Copy and Offset Lines within a Dimension
@dcronkhite wrote:
Is there a way to copy and offset lines based upon a number of iterations within a dimension? I am learning AutoCAD to draw plans for a new model airplane I'm designing. For the design of the wing, I am trying to add rib spacing between a root and tip rib. So as an example.
Root Rib - 0
Tip Rib - 11" from Root Rib
I want to add 5 ribs (lines) in between the root and tip with equal distance spacing between them without having to calculate the spacing manually. Is this possible?
To use DIVIDE [or MEASURE] for this, you would need something like a Line between root and tip, not something like a Polyline or Spline wing edge with curvature, because in the latter situation the command is going to space things equally along the curvature of the path, so the perpendicular spacing between ribs will not be equal..
But given a Line along which to space things like that, DIVIDE will space either Points or Blocks along the path, which means that you would then need to Copy your rib Line [assuming that's what it is] using the Multiple option and Osnap NODe to get the destination locations, or Array them using Osnap NODe to define the Array spacing, or make a Block of one to locate them, and then either Explode the Blocks [if you want to Trim/Extend them as Lines to the wing edges] or adjust a scale factor of each appropriately, or something.
A way that can save you some of those steps is to use DIV+ command from DivideMeasurePlus.lsp, available here. One of its many enhancements over regular DIVIDE is that it allows you to place a User Selection, rather than allowing only Points or Blocks. So you can choose the Selection option, and pick your root rib [whether it's a Line, or a 3D construction of any number of pieces, or an outline in the form of a Polyline or Spline or Region, or whatever], and it will spread them evenly along the Line path. Read the comments at the top, and watch the prompts carefully -- it may take a little getting used to, but it's pretty powerful. If the rib is just a Line, DIV+ also has the option [also not available in regular DIVIDE] to mark the spaced locations with Lines of User-specified length, centered on and perpendicular to the path, which with the right setup will directly give you Lines you can Extend/Trim to the wing edges, without needing to have an already-drawn Line to Select, nor to designate a reference location on one to use for placement.
