polar tracking problem

i'm new to autocad, a week, but not new to 3d modeling. I seem to be having trouble with polar tracking on. With this activated and in front view I can only create a line in up or down (Y) direction. I cannot create a line along the z axis. This happens randomly so I must be overlooking a setting somewhere. I'm sure there is a simple adjustment to this but I just cannot find it

If you are in front view, isn't "Z" directly away from you? How would you even see a line along the "Z" axis?

hmmm i would think that if in plan view (top) you z went into the page, in front view it should go up and down.

what do you have checked in your settings box?

I think I know what the OP means. When rotating the view to "front" (or left, right, or back) using the viewcube, polar tracking only tracks left or right. Polar will not track "up" or "down" as it will if the view is anything other than perpendicular. As far as I know, the only way to have polar tracking work in "front view" is to use the view commands to switch to "front" rather than using the viewcube, as this method reorients the UCS so that up on your screen is "Y", not "Z"

Demo -->

here is the gizmo and view...http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb447/Rik612/acgizmo.jpg in this pic the gizmo looks like horizontal is left / right which is Z in the pic. It doesn't matter who is right or wrong. i'll work it out in the plot and the gizmo should only be a concern when coverting for use by another software package.

I cannot move Right or Left when the polar tracking is on is the issue. I used it without a problem 2 days ago but now its not working. I must have clicked something and not sure what it was.

hmmm i would think that if in plan view (top) you z went into the page, in front view it should go up and down.

what do you have checked in your settings box?

Wait, 2D (as in LT) is top view ain't it? Eeeeeesh, it was too early in da mornin'. When I gotta do plan views and elevations on the same plane, I conceptualize completely differently.

Like this, right? -->

Nestly, Yes thats my issue....how do i get out of that setting???

Nestly, Yes thats my issue....how do i get out of that setting???

If you open your VIEW toolbar, and use that to set your perspective it will change the UCS as you select alternate views. When you reset to the TOP view using the toolbar it should revert to WORLD UCS. On the ribbon, if you select your perspective in the VIEWS palette, it will act the same as it does on the VIEW toolbar.

Check to see if your POLAR TRACKING settings are set for absolute or relative to last segment, by right clicking on the POLAR TRACKING icon bottom of your screen> settings.

Dadgad. I have no clue how you figured all that out but works perfectly. Thank you so much

Dadgad. I have no clue how you figured all that out but works perfectly. Thank you so much

You are entirely welcome, glad I could help.

There likely will be times when you want your POLAR SNAP set to relative to last segment. I usually leave mine that way. If you then wanted to, you could just draw a sacrificial temporary line, and that would enable you to then snap polar to that one, without the need to reset your polar snap setting to absolute.

..... As far as I know, the only way to have polar tracking work in "front view" is to use the view commands to switch to "front" rather than using the viewcube, as this method reorients the UCS....

Setting the UCSFOLLOW value to 1 would, I believe, be another way to do it.

Setting the UCSFOLLOW value to 1 would, I believe, be another way to do it.

I don't think so. UCSFOLLOW only causes Plan view to be automatically adjusted when the UCS changes, but changing views with the viewcube does not change the UCS, therefore plan view is not changed either.

Just as you cannot polar track in the Z direction when viewing the X-Y plane from directly above (Top), you cannot polar track in the Y direction when viewing the X-Y plane from the Front, and cannot polar track in the X direction when viewing the X-Y plane from the Left or Right because the user cannot perceive depth directly toward, or away from them anyway.

Okay, I stand corrected. I never use the view cube, nor UCSFOLLOW, as I always have my view toolbar open, and use it a lot. In 2012 there is also a view control displayed in the upper left corner in modelspace, which also changes the UCS.

I also keep the View Toolbar open for quickly changing the UCS, but most of the time I only want to change the view without changing the UCS, so I use the Viewcube.

I've barely used 2012 yet, and while I knew about the new indicators in the upper left, I didn't realize you could change views and visual styles from there.... good to know.