Move at arbitrary angle

Kenneth Forsbäck

I often use arbitrary angles (i.e. not multiples of 5; the smallest possible angle snap in BricsCAD) and I have trouble moving objects perpendicular to an angled line. Is is possible to use something like "move(origin, distance, angle);"? E.g. if I have a 90 deg line, and rotate it 3 deg to the right, the angle is now 87 deg. I now duplicate this line, and want to move it 5 mm perpendicular to the first line, NOT just 5 mm to the right (i.e. 90 deg) (distance between endpoints would be correct, but inbetween less than 5 mm), but PERPENDICULAR to the angled line, 5 mm at 87 deg (to the right and slightly down if viewed from the upper endpoint).

Roger Greenwood

Hi Kenneth,

 

I use the "offset" command to create a construction line which will be parallel to the original, especially if at oddball angles, then delete when done. That way I don't even have to know what the angle is.

Roy Klein Gebbinck

If you know the angle you can use:
first point: click anywhere; second point:  @5<-3.
Or:
first point: 0,0; second point:  5<-3.

Of course the creating-a-duplicate and move actions can be combined by using the copy command...

Kenneth Forsbäck

Thank you! Very nice As they say, "only a fool would ever say s/he knows a program" as even a simple program may have so many functions, tools, and methods to use them and combine them, that you will never be able to know every single possible use.

John Gaunt

There was a time when Acad did not have Offset (or lisp I think) and Roy's answer was about the only way.

Distance or List commands were the only way, or at least the way I used, to know the angle.

 If it's any help, I use the lisp attached a lot with drawings with many angles not horizontal or vertical.

It tells you the angle and asks if you want to rotate the axes to it.

I use a series of others to return the axes to 0 or other common ones such as 45, 30 etc if anyone is interested.

PASTE CODE HERE

(Defun C:angl (/ a p1 p2 ang)
(setvar "orthomode" 0)
(setq a (entsel "\nPick Line: "))
(if a (setq p1 (cdr (assoc 10 (entget (car a))))))
(if a (setq p2 (cdr (assoc 11 (entget (car a))))))
(if (not a)(setq p1 (getpoint "\nPick Point: ")))
(if (not a)(setq p2 (getpoint p1 "\nPick other Point: ")))
(setq ang (angle p1 p2))
(if (not (= 0 (- ang ang)))(setq ang (/ ang -1)))
(if (> ang 270)(setq ang (- ang 360))
(if (> ang 180)(setq ang (- ang 180))
(if (> ang 90)(setq ang (- ang 180)))))
(prin1 (/ (* ANG 180) pi))(prin1)
(if (= "" (getstring "\nRotate AXES ? <> "))
(SETVAR "SNAPANG" ang))(setvar "orthomode" 1)
(setvar "TEXTANGLE" ANG)
)