Unable to offset rectangle

[Anonymous]

I have been using AutoCAD since release 9 and have always used the rectangle command without any problems in offsetting it to create a double line box etc;

For some reason today I started work on a new project with XREF's created by an Architect, but when I try to draw a rectangle and offset it I am getting a message saying 'Cannot offset that object'.

This is the first time in all these years I have come across this issue.

Anyone else had this issue?

I have looked at all possible variables that may have been set in the drawing, made sure that the 'Z' value is set at 0, used 'Overkill' to try and remove any duplicate entities but without success.

Anybody help with what setting is stopping the creation of a rectangle and offsetting it?

It does not occur in a new clean drawing, but only as described above.

Hope to hear back from someone soon.

Thanks

Gary

[gotphish001]

Possible z value that is beyond your showing of precision in properties. Like properties show precision to .001 but the z value is .000001 so it would still show 0.  It's a block but you'd probably notice that. If it's only in that one drawing, make a copy of the dwg and delete everything but said rectangle and upload it. We can play around with it then. Easier to troubleshoot when you can actually try things instead of guessing.

[Kent1Cooper]

Having a Rectangle at an elevation of other than zero, or even in an entirely different UCS, wouldn't prevent you from Offsetting it -- something else is going on.  If it's a 3D Polyline, you wouldn't be able to, but if you made it with the RECTANG command, that wouldn't be the answer.

Is the Layer locked?  You can still draw  a Rectangle [or anything else] on a locked Layer, but you wouldn't be able to Offset it.

[pendean]

Clue: "that object" is AutoCAD-speak for it's not a pline rectangle.

Post a portion of your DWG file, point to your drawn rectangle hat you cannot offset, lets find out for ourselves.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the comments and sorry for not responding sooner but I have been away from the project for some days.

Going on from the comments I have received I am beginning to think that it is something to do with the settings of the DUCS I am working with. Briefly I am working on a drawing with an architectural background which is XREF'd in at 0,0,0 in WCS. I then set up a DDUCS to make it easier to work on in an simpler ORTHO position. Looking at the details of the DDUCS I note that there is some negative data in the DDUCS co-ordinates. See attach screen dump.

My question how do I alter the settings of the DDUCS to bring the negative settings to zero?

Thanks for looking.

gary

[Kent1Cooper]

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@Anonymous wrote:

.... I then set up a DDUCS to make it easier to work on.... Looking at the details of the DDUCS I note that there is some negative data in the DDUCS co-ordinates. ....

My question how do I alter the settings of the DDUCS to bring the negative settings to zero?

....

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I don't think negative values in themselves should be a problem, and if you change them, it will spoil your UCS "to make it easier to work on" goal.  But I notice that the X coordinate of the origin of that UCS is over half a trillion  drawing units from the WCS origin!  I can imagine that in itself could be the problem.  Where could that kind of distance be coming from?

[Anonymous]

Hi thanks for the reply.
I have resolved the issue thanks.
As suspected it was to do with the original setting up of the DDUCS. The original DDUCS was set up based on a line object drawn on the XREF Architectural background which on the face of it appeared to be imported at 0,0,0 WCS but in reality in the conversion process of cleaning up the Architectural background some how it had an Z minus and elevation added somehow.
I have reset the drawing DDUCS by setting the UNITS to maximum decimal places and then drawing a line ensuring that it was drawn at Z=0 and then using this to set a new DDUCS.
Drawing and offsetting rectangles now works correctly.
Thanks everybody for the hints and observations.
Gary