Anchoring line end

[doddkevin]

Hi,

 

Is it possible to anchor the ends of lines in AutoCAD 2010?

 

For example:

 

I have a square with 4 lines drawn outwards from the corners. I want to "anchor" the outer ends of the four lines.

 

I want to be able to move the square and connected lines around the screen with the outer ends of the lines anchored in position.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Kev

[nestly]

Try using the STRETCH command and use a crossing window to select the square and "inner" endpoints of the line. Alternately, you could use parametric constraints.

[doddkevin]

Thanks nestly. That worked fine for the square / line combination but I also have lines passing through the square... When I drag the square these lines passing through the square mess up the stretch.

 

Maybe if I put what im trying to do in context.

 

I am designing an anchoring pattern for a drilling rig.

 

There are several pipelines passing beneath the rig. The rig anchors on the end of the 4 lines are fixed. I want to visualise where the lines will be with the rig in different positions. So as I drag the rig (Square) the lines will also move with the anchors fixed in place.

 

Thanks

[ReMark]

The square with the lines inside of it should be made into a block. Do not make the anchoring blocks part of the block because you want them to be flexible.

[nestly]

One option would be to put the "rig" and "anchor" lines on their own layer and lock layers of the other items you don't want to stretch/move

 

Alternately use parametric constraints (I think 2010 has them?) Make sure your square is a polyline so it moves as one object, then draw another temporary polyline around your anchor points. Place a coincident parametric constraint at the end of each anchor line by selecting the "Coincident" constraint and using the autoconstrain option within the command to select the rig, the temporary anchor frame, and all the anchor lines (or you can place them each manually) Now when you move the square, all the anchor lines will remain attached to it. see attached.

 

[Cat]

You can still use stretch. After you pick what you want to stretch, type "R" and you can pick things to remove that you don't want to stretch.

[doddkevin]

ReMark, nestly & Cat,

 

Thanks guys. Still having the same problem. Here are some screen grabs to illustrate it.

 

Screen Grab 001.jpg: The basic concept working. Rig and anchor lines in white, pipeline in red. I can stretch and drag the rig around no problem.

 

Screen Grab 002.jpg: The same as above but with a pipeline passing under the rig. When I try to stretch, one side of the rig stays in the same place.

 

Screen Grab 003.jpg: The rig is now a block and not a rectangle as in the previous 2. The problem now is that the rig does not come with me when i stretch.

 

 

Really appreciate all the help.

 

Thanks

[Cat]

In the last screen shot, it looks like the square is with you, but you just can't see it. Try changing the "dragmode" variable.

 

0 - Does not display an outline of the object as you drag it

1 - Displays the outline of the object as you drag it only if you enter drag on the command line after selecting the object to drag

2 - Auto; always displays an outline of the object as you drag it

Edited October 11, 2010 by Cat
added options

[doddkevin]

In the last screen shot, it looks like the square is with you, but you just can't see it. Try changing the "dragmode" variable.

 

0 - Does not display an outline of the object as you drag it

1 - Displays the outline of the object as you drag it only if you enter drag on the command line after selecting the object to drag

2 - Auto; always displays an outline of the object as you drag it

 

Hi Cat,

 

In the last screen shot when I released the square it was not with me. It stayed in its original position.

 

Thanks

[ReMark]

Try nestly's suggestion then.

[nestly]

Hmmm.. using "R" to remove the objects you didn't want to move/stretch should have worked. Here's the parametric example in my screenshot if you want to play with it. Use MOVE and select only rig to move it around, or you can simply drag the rig around with your mouse, just don't pick on a grip or it will "stretch" the rig.

 

*edit* grrrr I can't get the parametric constraints to save with the file? .... attachment removed.

**edit* re-upped

Rig5.dwg

Edited October 11, 2010 by nestly

[doddkevin]

Try nestly's suggestion then.

 

 

Problem solved.

 

I selected everything in the drawing and then Shift-Clicked the items I didn't want to stretch. The rig and anchor lines moved like I wanted them to, passing over the pipeline without any of the warping in the earlier screen grabs.

 

In the screen grab it looks like the rig isn't there but it is. It was flashing on and off(crap graphics I guess:D ).

 

 

Thanks for all the help everyone. I would have given up on it ages ago doing it myself.