Converting polar coordinates to rectangular coordinates

[Anonymous]

Hi

I enter a plot using bearings; I then want to draw a building on this plot using rectangular coordinates.  How do I get one side of the plot to allign with the rectangular coordinate system?

TIA

missdraftmaster (not such a master right now)

[nestly2]

Welcome to the Autodesk Forums

Have you tried re-orienting your UCS?  After doing so, the crosshairs will align with the new Coordinate system.  You can leave it that way, or use PLAN > Current UCS to make the XY axis orthogonal with the display.  Note, this does not rotate your model or change the original coordinate system, it only creates an addtional coordinate system... you can return to WCS (World Coordinate System) anytime by using UCS > World  and PLAN > World

[Kent1Cooper]

You can also use the SNAPANG System Variable to align the cursor with whatever edge you like, and if you need it, the SNAPBASE System Variable to have the cursor's positional snapping locations generated from any place you like [the end of the edge you're aligned with, the midpoint, the intersection with something, etc.].  But a big advantage to using the UCS approach is that you can save a UCS, which makes it much easier to return to it if you have gone back to the WCS.  And you can save many UCS's, so you can have multiple lots, each with its own UCS for drawing in it, and move easily between them and the WCS.