reference points from other entities, for new ones

beel achtergael

hello,im currently using 9.2.8 as evaluation because our office (architecture) wants to move from ACAD to a more cost effective CAD solution, but we have a few nagging questions about Bricscad:one of them is the question (i tried a serach for this but found nothing..) if Bricscad "helps" you with "automatic" construction lines off reference points on other entities, to give you positions for eg. a remote startpoint for new entitieslike you would want the same Y value for a startpoint of a line, as the endpoint of a line a bit further away (so not connecting to the new line).. in ACAD you can hover over the endpoint of the old line, press shift, and the you would get a dotted line along which you can start the new line.. you can even have several, so you can use the intersection of these construction lines to make a new entity on that exact location, without having to draw both construction lines)i found a "snap" function in Bricscad, but so far no construction lines (or tracking as it is called in ACAD)can anybody help or point me in the right direction? thanks!Axel

Arturo Ramirez

This is under (command) SettingsDrawing /Drafting / Coordinate Input /Snap tracking/ AutoSnap & Polar Mode

Anthony Apostolaros

And an easy way to find any setting is to type a word associated with it as soon as the Settings palette opens. If you type "tracking" you'll probably be sent to the AutoSnap folder immediately. If any search string doesn't give you want you want on the first hit, you can keep pressing the F3 key to move on to the next use of the search term.

beel achtergael

thanks for the reply guys!however,@Arturo Ramirez: i've found these settings, and turned them on, but the tracking doesn't seem to materialise.. maybe something to do with me trying the evaluation version?

Arturo Ramirez

please check in the lower status bar, you will find "STRACK", this must be bold, not greyed.if you right click there, you will find on /off/settingsyou can use this shortcut or write "settings" at command linewhen in settings, polar mode option "track path", you have the current value an the right (this is a text like "Do not display polar tracking path", you can choose "Display full screen entity snap tracking path" or "Display entity snap tracking path only between the alignment point and the From point"

Anthony Apostolaros

It should work in the evaluation version. They say it's not in the Linux version, though.You know you have to hover over a snap point for half a second, right? I assume that's how it is in acad, too. A crosshairs appears inside the osnap aperture when it's ready to track.

beel achtergael

thanks again for the reply guyshowever i do everything you suggested, but my versios simply refuses to track.. a collegue has installed the same trial version, and on his computer (approx the same config as mine) it does seem to work.. so this inconsistency is a bit disconcerting..@ Anthony: yes i keep hovering ;-) in fact ive gone over all the functions about a thousand times ;-)

Giorgio Emprin

I have the same problem: in some files the crosshair does appear...in some other not.Giorgio

Ferdinand Janssens

is Polar set? (check the status line)

John Gaunt

Works on mine, but it's quite "touchy", the guide line/s are very dull on my black screen and not dotted and the crosses are quite small. I am never really confident it has worked.I am "pointing device obsessive", but without a reasonably accurate one I can imagine it would be very hard to make it work.In fact I don't use it because it's too hard on tired eyes and sore arm muscles.