Typing a command vs. having a button for it

[Siberian]

Picture a line in the XY-plane. You want to make a new line in the Z direction at the end of this one, so you snap to the end of the line and type the command ".xy" and snap to the end of the line again. You then type in the length of the z-line, and snap to the end again. All is fine until you get tired of typing .xy all the time and decide to make a button for this command. Now the two end points of the z-line are suddenly interpreted as the same point, and so a "zero length line" is created.

What I don't understand is that is shouldn't make any diff to type a command or to have a button for it...or?

[fuccaro]

All is fine until you get tired of typing .xy all the time and decide to make a button for this command.

That is already created in AutoCAD -only it is not a button, just CTR+right-click. At least I have the point filters in that menu in AutoCAD 2k6.
For your line you may try to entry the coords: start the LINE command, click the end of the line and enter 0,0,30 to draw a 30 units long line in Z dirrection.

[eldon]

I got tired of typing ".xy", so by using accelerator keys (I was using r14 at the time), I assigned Shift F1 to be ".xy". That seems to work but I can't know what "improvements" have happened in the meantime.

[Antisthenes]

in Rhinoceros hold down control and click where you want to enter the z axis constraint and type your distance and enter or right click..
faster right?
a 3rd option you didn't present keyboard shortcut..? (onscreen keyboard button if you use a onscreen keyboard like me)

[eldon]

in Rhinoceros hold down control and click where you want to enter the z axis constraint and type your distance and enter or right click..
faster right?
a 3rd option you didn't present keyboard shortcut..? (onscreen keyboard button if you use a onscreen keyboard like me)

I'm sorry, but I thought this was the AutoCAD forum - not the Rhinoceros, which is somewhere else

[Cad64]

in Rhinoceros hold down control and click where you want to enter the z axis constraint and type your distance and enter or right click.. faster right?

How does this help Siberian with his Autocad problem? Telling others how to initiate and use commands that are only available in other programs does not help anyone that is looking for help with an Autocad specific question. You should really stick to the topic and stop hi-jacking every thread to promote Rhino.

[New2CADmike]

For me ,to create a line in the z direction...start the line command..snap to the first point of the original line and then after ACAD asks for the second point,type in ...@0,0,30...enter...what is this xy stuff??

[SEANT]

The previous posts are referring to "Coordinate Filters". As you've stated, there are easier ways of drawing a 30 unit vertical line, but what if a line had to start at 30 units above some geometric point. Instead of using construction geometry, a person could "query" the base location with the .xy filter, then provide 30 for the z dimension. the line comand would proceed from there.

These filters can ber used individually or in any combination.

Incidently, they are referred to as "Point Filters" in Acad 2000

[Siberian]

Thx for all the replies guys I think I'll just settle for SEANT's solution and type the coordinates. But how great that everyone really tries to help! Love this forum...

[fuccaro]

[...]but what if a line had to start at 30 units above some geometric point.

For this case we have a magic formula: enter FROM when AutoCAD expects a point and you can specify an offset.