Snap to Dashed lines

Simple in concept? yes. Yet, in practice sometimes there is a mess of
other

I would think that if the area was a "mess of other linework" then picking
the two intersecting lines individually would give you more accurate
results. I draw plumbing all day long - snap to intersections all day
long - sometimes i have to do app. int. but it doesn't and shouldn't slow
anyone down. The only downfall I see to your side of the argument is that
if you were to be running a lisp (or something like that) that wouldn't have
the "intellect" to determine which line and intersection you were looking
for.

Matt

 

<<the "center" osnap is also found when the aperture passes over the center of a circle,>>

Ahh but circles are different, very different. Draw a 3 unit rad circle at 0,0,0 then draw a 10 unit line from 0,-5,-1 to 0,5,-1. Then HIDE. A circle is more like a FACE, so that while an edge of it remains visible on the screen, it's center can be found because the aperture is searching the "face" of the circle.

 

<<sometimes i'd like a line to be perpendicular to an object,
but not necessarily terminating on it. >>

ummm... it's always worked okay for me...
LINE PERP <pick a line> MID <pick another line>
The line is from the midpoint of the second line and perpendicular to the first.

 

ah, i see what you mean, the cursor must first pass over the circle (no pick
necessary though).

since i almost always had to "travel" over the circle to get to it's center,
i hadn't noticed it before.

still, i think intersection (or app int) could behave similarly. much like
how "parallel" doesn't require an initial pick either.

for that matter, i gotta ask why "perpendicular" doesn't track like
"parallel" ? sometimes i'd like a line to be perpendicular to an object,
but not necessarily terminating on it.

 

Gotta skip the first part - I (very unfortunately) run LT (for now)
But for the question above - why not use tracking - to get your
perpendicular point (or direction) then go from there?

Matt

 

Ahh but circles are different, very different. Draw a 3 unit rad circle

How so OC? On my machine it reacts as I stated before. If I am zoom into
the circle - my pickbox completely inside and not near the line, my Acad
can't find the center.....even with part of the circle on the screen.
Or is this something with the full version?

Matt

 

and if you start with only one line?

first.

that is not what i wanted. i could use a line that tracks perpendicular to
the first entity picked, much the way parallel works.

 

of course there are a myriad different ways to accomplish a perpendicular
line, i was just curious why perp osnap doesn't track like par (does not
require otrack on).

my gut response is "perp is older, and nobody bothered to teach it new
tricks".

 

<<> LINE PERP <pick a line> MID <pick another line>

and if you start with only one line?>>

You can start PERP to the line and finish anywhere you like, the result will pass through the second point and be perpendicular to the first element.


<<that is not what i wanted. i could use a line that tracks perpendicular to the first entity picked, much the way parallel works.>>

i for one am glad it doesn't. You have to sloowww down and "hover" over the line waiting for it to determine the parallel, only to get a little dashed line that shows the track. As long as I am confident it's doing what I told it to do, i don't need the little dashed track line.

 

<<How so OC? On my machine it reacts as I stated before. If I am zoom into the circle - my pickbox completely inside and not near the line, my Acad can't find the center.....even with part of the circle on the screen. Or is this something with the full version? >>

You still have to "pass over" a selectable portion of the circle to let it "know" there is a circle present.

 

at 0,0,0 then draw a 10 unit line from 0,-5,-1 to 0,5,-1. Then HIDE. A
circle is more like a FACE, so that while an edge of it remains visible on
the screen, it's center can be found because the aperture is searching the
"face" of the circle.

well yeah, but since its so different why can't i snap to an intersection if
the circle is a dashed linetype and the line passes through the gaps?

(i'm just being argumentative now)

 

<<well yeah, but since its so different why can't i snap to an intersection if the circle is a dashed linetype and the line passes through the gaps? >>

You still have to "pass over" a selectable portion of the circle to let it "know" there is a circle present.

Side note:
Everyone is aware that the INTersection itself does not need to reside in the aperture, just selectable portions of the two elements, right? Draw two lines at a very acute angle to one another that intersect at gaps. Draw circle at the INTersection, move the osnap aperture so that it is away from the actual intersection, but still crossing the two lines at "dashes" and it will find the INTersection.

 

but i might want to *start* anywhere i like, and what if i want that line
exactly 20' long?

to the first entity picked, much the way parallel works.>>

the line waiting for it to determine the parallel, only to get a little
dashed line that shows the track.

during the track, you can type a length. i use that a lot.

the little dashed track line.

sure, there are other ways to do this, this is autocad after all, its just
that sometimes i want a path with even less resistance.

 

Very aware of that. You answered my question above, I understand what you
were explaining to doug. I guess I was misled by your explanation of the
the circle face "A circle is more like a FACE, so that while an edge of it
remains visible on the screen, it's center can be found because the aperture
is searching the "face" of the circle."

Matt

 

<< I was misled by your explanation ...>>

Sorry 'bout that, I'm hampered by English being my second language ...

... I'm from Texas.

 

How do you make the aperture visible? or invisible?

Rick

 

yes, the osnap aperture visibility can be turned off, and it still works
this way (the aperture is "invisible", but functioning)

in fact, just to have fun, i turned the aperture on, set it 3x bigger, then
turned it back off.

wow, it now finds that invisible intersection a *lot* easier. just like OC
said it would.

don't know if i can live with it like this, but we'll see.

 

options>drafting>display autosnap aperture box

 

Didn't see it when I was looking for it.... Always had mine on anyway.

Rick

 

I'm sorry......

Just kidding - you're right across the pond from me.....

Matt