Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Z-axis. In other words, the UCS icon was
driven
by the current coordinate system.
In AutoCAD 2012, the UCS icon moves across to the driver's seat! You can now se-
lect the UCS icon and see new multi-function grips that allow you to set a new UCS
by dragging the grips on the origin and the legs of the icon. There's also a new
right-click menu. You can enable or disable UCS icon selectability on the Settings
tab of the UCS dialog box — type
UCSMAN
to open it. In the next section, I show
you how to create a new user coordinate system by selecting and manipulating
the UCS icon.
Adjusting the UCS
Every drawing you create utilizes the world coordinate system (WCS), but when working
in 3D you need to create additional work planes. User coordinate systems (UCSs) are
helpful when you need to draw objects on work planes other than the WCS. Traditional
UCSs are static; create one and it stays current until you change it to a different one. By
default, such coordinate systems are unnamed, but you can assign a name and save it
for future use. A couple of releases back, AutoCAD introduced
dynamic
UCSs. Since dy-
namic is the opposite of static, what you get is a temporary coordinate system that
changes as you move your mouse pointer over different planar faces of a 3D object. Use
the status bar Allow/Disallow Dynamic UCS button on the status bar, or press the F6
function key to toggle dynamic UCS on and off.
Name that UCS
The UCS command offers ten options to help you define a new UCS. Access the UCS
command options from the Coordinates panels on either the View or Home tab of the
Ribbon.
The most commonly used options of the UCS command are listed below. After you select
one of these options from the Ribbon, follow the command prompts at the command
line or the Dynamic Input prompt.
World:
Align the UCS to match the world coordinate system (WCS).
Face:
Align the UCS to the face of a 3D solid.
View:
Align the UCS so the X,Y plane is perpendicular to your current viewing dir-
ection.
3 Point:
Specify a new origin for the UCS, and then the positive direction of the X-
and Y-axes. Alternatively, use the multi-function grips on AutoCAD 2012's UCS icon
to create a new UCS by moving and realigning the icon.
