090) my Z axis reading is -2.000 (referring back to the origin Z axis), but I want the Z axis to read 95.090 on the screen (i.e. the actual level on the Z axis, not a value that refers back to the origin).

Can anyone help? I've attached a screen shot for clarification.

Re: Z Axis value display issue

Anonymous — Fri, 27 May 2016 13:01:31 GMT

Just BUMPING this to the top for a while as this issue is really holding me up.

Re: Z Axis value display issue

Patchy — Fri, 27 May 2016 13:35:15 GMT

Upoad your dwg, easier to see why.

Tell us about your "ORIGIN" how do you set it ? by using Elevation command?

Re: Z Axis value display issue

Kent1Cooper — Fri, 27 May 2016 13:45:13 GMT

Welcome to these Forums! But have a little patience -- only a couple of hours is a little soon to "bump" something.

In response to @Patchy in Post 3, I don't think there's any need to post a drawing, and I assume your origin is set by UCS, not by Elevation, because of the X and Y values. If I understand correctly that you want the World Coordinate System Z coordinate, when you're in some non-World Coordinate System:

For something like Text such as in your LIST command in the image, the entity data always report in World Coordinates. So you can do this:

(cdr (assoc 10 (entget (car (entsel)))))

which will give you the Insertion Point in WCS units for Text, Mtext, Blocks, Xrefs, the start point of a Line or Polyline, the center of a Circle or Arc or Ellipse, etc. Some other entity types may require a different number than 10 for what you're after.

For picking a point rather than LISTing something [your "click on a level" wording], you can (trans)late the result from current to World coordinates:

(trans (getpoint) 1 0)

You can add a prompt to either of those [see those functions in Help]. Either will give you all three XYZ coordinates in WCS units. If perhaps you want the XY in UCS and only the Z in WCS, that could be done. If you want to know only the Z coordinate, that can also be done.

Re: Z Axis value display issue

Patchy — Fri, 27 May 2016 13:44:58 GMT

Can Autocad LT do that?

Re: Z Axis value display issue

Kent1Cooper — Fri, 27 May 2016 13:49:28 GMT

@Patchy wrote:

Can Autocad LT do that?

Oh.... I hadn't noticed the LT in the masthead in the image. In that case, it may be that the only option is to change to the WCS, LIST the object or ID the point, and change the UCS back. But I don't have LT to experiment with.

There's a dedicated LT Forum, which would probably be a better place to raise the question.

Re: Z Axis value display issue

Anonymous — Fri, 27 May 2016 13:57:49 GMT

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

I am setting my origin as follows:

X and Y coordinates: I am starting a line at coordinates 500000, 500000 and moving the entire drawing to that location using the point I want to be at that coordinateas my origin

Z Axis: I am changing the Z axis properties of the point at 500000, 500000 from 0.000 to 97.090

When I use the list command on the point at the origin I am getting the correct Z value for that position (97.090) but all other levels on the drawing are listed either as a minus or plus number i.e. X metres below or above my origin.

For example a point on my drawing that is 2 metres higher than my origin is giving me a Z value of 2.000..... I need it to read as 99.090.

I need to see the actual level at points on the drawing; not the level relative to the origin.

Is there another way to set the origin so I can achieve this?

I have attached the drawing & have shown an arrow to my origin point.

Thanks again for your assistance.

Re: Z Axis value display issue

Anonymous — Fri, 27 May 2016 14:00:22 GMT

JFTR.... I am using 2017LT at the moment but I have a full version of AutoCAD as an earlier release also (2007).

Thanks again guys.

Re: Z Axis value display issue

Patchy — Fri, 27 May 2016 14:08:43 GMT

I don't understand why the whole drawing moved; the contours have to be exactly where they are, and the same for x,y coordinates.

Re: Z Axis value display issue

Anonymous — Fri, 27 May 2016 14:22:00 GMT

Hey Patchy.... thank you so much.

Whatever you done it seems to have worked!

If you ever visit Ireland I'm bringing you for a pint and a steak dinner!

🙂

Re: Z Axis value display issue

Patchy — Fri, 27 May 2016 14:24:47 GMT

I used isometric view, select all (CTRL+A) and move all up to the right elevation.