Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
USING OBJECT SNAP WHILE DIMENSIONING
When you pick intersections and endpoints frequently, as you do during dimensioning, it can be
inconvenient to use the Object Snap shortcut menu. If you know you'll be using certain osnaps
frequently, you can use Running Osnaps. (See the sidebar “The Osnap Options” in Chapter 3 for
more on setting up Running Osnaps.)
After you've designated your Running Osnaps, the next time you're prompted to select a point,
the selected osnap modes are automatically activated. You can still override the default settings
by using the Object Snap shortcut menu (Right-click the right mouse button).
There is a drawback to setting the Running Osnaps mode: When your drawing gets crowded, you
can end up pick ing the w rong point by accident. However, you can easily toggle the Running Osnaps
mode off by right-clicking Object Snap in the Status Bar palette.
Dimensioning Non-orthogonal Objects
So far, you've been reading about how to work with linear dimensions. You can also dimension
non-orthogonal objects, such as circles, arcs, triangles, and trapezoids. In the following sections,
you'll practice dimensioning a non-orthogonal object.
For the following exercises, you'll use a drawing of a hexagonal-shaped window. Open the
11a-wind.dwg file from the sample files; metric users should open the 11a-wind-metric.dwg
file. You can use this file to follow along.
Dimensioning Non-orthogonal Linear Distances
Now you'll dimension the window. The unusual shape of the window prevents you from using
the horizontal or vertical dimensions you've used already. However, choosing Aligned in the
Dimensions tool group enables you to dimension at an angle:
1.
Click the Aligned tool in the Tool Sets palette. You can also enter
DAL
↵ to start the
aligned dimension.
2.
At the Specify first extension line origin or <select object>: prompt, press ↵.
You could pick extension line origins as you did in earlier examples, but pressing ↵ shows
you firsthand how the Select Object option works.
3.
At the Select object to dimension: prompt, pick the upper-right face of the
hexagon. As the prompt indicates, you can also pick an arc or a circle for this type of
dimension.
4.
At the Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle]: prompt, pick a
point. The dimension appears in the drawing similar to Figure 11.24.
Just as with linear dimensions, you can enter
T
↵ in step 4 to enter alternate text for the
dimension.
