Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
About grips
Grips
are those little square, rectangular, or triangular handles that appear on an object
after you select it.
In their simplest guise, AutoCAD grips work similarly to the little squares on graphical
objects in other Windows programs. But in AutoCAD, instead of clicking and dragging a
grip, you must click, release the mouse button, move the crosshairs, and click again at
the new location. (By separating the selection of beginning and ending points into two
different operations, AutoCAD allows you to use different techniques — such as differ-
ent object snaps — to select each point.)
AutoCAD grips are, for sophisticated users, better than the grips found in most other
programs because you can do so much more with them. You can, for example, use
AutoCAD grips to move, stretch, or copy an object. You also can use them to rotate an
object, scale it to a different size, or
mirror
an object — that is, create one or more re-
versed copies. Grips also act as
visible object snaps,
or little magnets that attract the
crosshairs.
In AutoCAD 2012, grips on lines, arcs, and elliptical arcs have become multi-
functional. Hovering over an endpoint grip displays a pop-up menu that offers you
a choice of lengthening or stretching the object. Hovering over the midpoint grip
on an arc offers the choice of stretching the arc by its midpoint (that is, keeping
the same endpoints) or changing its radius. Elliptical arcs gain new triangular
grips that let you increase the length of the arc without changing its other para-
meters.
A gripping example
The following sections cover in detail the five grip-editing modes: STRETCH, MOVE,
ROTATE, SCALE, and MIRROR. Follow these steps to explore the grip-editing modes:
1. Draw some simple geometry, such as the object shown in Figure 10-8.
Here's a great place to practice some of the straight-line object creation tools I de-
scribe in Chapter 8!
2. Press Esc to make sure that no command is active and no objects are selected,
and then click Quick Properties on the status bar to turn off the Quick Properties
palette.
