Newbie Autocad2005 question

[rc-cellar]

Can I use the keyboard arrow keys to move the cursor around?

[ger21]

I idn't know you could, but yes, if you hold the control key, you can. But why would you want to?

[rc-cellar]

Thanks!
I'm drawing 2D sheetmetal parts 15" x 12" with lots of odd-shaped cut-outs. If I want to start a line at say x10.063,y4.952, it is difficult to pin-point with the mouse, and cumbersome to type in coordinates for every location. This way I just get close with the mouse and "zero-in" with the arrow keys.

First day with Acad....at the bottom of learning-curve (once again)

[ger21]

If you don't type in the coordinates, you won't have very accurate parts.

It's a lot faster to type 10.063,4.952 then to try to move the cursor there with arrow keys.

To draw the next point relative to the first, use the @ key. To draw a line 5" to the right, just type @5,0

To draw it 3 to the left and 1 up, @-3,1

To draw a 2" line at a 57 degree angle, type @2<57

I just discovered a bug in Firefox. You can't use the alt key to enter special characters. A google search confirmed it.

[ger21]

To draw a 2" line at a 57 degree angle, type @2<57

By default, 0 degrees is to the right, increasing CCW. 90 degrees straight up, 180 Left, .....

[ChrisJ]

To add to Gerry's suggestions, when drawing lines or even copying objects, if you are copying or drawing them orthogonally (0, 90, 180 or 270 degrees), keep your "Ortho" mode on, and place your cursor in the direction you want to draw or copy to and just type in a value and hit enter. It will copy or draw the entity in that direction by that amount, but you do have to place the cursor in the direction you want it copied or drawn.
The above will even work with the "Ortho" mode turned off. If you want to copy or draw a line at a 45 degree angle (or any other angle), just move your cursor so that the coordinates at the bottom of the screen indicate 45 degrees and then type in the value and then hit enter.
This is an easy way to draw or copy a set distance without having to type @#<#.

I'm from the old school and I am used to typing in coordinates and using the @#<# method, but I have been trying to utilize the feature above. Then again, I typically draw a horizontal and vertical line at the beginning and then utilize the modify commands (offset, copy, etc.) to build from those two lines, never really drawing any more lines, except for when you need one at a new angle.

Chris

[wjbzone]

... when drawing lines or even copying objects,...place your cursor in the direction you want to draw or copy to and just type in a value and hit enter...
Chris

Chris,
This is refered to as "Polar Tracking". Very useful. Note that on your "Drafting Settings" dialog box, you can specify the tracking angles. The defaults are increments of 90°, but you can change to 45° or whatever.
Bill

[ChrisJ]

Hi Bill,

Thanks. I never messed around with the Polar settings, but now that you mention it, I see the "Dsettings" quite clearly now.
I wonder when this was added. I've used Autocad productively for 20 years and I guess I just got used to drawing a certain way and never paid any attention to the Polar Tracking feature/settings. It wasn't till a few years ago that I realized you could just move the cursor to the side you want to copy an object to (ortho on) and just type a value.

Chris