Coordinate System

Cartesian Coordinate System

By default for every command the 1st point will be Cartesian Coordinates

Both coordinates are distance

Polar Coordinate System

2nd point will be Polar Coordinates

One coordinate is distance, another is angle

Polar Angle

By default the angle is Counter-clockwise CCW

Absolute Coordinates

A point start from origin (0,0)
By default the 1st point is absolute coordinates

Relative Coordinates

A point start from the last point
By default the 2nd point onward is relative coordinates
Dynamic Input must be on, the 2nd will automatically detect as relative coordinate

Object Snap Tracking OTRACK

Locate a point based on multiple object snap points

Touch a point and move along the path

Touch the 2nd point and move along the path

Until they meet each other, a big dotted cross appear

This is the point, just click to get the point and input the object's size

Temporary Track Point

Track a point in both X, Y directions

 

Start a draw command, Shift + Right-click, select Temporary track point

Touch a point and move to right horizontally, input the X distance

Move along the 2nd green marker, input the Y distance

Input the object's size

Point

Home tab > Draw panel > Multiple Points

Point command places permanent reference markers in a drawing

Used to mark the center of an arc, or precise location of survey points on map

Point Style

Home tab > Utilities panel > Point Style

 

You can select visible or invisible point

 

In a drawing only allow one point style, so if you change the point style, all points in the drawing will change accordingly

Create Group of Points

You might need to space electrical outlets evenly around a big room
You might want to place markers every 300 m along a runway

Geometric Constraints - Parametric Design

Lock the relationship between geometries, like line, polyline, circle, arc

Auto Constrain

Parametric tab > Geometric panel > Auto Constrain

Automatically apply constraints on the objects to keep the origin shape

Specify Geometric Constraints

Linear
For line, polyline segments
A polyline segment can be selected separately

Radius
For circle, arc, ellipse

Horizontal and Vertical Constraints

Keep linear objects horizontal or vertical
Can also be use with text, ellipse

Parallel and Perpendicular
Parallel: Forcing 2 linear objects to take on the angle of 1st object
Perpendicular: Constrains the 2nd object to rotate 90 degrees from the angle of 1st object

Tangent
Constrains an object to the tangent of a radial object

At lease 1 object must be circle, arc or ellipse

Smooth
Ensure the selected object continue the same curvature between a spline and other linear object

Coincident
Constrains 2 points to remain together

Concentric
Constrains 2 radial objects, like circle, arc, ellipse

Collinear
Constrains 2 lines within the same path

Equal
Constrains 2 linear objects maintain the same length
Constrains 2 radial objects maintain the same radius

Fix
Constrains a point on an objects to remain fix to a specific location

Symmetrical
Constrains 2 points on objects or forces objects to be symmetrical about a symmetry line

Constraint Bar - Parametric Design

The icon that display when geometric constraints are applied

It can be turn off by the cross at the top-right corner of the bar
When hover cursor over the constraint, the related objects highlight in the drawing

Modify Geometrical Constraints - Parametric Design

Objects that are constrained can still be modified by grips
Activate the grip, you can stretch, move, rotate, scale

Press Shift key once after activate the grip, you can change the vertex

Press Shift key one more time, cycle back to stretch in X and Y direction

Constraints automatically deleted after you modify the grip location

Delete Constraints

Right-click on the constraint, select Delete

Dimensional Constraints - Parametric Design

Dimensional Constraints are parametric
They drive the object's size, distance, angle
They can be changed anytime causing the features to update automatically

Changes the dimensional value, the position of object move accordingly

Assign Dimensional Constraints

Apply geometrical constraints on the objects
Parametric tab > Dimensional panel

Linear
Constraints the horizontal or vertical distance between 2 points

Horizontal
Constraints X distance between 2 points or objects

Vertical
Constraints Y distance between 2 points or objects

Aligned
Constraints distance between 2 points on an object or on 2 different objects

Radius
Constraints the radius of a circle or arc

Diameter
Constraints the diameter of a circle or arc

Angle
Constraints the angle between 2 lines, polyline segments, or between 3 points (Vertex then angle constraint points)

Convert Dimensions to Constraints

Parametric tab > Dimensional panel > Convert

Dimensional Constraints are dynamic
They display at the same size when you zoom, and not plot

You can change Dynamic constraints to Annotational constraint

Annotation Constraints take on Annotation Scale and Dimension Style

Constraint Settings

Parametric tab > Dimensional panel - small arrow - Constraint Settings



Instead of display both Name & Value, you can select to display Name or value only

Modify Dimensional Constraints - Parametric Design

Double-click on the dimensional constraint, change the value or formula

You also can modify the constraints in the Parameters Manager

Formulas in Constraints - Paramatric Design

Formulas can be added to dimensional constraints

This dimensional constraints keep hole centered in a rectangle

Create User Parameters

Parametric tab > Manage panel > Parameters Manager

Click Parameter button, create User Parameter:
Name: Circle
Express: 20

Change other parameters Expressions:
d1: Circle * 2.5
d2: Circle *5
dia1: Circle

 

Name of User Parameters cannot contain space, being with number, more than 256 characters

Create Block

Group multiple objects into a single named object
Home tab > Block panel > Create

Input Block Name

 

 

Base point

Pick point: Pick a point from the object to be insert

 

Objects

Retain: All objects remain individual after block created

Convert to block: Group all objects into a block

Delete: Delete it after convert to block

 

Behavior

Scale uniformly: Lock the scale of X and Y to be the same

Allow exploding: Enable the block to be explode, Uncheck it mean the block cannot be explode

 

The created block exist in the current drawing only



Write Block

Unlike create block, write block enable you to write blocks outside the drawing
The simple way to start WBLOCK command, just input W

Source
Block: Select a block within the drawing
Entire drawing: Automatically select all objects within the drawing
Objects: Select objects to be convert to block

Destination
File name and path: The block saved location outside the drawing
Insert units: Change it if different from the default units

Write Entire drawing to block will clean up all unused named objects

Edit Block in Block Editor

The simple way to edit a block is double-click on the block

Select the block from the list

This will bring you into Block Editing environment
A block become individual objects, so you can modify them as need
Click Close Block Editor on the ribbon

Redefine Block

If you modify instances of a block, not the block definition, explode it to individual objects (Polyline become line and arc)

If the block was created on 0 layer, they will revert to 0 layer

Use Create Block command to recreate the block again
If using the same name with the original block, after redefine it, all blocks with the same name in the drawing will update

Remove Unused Elements

After working in a drawing for sometime, some elements might be created but not used at all
You might created extra layers, blocks, annotation styles, and no longer used
Each of these unused named objects can significantly increase the file size
Remove all unused named objects will help to reduce file size

Application menu > Drawing Utilities > Purge

Named Objects: View items you can purge

Purge: Remove selected unused named objects only
Purge All: Remove all unused named objects

Add Block to Tool Palette

Create a New Tool Palette

Right-click any tab of the Tool Palette



Select New Palette

Select the block one by one, right-click and hold, drag onto the palette

If the block insert from the Tool Palette, it will automatically place on the same layer as the origin block, regardless which layer is current

Create Tool Palette from DesignCenter

Right-click on the drawing name in DesignCenter

Select Create Tool Palette

Modify Tool Properties - Tool Palettes

Right-click a tool in the palettes > Properties

Auxiliary Scale: Based on current Dimension Scale Factor or Plot Scale Factor
Layer: If the layer does not exist in the drawing, it will automatically created

If the specified layer is off or frozen, the block still insert on the layer