Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Remember, you can set a predefined Polar Tracking angle by right-clicking the
Polar Tracking button and choosing it from the menu. If you want to add an angle
that's not on the list, you have to click Settings to open the Drafting Settings dialog
box.
PolarSnap:
You can force polar tracking to jump to specific incremental distances
along the tracking angles by changing the snap type from Grid snap to PolarSnap.
For example, if you turn on polar tracking and set it to 45 degrees, and then turn
on PolarSnap and set it to 2 units, polar tracking jumps to points that are at angle
increments of 45 degrees and distance increments of 2 units from the previous
point. PolarSnap has a similar effect on Object Snap tracking.
To activate PolarSnap, right-click the Snap Mode button and choose PolarSnap
from the menu. To specify a PolarSnap distance, follow these steps:
1. Right-click the SNAP button on the status bar.
2. Choose Settings.
The Snap and Grid tab on the Drafting Settings dialog box appears.
3. Click the PolarSnap radio button, type a distance in the Polar Distance text box,
and then click OK.
When you want to return to ordinary rectangular snap, as described at the begin-
ning of this list, right-click the Snap Mode button and choose Grid Snap from the
menu.
Temporary overrides:
Settings, such as SNAP, ORTHO, and POLAR remain on until
you turn them off. You can also use
temporary overrides,
which last only as long as
you hold down their key or key combination. For example, with ortho turned off,
holding down the Shift key puts AutoCAD into a temporary Ortho mode for as long
as you press Shift. For additional information, visit the online help system.
If you're new to AutoCAD, its wide range of precision tools probably seems
overwhelming at this point. Rest assured that there's more than one way to skin a
cat precisely (with cats, accuracy is unimportant), and not everyone needs to un-
derstand all the ways. You can make perfectly precise drawings without using
every single implement in AutoCAD's precision toolkit. I recommend these steps:
1. Get comfortable with typing coordinates, Ortho mode, direct distance entry, and
Object Snap overrides.
2. Become familiar with running object snaps and try Snap mode.
