Adjust Precision with Manual Coordinate Entry

[tristan.jonasV4VYH]

Hello all,

I'm trying to select an object by manually typing in the coordinates, it usually works but in this case the object I'm trying to select is smaller than usual so AutoCAD is selecting a much larger object right next to it. If I zoom in this method works just fine but zooming in every time isn't an option. Surely there must be some setting or system variable that controls the amount of wiggle room you have when selecting objects?

If you need any more information I will provide it ASAP, just let me know.

Thank you

Edit: To be clear the coordinates are for the midpoint of a radius (not the theoretical center, the middle point of the line itself.) When I hover over it with my mouse the coordinates of that point on the radius line match the coordinates I'm typing in to select it.

[cadffm]

Hi,

>>"I'm trying to select an object by manually typing in the coordinates, "

That's never the real target, or? I am guessing you trying to write a Script, Macro or Action Macro (or using ssget),

If i am right, tell us the real background and how do you try to do that exactly (in automation).

>>"If I zoom in this method works just fine but zooming in every time isn't an option."

Why not? For automation it isn't a problem to do the zoom, but perhaps there are better options than your way.

We will know it if you tell more about your task.

>>"Surely there must be some setting or system variable that controls the amount of wiggle room you have when selecting objects?"

No

There is APERTURE for objectsnaps, but this is not related to your case.

It is view dependend, end of the storry.

[tristan.jonasV4VYH]

I'm using AutoHotKey to manually send the coordinates to the command line, so actually yes it is being 'typed in' in that the interaction is taking place through the command line.

Zooming in feels like extra unnecessary steps, not only does it take up time as an unnecessary potentially avoidable step but the animation AutoCAD does takes up a lot of time. In an effort to do this right I'm trying to avoid that kind of sloppy workaround.

I assume what you mean by "need to know more about your task" is what I'm trying to accomplish so I'll try to be succinct: My script takes my selection, a rectangle with rounded corners, explodes it, and then select the rounded corners and moves them to a different layer (as a first step, there are many more but this is all that's relevant).

Thank you

[cadffm]

>>"I'm using AutoHotKey"

😉 My chrystal ball works great.

>>" so actually yes it is being 'typed in' in that the interaction is taking place through the command line."

If you ever use autocad menumacro or script or (send)commands,

think about that AutoCAD knows this is input from automation,

your AutoHotKey or past from clipboard to commandline will not detected as automation, it will evaluated as "typed by user" Input.

>>"Zooming in feels like extra unnecessary steps"

FEELS, yes. But it is necessary because of, this is how AutoCAD (click) for object selection  works, every time, every where.

>>", not only does it take up time as an unnecessary potentially avoidable step but the animation"

>>" AutoCAD does takes up a lot of time."

In case of heavy content, perhaps, but for usual not (VTENABLE off)

>>"In an effort to do this right I'm trying to avoid that kind of sloppy workaround."

<start laugh> Using AutoHotKey is the first sloppy step  lol<stop laugh>

AutoHotKey is okay if you can not go other ways, specially for LT users such programs a blessing.

Sloppy Workaround: This is how the program works.

and you will find more (for you) unexpected thing which are already present in each minute for every user

while using the program / since decades.

>>" My script takes my selection, ...  (as a first step, there are many more but this is all that's relevant)."

Such a selection make sense if you have 1000 files with the same content, is this the case??

I asked my chrystal ball again:

I am guessing you trying to autmation a process to create new drawings, is this the case?

In this case my question is: how and when you  create the "rectangle with rounded corners"?

For example:

If you created the the rectangle as last object, use object selection method LAST instead of your pickpoint coords.

If you are the creator of this "rectangle with rounded corners", you have multiple options to select them.

Or another unique property?

Short question, is it for LT or for AutoCAD,MECHand Toolsets?

[tristan.jonasV4VYH]

Very perceptive of you, I agree that it's borderline setting myself up for failure to use AutoHotKey when there are other built in options in AutoCAD but I am using AutoCAD LT and my employer doesn't see the wisdom in paying the extra money for the full version. Believe me, I'd MUCH rather do it the right way and use LISP or VBA or whatever but that's unfortunately not the reality of my situation and I must make do with the resources I have 😞

I understand now that the window view has the final say in what gets selected, and knowing now that there's a way to disable the Zoom animation makes your suggestion much more viable. If you have any ideas for how to make that work I'm totally openminded to what you have to offer.

I'm not making new drawings persay, I am taking existing drawings and modifying them for different purposes. For example we show a drawing to the customer for their approval but then we change a few things so that our CNC software can interpret them and translate the shapes into commands for the automated saw. Other people that I don't have control over are responsible for drawing the shapes we're discussing, my responsibility is to make the preparatory changes to the customer approved drawing before I send them to the cutting room floor.

I appreciate you thinking about the long game and I agree with where your line of thinking is pointing me but it's not feasible right now, maybe in a few years when I'm in a higher standing within the company I can make sweeping pronouncements about how we should all draw rectangles and pay people not to argue with me but for now I think the ZOOM direction is the way to go. I will Use Zoom, Center, use the coordinates of what I'm about to select and set the magnification to what's effective, execute the selection, and then ZOOM Previous to the original view. This should be good, yes? Let me know your thoughts, I appreciate all the feedback you've given so far.

Thank you

[tristan.jonasV4VYH · Accepted solution]

For anyone who's interested in the future I think I may have figured out something better yet:

This seems to work unless I'm REALLY zoomed out 10 times as much as I would ever need to be but if I combine this with ZOOM>OBJECT then it's foolproof. If you use SELECT>BOX and then use the same coordinate twice it will select the small objects with much more precision. Thank you for your help and patience CADffm.