Construction Line Add Grid ( Modeling )

Tool summary :

Also see :

page 1 | contents | model > con lines > | model -- con lines | modeling con lines/circles

   Step-by-step instructions :

Add Construction Grid lets you locate a single point at the corner of a rectangular grid of construction lines or at the center of a radial grid composed of construction circles and/or construction lines. The following instructions assume that you are using a 3-button mouse.

1 . In Modeling , invoke Add Construction Grid using one (1) of the following methods:

Method 1 : Click the Add Construction Grid icon. The icon can be taken from the group named ' Model -- Construction Lines ' and placed on a toolbar (classic) or the ribbon (lightning).

Method 2 : If " Modeling layout style " is ' Classic ', you can use the menu system to choose Model > Construction Lines (or Construction Circles ) > Add Grid .

Method 3, 4 or 5 : Construction Line Add Grid can also be configured to be invoked using a keyboard shortcut , the context menu , or a mode . For the lightning interface, this configuration is done using Customize Interface . The default keyboard shortcut is c a .

2 . Locate- Pan -Return mouse bindings become active along with various Locate options. Locate a reference point based on the type of construction grid that you are adding. The symbol in the examples below is centered on the location of the reference point.

bindings

Rectangular grid
Radial grid

Alternative 1 : Select the Locate icon that you want (if it's not pressed already). Place the mouse pointer ( ) so the point location target ( ) snaps to where you want the corner of a rectangular grid (or the center of the radial grid ), then left-click ( Locate ).

Alternative 2 : Right-click ( Return ) if you are done adding rectangular or radial construction grids. Do not continue.

3 . The Add Construction Grid window opens.

3a : If you want to end this operation at this point, simply press " Cancel ." To add a construction grid, first select the type of grid (' Rectangular grid ' or ' Radial grid '), then set the number and spacing of the construction lines and/or construction circles. Press " OK " to go to step 4 .

------ Rectangular grid ------

X spacing: When the " Rotation " is ' 0 ', this is the positive or negative (-) horizontal distance between vertical construction lines. Positive spacing is measured from left to right beginning at the point located in step 2 . Negative spacing is measured from right to left.

" X spacing " = ' x '. Vertical construction lines in the grid are spaced the distance that is the " X spacing ."

Number of lines: The quantity ( 1 or 2 or etc.) of vertical construction lines in the grid when " Mirror X " is not checked.

" Number of lines " = ' 4 '. If this number had been ' 2 ', only the construction lines marked 1 and 2 would have been generated.

Y spacing: When the " Rotation " is ' 0 ', this is the positive or negative (-) vertical distance between horizontal construction lines. Positive spacing is measured from down to up beginning at the point located in step 2 . Negative spacing is measured from up to down beginning from that same point.

" Y spacing " = ' y '. Horizontal construction lines in the grid are spaced the distance that is the " Y spacing ."

Number of lines: The quantity ( 1 or 2 or etc.) of horizontal construction lines in the grid when " Mirror Y " is not checked.

" Number of lines " = ' 4 '. If this number had been ' 2 ', only the construction lines marked 1 and 2 would have been generated.

Rotation: 0 or a positive or negative (-) number of degrees. Rotation is around the reference point located in step 2 . ' 0 ' designates no rotation and results in a grid of perfectly horizontal and vertical construction lines. A positive number of degrees is measured counterclockwise from horizontal. A positive number of degrees is measured clockwise from horizontal.

Rotation = 0
 Rotation = 45

Mirror X: or . If this box is checked ( ), duplicates of the vertical construction lines are mirrored with respect to the reference point placed in step 2 . In the example below, the middle construction line is not mirrored because it runs through the reference point. If the box is not checked ( ), the number of vertical construction lines is the " Number of lines " entered for the X direction.

  Mirror X
   Mirror X

Mirror Y: or . If this box is checked ( ), duplicates of the horizontal construction lines are mirrored with respect to the reference point placed in step 2 . In the example below, the middle construction line is not mirrored because it runs through the reference point. If the box is not checked ( ), the number of horizontal construction lines is the " Number of lines " entered for the Y direction.

  Mirror Y
   Mirror Y

------ Radial grid ------

Circle radius spacing or radii: A distance or comma-separated distances . Comma-separated entries disable (gray out) the " Number of circles " field.

The distance (in the setup " Units " or other units ) that defines the radius of the inner construction circle from the point located in step 2 . The second-to-the-most-inner construction circle will have a radius of twice this distance, the third three times this distance, and so on. Comma-separated distances may be entered to specify multiple radii measured from that same point. For example, an entry of 12, 36, 84 creates three construction circles with the given radii.

" Circle radius spacing " = ' s '. Adjacent construction circles are this distance apart from one another if measurement is taken along any line through the center of the circles.

" Circle radii " = ' r1 ', ' r2 ', ' r3 '. The radii of the three construction circles are as specified.

Number of circles: 0 or 1 or 2 or 3 or etc. This field sets the total number of construction circles that will be generated.

" Number of circles " = ' 3 '. If this number had been ' 2 ', only the construction circles marked 1 and 2 would have been generated.

Radial lines or starting (degrees): A number of degrees or a series of comma-separated numbers . Comma-separated entries disable (gray out) the " Increments of " and " Number of radial lines " fields.

' 0 ' sets the starting construction line to be perfectly horizontal. A positive number of degrees is measured counterclockwise from horizontal. A negative number of degrees is measured clockwise from horizontal. Comma-separated numbers place radial lines that are rotated the specified numbers of degrees.

" Radial lines or starting " = ' 0 '

" Increments of " = ' 45'

 " Number of radial lines " = ' 4 '


" Radial lines or starting " = '22.5'

" Increments of " = ' 45 '

" Number of radial lines " = ' 4 '


" Radial lines or starting " = ' 0 ', ' 45 ', ' 135 '

" Increments of " = disabled

" Number of radial lines " = disabled

Increments of (degrees): The number of degrees that you want adjacent construction lines in the radial grid to be apart from one another.

" Increments of " = ' 22.5 '

" Radial lines starting at " = ' 22.5'

 " Number of radial lines " = ' 4 '

Number of radial lines: The quantity ( 0 or 1 or 2 or 3 or ...) of construction lines that you want to make up the radial grid.

" Number of radial lines " = ' 4 '. If this number had been ' 2 ', only the construction lines marked 1 and 2 would have been generated.

4 . After you press " OK " in the step 3, the construction grid is generated on your computer screen. Locate - Repeat - Return mouse bindings become active. Do one (1) of the following:

bindings

Alternative 1 : To add a grid that is not a duplicate of the one you just added, follow these instructions beginning with step 2 . Note that if you accidentally do a left-click ( Locate ) when you actually want to end this operation, you can press " Cancel " on the Add Construction Grid window to end the operation.

Alternative 2 : Middle-click ( Repeat ) to cause an exact duplicate of the grid to be drawn over wherever the point location target ( ) is at.

Alternative 3 : Right-click ( Return ) to get out of the tool and bring back whatever mouse bindings were active before you invoked Add Construction Grid .

page 1 | contents | model > con lines > | model -- con lines | modeling con lines/circles | top