Just a simple way to break a line.

[RJF]

Hello to all.

 

Autocad2008 has the Break, Break at Point, and Dimension Break tools. There may be other variations of the break command, but I'm not able to fined a way to quickly use any of these commands to create a very simple single break point on a single segmented line at an unequal segment. I'm surprised Break at Point doesn't fit the billet.

 

Example:

I've drawn vertical line 10 units long. I would like to place a single break point at 7.956 units from either endpointe of that very same line. This is not a polyline. When selected it is depicted as a line with two equal segments.

 

The purpose of the break is so that I can intersect a horizontal line at 7.956 units located on the vertical line.

 

It seems to me that with all of the break tools available, one of them should be able to accomplish this simple task on the fly. Even most basic CAD programs such as Draft It, has a break tool that performs this function easily and quickly with one mouse click and one single text box entry.

 

Also, the fastest way I have found to accomplish this task is to simply draw another vertical line 7.956 units over the original vertical line, and that allows me to attach my horizontal line at 0 or 180 degrees from the vertical 7.956 units. I then go back and delete the second vertical line. If there's a faster way to accomplish this without macros etc, I need to be enlightened.

 

Thanks for your participation.

 

RF

Edited September 12, 2011 by RJF
Punctuation and additional explanation

[danellis]

Ignoring for now that ther eare better ways to do this than to break your line:

 

In what way does "Break at point" not do what you're looking to do?

 

I'm pretty sure that this still worked in ACADwin 2010 but you shuold try the sequence BREAK > FIRST > pick your point > @ This should create a single break at the point you specify. Sadly in later version one had to specify the same point twice

 

Going back to what you're actually trying to achieve: Don't break the line because doing that you've got two lines when you only want one! Since you say you're working on a vertical line I would suggest looking into TRACKING POINTS or a FROM snap, both available under your SNAPS menu (shift + right click). If you're really struggling with these, or if your line's off vertical I'd either align an UCS to the line and use one of those snap types I mentioned before, or just draw a circle centre on the end of the line with the required radius and use an INTERSECT snap from that point (I guess this method is closest to how it would be done on a drawing board!)

 

HTH

 

dJE

[RJF]

Danellis,

 

Thanks for your response and suggestions. I'll check out tracking points. Yes breaking the line creates an additional line that's not wanted. I forgot to mention using the Move command. By adding a horizontal line to the endpoint of a vertical line and then using Move to accomplish the same task. At least I know that the break tools that I've mentioned cannot be used for breaking a line for the simple purpose that I described.

 

Using Break At Point with the recommended sequence results in totally random breaks, to no break in the object at all. The command button works, but not as specified. Once in awhile it will even carve out a random piece of the line. I call it the random object button.

 

Thank you for your time and experience,

 

RF

[SLW210]

Use the From option by Right-Click for first point after starting the LINE command.

[JD Mather]

You should simply be tracking your first point and use Direct Distance Entry.

Sounds like you are doing too much work.

[nestly]

Break at Point works well if there is actually something there to "snap" to, not so well if you're trying to key in the breakpoint. It can still be done, but you have to key in the same point for the 1st and 2nd point.

 

Also the breaks aren't random. Wnen you select the object, you also select the first break point unless you specify otherwise. Turning on BLIPMODE makes this much easier to visualize.

 

Following along with what everyone else has said, I wouldn't break a line just so I has a point to snap to because it's just as easy to use tracking or DDE to start the line 7..956 units from the end, as it is to break it 7.956 units from the end.

 

BREAK at Point is not entirely intuitive, but this may help.

[RJF]

Thanks to all,

 

From what I gather, there are many ways to get the job done, but nothing fast, or efficient, that doesn't have a few entries or clicks to get to the heart of the matter.

 

Jd, I use DDE for all of my work... I draw a lot of angular projects, and it's fantastic for quickly drawing angles accurately, quickly, and yes it's neat being able to draw a line to the desired length with a mouse cllick, and not have to touch the keyboard.

 

SlW 210, Thanks..I've seen the video..and if you'll notice, the operator never keyboards a value for an exact break point..all breaks were randomly selected with the mouse. Actually, I have never had a need to remove a random section of a line or arc.....just looking for a simple,accurate non-randomizing line break from an endpoint, with the value entered via keyboard. No maco's or visual basic programs.

 

The following info might be helpful to someone that has a need for large full sized drawings that need to be divided into sections, printed, and/or reassembled after printing.

 

It begins with a really basic no frills Brake tool, and couldn't imagine how it could be done simply and quickly in Acad.

 

I have some drawings that are 46" wide X 108"+ long, which contain several days if not weeks worth of work. These drawings are used for patterns, and mailed to customers via a 36" shipping tube USPS. They are printed on 24 inch wide roll printing paper. In order to do that, these drawings must be split down the center line in CAD and centered to accommodate the 24" printer.

 

These two sheet printed patterns are later assembled by the recipient for a full sized pattern.

 

In order to accurately split the pattern at or near the center line, and occasionally slightly above or below it, I have a need for a very simple and fast BREAK tool for dozens of lines and some arcs.

 

Since I can't find anything in Auto Cad that doesn't take a lot of time and effort, I simply import the entire full sized .dwg file to a very small bareboned, CAD Program which I won't name here as this forum is all about Acad, although it's stature makes it non-competitive.

 

This small bare bones program has one break tool that works with a single text box. You click on the Break tool, keyboard the value of the break into the text box, and in a matter of seconds, with perfect accuracy, break dozens of lines with the click of a mouse, on one single keyboard entry. When finished, the software will allow the user to export the drawings as .JPG or PDF file. These large files are saved as JPGs for the printer, and can be manipulated in Photoshop for sharpness and shading intensity, as well as any final text to be included.

 

Thank you all very much for your time and assistance. I'm satisfied that I have explored all options for a simple Break tool in ACad. l will continue to improvise. Sometimes too much is not so much.

 

RJF

[Tiger]

I have often found the Break tool in ACAD lacking in certain areas, the BreakObjects-lisp by Charles Alan Butler saves my bacon more times than none. I have pasted what it does below, the actual lisp can be found on The Swamp.

 

;;; Function c:BA - Break all objects selected

;;; Function c:BWO - Break many objects with a single object

;;; Function c:BOB - Break a single object with many objects

;;; Function c:BW - Break selected objects with other selected objects

;;; Function c:BT - Break objects touching the single Break object

;;; Function c:BSE - Break selected objects with any objects that touch it

 

RJF - your instructions on how to break objects to match a paper-size is pretty much all replaced with Paper Space and Viewports which completely removes the need to break anything.

[JD Mather]

Since I can't find anything in Auto Cad that doesn't take a lot of time and effort, I simply import the entire full sized .dwg file to a very small bareboned, CAD Program which I won't name here as this forum is all about Acad, although it's stature makes it non-competitive.

RJF

 

Oh, please name the software here so that users can know what would save them a lot of time and effort. (I name other CAD programs here frequently to try to save users a lot of time and effort.)

[rkent]

RJF - as already mentioned your method for dividing up a drawing is antiquated at best. Draw one model, no matter how big and use layouts (in one drawing file or many) with viewports to display a portion of the drawing model for plotting.

[RJF]

JD - Draft It Pro by Cad Logic.

 

Tiger, Thanks much.