Circle Add Diameter ( Drawing Editor )

Tool summary :

  • Draws a circle by your locating two points, the first at circle's center, the second on the circle's perimeter. The circle's diameter is calculated from these points.
  • After the second point is located, the Circle Setup window opens if User and Site Options > Drawings > " Always show Circle Edit window " is turned on (checked).
  • The Circle Setup window can be set to show the ' Diameter ' calculation.
  • After a circle has been added using any tool, the choices made on its edit window set the default pen (color) and line type (dash pattern) for subsequently added circles unless you change the Edit Palette or edit that circle or another one in the meantime.
  • See (on this page):

Also see :

page 1 | contents | objects > circles > | objects -- circles | xxx add | circles & ellipses


   Step-by-step instructions :

These instructions assume that you are in the Drawing Editor , that you are using a 3-button mouse, that the User and Site Options > General > " Point location target " is set to ' Fancy ' ( ), and that you use mouse bindings similar to those shown in the following illustrations.

Before using this tool:

  • Optional: Confirm that User and Site Options > Drawings > " Always show Circle Edit window " ( or ) is set the way you want it. That option controls whether or not the Circle Setup window opens (in step 4).
  • Optional: On the layer selection tool , select the layer you want to add the circle to. This step is optional because you can change the drawing layer on the Circle Setup window.
  • Optional: To set the to-be-added circle(s) to have many of the same settings as an existing circle, double-click the existing circle then press " OK " on its edit window. Or, if you only want to preset the linetype and pen color for the to-be-added circle, use the Edit Palette .
  • Optional: Unshorten a member detail before adding a circle if you want Detail Members to later be able to correctly preserve ' User-created ' annotations. Unshortening also ensures that measurement tools such as Dimension Add or Ruler or Construction Line Add using BSCL reliably produce precise and consistent results.
1 . Invoke Circle Add Diameter. Tip: In this example, dimension annotations are turned off. You'll probably want to turn them on.
2 . Place the mouse pointer ( ) so the target ( ) is at the desired circle's center, then left-click ( Locate ).
3 . A preview circle is drawn on screen as you position the 2nd point. Tip: You can type the diameter. Left-click ( Locate ) when the circle is the diameter you want it to be.
4 . The Circle Setup window opens ( or not ) depending on the choice made to User and Site Options > Drawings > " Always show Circle Edit window ."
5 . Left-click ( Locate ) to add a similar circle. Or right-click ( Return ) if you are done.

Note 1: To invoke Circle Add Diameter :

Method 1 : Click the Circle Add Diameter icon. The icon can be taken from the group named ' Objects -- Circles ' and placed on a toolbar (classic) or the ribbon (lightning).

Method 2 : If " Drawing Editor layout style " is ' Classic ', you can use the menu system to choose Objects > Circles > Add Diameter .

Method 3, 4 or 5 : Circle Add Diameter can also be invoked using a keyboard shortcut , the context menu , or a mode . For the ' Lightning ' layout style, configuration of the interface is done using Customize Interface .

Note 2: Right-click ( Return ) in steps 2 or 5 ends the operation.

step 2 & 5 bindings

Note 3: Any circles added using this procedure can be instantly removed (one at a time, in reverse-order of their addition) by using Undo .

page 1 | contents | objects > circles > | objects -- circles | xxx add | circles & ellipses | top


   Other tools for adding circles or ellipses :

For adding circles:

For adding ellipses:

For adding a circle or ellipse:

page 1 | contents | objects > circles > | objects -- circles | xxx add | circles & ellipses | top