How to get local grid on CAD?

[bharthts01]

Hi guys

 

Just a quick question.

 

The drawings I'm receiving from the architects are all set to the world coordinate system. So when it comes to setting out they coordinates are useless to me. So what I want to know is how can I rotate my drawing so it's aligned to my local grid?

[Tiger]

command: UCS perhaps ?

[bharthts01]

Edited the question - sorry wasn't finished

[Organic]

Just move the data and rotate it? (obviously the parameters you need to translate it by will depend on your local grid coordinate system)

[bharthts01]

That's where I'm stuck on, I don't know how to get my local grid system (Leeds, UK) up on CAD. From then I can adjust the UCS to suit.

[Tiger]

I am wondering if you are misinterpreting the WORLD-setting in UCS. It's not really the world-coordinate system, it is just a name AutoCAD uses for the default X-Y-Z setting.

 

I use the world-setting as my local coordinate grid. I get files that are in different coordinate systems, I have to use another program to transform the coordinates to my local.

 

Architect files that I get are usually one of two things. Either they are not drawn in any coordinate system at all, they have simply put one of the corners of the house at 0,0,0. Or they have drawn the house at the correct coordinates, but have created a custom UCS that looks like the house is drawn at 0,0,0.

[bharthts01]

Okay I see now, the UCS settings on CAD are just a default setting. The drawings I receive from the architects are uncoordinated. I've seen my engineer rotate them around on CAD so they're set to the 'local grid' system. I was just wondering how he did this.

[Tiger]

Most likely he's just using the commands MOVE and ROTATE. The difficult part of setting a house at the correct coordinates is to get two points (one on the house-file, one in your file) that match up. I would contact the architect and ask where in the world (literaly) his is house suppose to be.

[bharthts01]

Right I see, thanks I'll give it a shot.

[BIGAL]

Rather than move rotate have a good look at UCS the simplest way is "UCS OB" pick a line left side to be your X axis the cross hairs will change then just type "PLAN" you are now in a new UCS with the x,y,z point 0,0,0 as the left end of the line. You can also do UCS S which is save the current ucs by giving it a name. Anytime you like you can go back to the original settings as supllied UCS W PLAN. To get back UCS R "myucs" PLAN. You can set your UCS to any co-ords you like not just 0,0,0

 

One word of warning though if you pick a 3d line it will tilt your UCS we sometimes draw a 2d line to prevent this then use UCS OB

 

Re Dink87522 we shoot anyone here who rotates or moves a job from its original surveyed co-ordinates we are all used to UCS now.

[eldon]

I used to do the UCS route, but when architects drawings were in millimetres and dimensioned, I found that x-refs were so much easier, (it also keeps things the right way up!)

 

See what works for you