Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 20.16
Picking points
for the Z-Axis
Vector icon
Origin
Endpoint of chair leg for the
positive portion of the Z axis
Orienting a UCS in the View Plane
Finally, you can defi ne a UCS in the current view plane. This points the Z axis toward the user.
This is useful if you want to switch quickly to the current view plane for editing or for adding
text to a 3D view.
Click the View tool from the Coordinates tool group of the Tool Sets palette. You can also
choose Tools New UCS View on the menu bar or type UCS V ↵. The UCS icon changes to
show that the UCS is aligned with the current view.
AutoCAD uses the current UCS origin point for the origin of the new UCS. By defi ning a
view as a UCS, you can enter text to label your drawing, just as you would in a technical illustra-
tion. Text entered in a plane created this way appears normal.
You've fi nished your tour of the UCS command. Set the UCS back to the WCS by
clicking the World UCS tool in the Tool Sets palette's Coordinates tool group, and save
the barcelona1.dwg file.
You've explored every option in creating a UCS, except one. In the section “Creating a
Curved 3D Surface” later in this chapter, you'll learn about the 3-Point option for creating a
UCS. This is the most versatile method for creating a UCS, but it's more involved than some
of the other UCS options.
Saving a UCS with a View
AutoCAD has the ability to save a UCS with a view. Type V E U ↵. The prompt Save current
UCS with saved views? [Yes/No]: appears. The default setting is Yes, which saves the current
UCS along with a saved view so that when the view is restored, the UCS is also restored with it.
Using Viewports to Aid in 3D Drawing
In Chapter 15, “Laying Out Your Printer Output,” you worked extensively with AutoCAD's fl oat-
ing viewports in Paper Space. In this section, you'll use tiled viewports to see your 3D model from
several sides at the same time. This is helpful in both creating and editing 3D drawings because it
enables you to refer to different portions of the drawing without having to change views.
 
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