Cannot accurately join/connect lines even after using edit polyline

Hey everyone. Really looking forward to joining this cad forum and learning all i can about cad. Im a owner operator welding business owner and looking forward to utilizing this stuff for my business.

One problem that i have encountered now that all my searching cant come up with a answer to is when i connect lines using pedit and join after zooming in to my drawing the lines are not lined/matched up. I have overlap with the lines.

Essentially im looking for a easy way to take one line and then mate it up with another line exact and accurately fairly quickly. If i have a diagonal line and i want to make a verticle line mate up with it, when i currently do this and then after pedit. I zoom in and it looks like i didnt draw the verticle line enough or it is too long. Hope this makes sense. If i was just using verticle and horizontal lines this wouldnt be a prob cuz id just thpe cordinates, but the diagonal make this a problem.

Im using draftsight 2013 version for windows vista. 2 weeks into being a complete cad vergin. Thanks so much for anyone willing to help!!!!

You need to look into "Snaps" these allow accurate conection between objects some examples below you can make combinations to suit your needs. Some one with Draftsight will help more.

END finds end of lines plines etc

INT intersection of say two lines

MID middle of a line

CENTER centre of circle and arcs

There are two commands that are sometimes confused. They are SNAP and OSNAP. What BIGAL should have suggested to use is OSNAP. OSNAP allows for the precise selection of placing objects, starting/ending lines, and moving/copying/rotating, etc. objects. Various OSNAPS can be selected by typing the command at the command line then pressing the Enter key. After you have done that you can toggle OSNAP On/Off by using the F3 key. You can also invoke the OSNAP command by clicking on the corresponding icon in the Status Bar at the bottom of your screen. As you pass your cursor over the icons a Tool Tip will appear identifying each. If you right click on the icon a menu will appear at the bottom of which will be the option Object Snap Settings.

Re: SNAP. This command restricts cursor movement to specified intervals. It can be toggled using the F9 key.

Another command you will find helpful is ORTHOMODE. This keeps lines completely horizontal or vertical and will not allow for drawing a line at an angle. ORTHOMODE can be toggled On/Off using your F8 key.

BTW...all this information is right at your fingertips merely by using AutoCAD Help. Help can be accessed by pressing the F1 key.

Alright...I just noticed you are using Draftsight not AutoCAD. Sorry about that. However, be that as it may, since DS is basically an AutoCAD clone all is not lost.

The feature you are looking for in DS is called ESNAP although typing OSNAP will also bring up the ENTITYSNAP dialog box. And this is what it looks like. You can also toggle ESNAPS On/Off using the button at the bottom of your screen and access the dialog box shown above merely by right-clicking on the ESNAP button then clicking on the word Settings.

BTW...

1. Again, just like in AutoCAD if you press the F1 key you can access Draftsight's Help file and type in the word ESNAP and a whole list of related topics will be available to you including how to use and set up ESNAPS.

2. F3 will toggle ESNAP and F8 will toggle Ortho On / Ortho Off just like in AutoCAD.

Excellent! Problem solved. I had to go into the esnap setting and check the correct box. I activated all of them for now. Now i can get on with building something!!

Thanks so much. Im sure ill have more qs and ill deff check out the f1 help and see how that can help me too

You do know there is a dedicated forum for Draftsight users over at the Dassault Systemes website don't you?

Did you download the Getting Started guide or look at any of the online tutorials as well as Tips & Tricks at the website?