Entering Dates, Distances, etc. (topic)
- Text entry widgets
- Entering dates
- Entering distances
- Distance and/or angle constraints for second point location
- Entering angles
Also see :
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Text entry widgets ( these apply when a cursor is active within a field ).
To move from one entry widget to the next on an entry window, use up arrow or down arrow or Tab or Shift+Tab , or roll forward or backward with your mouse wheel .
Typing file names: The length of an SDS2 file name is typically limited to 61 characters. Remember when typing in the name of a file that capital and lower case letters are critical, as is any punctuation within the name. This applies to SDS2 programs operating under Linux or Windows operating systems. Erection views, job standard details, members, Jobs, Fabricators, submaterials, global standard details, detail drawings, sheet outlines, etc. are all given individual file names in your current Job . You can use blank spaces as separators for most file names, but your file names will always be compliant if you use an underscore (_) instead of a space.
Drag and release selects a group of characters. Typing in any character when a group of characters is selected replaces that group of characters with the character you type in.
Double-click selects all characters in an entry field if User and Site Options > General > ' Place the cursor where I clicked ' is selected.
Ctrl+a or Home or Ctrl+left arrow moves the cursor to the left of all characters in the entry field.
Ctrl+b or left arrow moves the cursor one character to the left.
Ctrl+c copies text that is selected so that it can later be "pasted" into another entry field (using Ctrl+v ).
Ctrl+d or Delete deletes the character to the right of the insertion bar.
Ctrl+e or End moves the cursor to the right of all characters in a text entry field.
Ctrl+f or right arrow moves the cursor one character to the right.
Ctrl+h or Backspace deletes the character to the left of the insertion bar.
Ctrl+k or PgDn or F8 deletes all characters in an entry field that are to the right of the cursor.
Ctrl+t "transposes" the letters to either side of the cursor so that the character on the right becomes the character on the left and vice-versa.
Ctrl+v "pastes" text that has been "cut" (using Ctrl+x ) or "copied" (using Ctrl+c ). The text will be pasted to the right of the cursor or over selected text.
Ctrl+x "cuts" text that is selected so that it can later be "pasted" into another entry field (using Ctrl+v ).
F10 inserts "W" to the left of the cursor.
F11 inserts "PL" to the left of the cursor.
F12 inserts "L" to the left of the cursor.
PgUp deletes all characters in an entry field.
+ on keypad inserts a space to the left of the cursor.
* on keypad inserts "x" to the left of the cursor.
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Entering dates :
Typing now or today or double-clicking or making the field blank enters today's date.
An entry of 0 (zero) is recorded as ' **NOT SET** '.
Dates must be entered in the order of month day year with the year optional. If the year is not entered, the current year is used. The month can be a number 1 through 12 or a three-letter abbreviation (jan, feb, mar, etc.). Any character or a blank space can be used to separate the month day and year.
Examples: 12/23/05 , 12.23.05 , 12 23 2005 , Dec 23 2005 , and Dec 23 are equivalent entries so long as the current year is 2005.
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Entering distances :
Introduction: Other than the special characters - , / , . , spacebar and the units in , GA and mm , only numbers are allowed for entering distances. The primary dimension " Units " used on details is set under Fabricator Options . No matter what primary dimension " Units " are used, character heights (for instance, in Drawing Presentation ) are always in millimeters.
Entering units other than the primary dimension units: In a Job with the primary dimensioning units set to ' Imperial ... ', you can make entries in millimeters (e.g., 135mm ) to most editable dimension fields. If the primary dimensioning units are ' Metric ', you can enter a fractional dimension (e.g., 3/8in ) or dashed dimension (e.g., 1-0in ) or decimal inches (e.g., .5in ) to specify inches. Entries of decimal inches are displayed as fractions (e.g., . 5 is displayed as 1/2in ). Your entry must be a multiple of the " Dimension precision " that is set for those units. Please note: If " Lock primary units " is checked and you enter units other than the primary dimension units, the value you enter will be converted to and displayed in the primary units.
If you are using metric units, entries of distances can be in millimeters and decimals thereof (example: 100 = 100 millimeters; 1.11 = 1.11 millimeters). Note that the units are not shown in the entry field when the entry is the primary dimension " Units ." Your entry must be a multiple of the " Dimension precision " that is set for those units. You can also enter other units .
If you are using imperial units, entering a distance in inches and decimal inches then tabbing out causes the program to display the dimensional equivalent in the entry field. For entries other than bolt diameters, the entry must be a multiple of the " Dimension precision " that is set for those units. You can also enter other units . Example 1 for imperial units : 14.5 = 1-2 1/2; 25.25 = 2-1 1/4 if you have set the " Dimensioning units " ' Imperial (ft-in frac) '. Example 2 for imperial units : 14.5 = 14-8; 25.25 = 25-4 if you have set the " Dimensioning units " to ' Imperial (in-frac) '. Note that the units are not shown in the entry field when they are the primary dimension " Units ."
The displayed value and the stored value in a distance entry field:
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Distance and/or angle constraints for second point location :
Distance/angle constraints apply to second-point location. A first point needs to be located before typing in a distance or an angle to constrain the second point. The first point is the point that the distance to the second point is measured from, or through which the angle is measured. An angle of 0 degrees is horizontal through the first point.
To constrain the distance: Simply type, at your keyboard, the distance that you want the second point to be constrained to (e.g., type 7-6 ). The distance entered must be in the primary dimension " Units ." Your entry will be printed in the status line inside of brackets [ ]. You can use the Backspace key to erase the entry and release the constraint.
To constrain the angle: You can also type in @ number to constrain the second point to the number of degrees that you enter (e.g., type @45 ). A constraint of 0 degrees is horizontal across the screen through the first point that was located.
To constrain a distance and angle: First type the distance (e.g., 7-6 ), then type @ , then type the number of degrees (e.g., 45 ). For the example shown, the second point will be located 7.5 ft away from the first point, at an angle of 45°.
Also see: User and Site Options > General > "
Disable typed dimensions during point location " disables the capability to type in a distance and/or angle.
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Entering angles :
Degree entries are rounded to the nearest ten thousandth of a degree. For example, 10.00029 is rounded to 10.0003 .
0 degrees designates no rotation. An item that is not rotated is normally horizontal across the screen. Rotation of graphic objects such as construction lines is done with respect to screen axes . Rotation of members and materials is done with respect to global axes .
Negative degrees designates a clockwise rotation from the zero degree position of the object.
Positive degrees designates a counterclockwise rotation from the zero degree position of the object.
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