default decimals etc [was: measure tool]

[RowlandCarson]

I've just discovered a feature of the measure tool that had puzzled
me previously.

I think I alluded to it in another posting, but can't find that just
now. Anyway, a most useful feature of the measure tool is that it
gives the relationship between 2 elements. However, that aspect only
works if you are _not_ in freehand selection mode.

In freehand selection mode, the measure tool always prompts for the
first element and never asks for a second one. Measurement results
are shown in the info palette.

In any of the other selection modes, the first element is highlighted
in red when clicked and the prompt asks for the second element. When
that is clicked, the second measurement detail appears in the info
palette, followed by the relationship info (eg lines are parallel XX
apart, lines intersect at angle XX, etc).

Previously I had found that individual measurements worked OK, but
the relationship feature seemed to work only intermittently. I'd
never before been able to figure out exactly when it became enabled -
shows I'm just slow on the uptake, I guess!

regards

Rowland
--
| Wilma & Rowland Carson
| ... that's Rowland with a 'w' ...

[tkat@tkat.com]

On May 28, 2005, at 8:43 AM, Rowland Carson wrote:

> I've just discovered a feature of the measure tool that had puzzled
> me previously.
>

Another trick of the measuring tool:

I've been mess'n w/ the off-set arc pblm on my fork brace clamp off/on
--- mostly off.

Lemke pointed me @ this tool w/ some other instructions that I haven't
quite been able to follow as of yet. But in click'n around I've
discovered that by high light'n values in the pallet they are inserted
into the prompt line.

Example:

W/ my dwg, sect view, construct a perpendicular line from the intersect
of the chamfer line w/ the top surf. to the C/L of the top view.

Select the measure tool and hi lite the arc. Next select
Arc->center,point. The prompt will ask for the center co-ords.
Highlite the X co-ord in info pallet. Next repeat w/ Y value. They
will both be automatically be inserted in the prompt. Hit return.
Then in auto mode click on the intersect point of the perp line & C/L.
Enter a couple of angles for start/finish. Ta-Da!

Trim and clean up as reqd.

This is still cumbersome and clumsy. Nowhere as clean as an off-set
function or an auto select of the center point of the 1st arc. But
it's the easiest and most dependable way I've found so far.

And if a'one knows how to set the default value in the measure info
window to 3 decimals, I'd sure like to know.

Tkat


"Never let a dog guard your lunch --- or a cowboy make the coffee."

[RowlandCarson]

At 2005-05-28 11:23 -0700 tkat@tkat.com wrote:

>if a'one knows how to set the default value in the measure info
>window to 3 decimals, I'd sure like to know

Tkat - make a new drawing with all your preferences set, including
Options / Display / Misc: Coordinate display = 3 & Input line = 3.

Then save that as Stationery.

Open it when you want to start a new drawing and it will come up as "untitled".

But note that there seems to be a bug (Thorsten, are you listening?)
with CADintosh stationery pads - the first time you save it, it will
default to a stationery file again - you have to explicitly choose
the plain vanilla CADintosh file type. My feeling is that when you
open a stationery pad, the most likely thing you want to do is to
create a new document, not to edit the stationery pad, and the fact
that it acquires the filename "untitled" supports this view. Thus
when you open a stationery pad it should default to being saved as a
regular CADintosh file.

Thanks for sharing the other info about the info palette too.
Incidentally in your continued hunt for the centre of an arc - I just
use a full circle instead of an arc if the centre is likely to be
needed. I then cut away the parts of the circle I don't need, after I
have used the circle centre point to position whatever else is needed.

regards

Rowland
--
| Wilma & Rowland Carson
| ... that's Rowland with a 'w' ...