yrnomad Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I want to automatically align a block to a line when inserted to the endpoint I'm using tool palettes to insert my blocks. So I'm using the alignment parameter so the block will "snap" to a surface. I've got a few blocks however that are to go at the end of a line or pline, and would like them to snap to the end (which I wouldn't need dynamics to do) and orient to be the same angle that the line is. (I.E. an arrowhead, continuation, cap/temination symbol. Any ideas as to how to pull this off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Have you tried the ALIGN command? Take a look in the AutoCAD Help file for an explanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yrnomad Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 I'm still struggling with this one. The align command seems to want four inputs, and I'm trying to keep it simple for the engineers to do their own drafting. So if I keep them simple blocks, and insert them with the palette, the user should only have to worry about the placement point and a rotation point. I fold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 What if you had a routine of some sort that first allowed the user to set the crosshairs to match the orientation of the line and THEN insert the block? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenE Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Why don't you just insert the basepoint on your block where you want it to snap to the other object, and use objectsnap and rotate for placement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxwellEdison Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I'm trying to keep it simple for the engineers... I just wanted to say...I love this line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yrnomad Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 ReMark, I think it's just too many extra steps. My lead engineer who I refered to as "the boss" in our other thread, "for years" has been typing "I" for insert then the name, location etc.... It's hard to get him to change, because he thinks he's fast that way. So I'm trying to dangle a carrot of simplicity and a few options to get him to see value in a bit of change. I'm not trying to bang on him, I just realize I have to push his boundaries slowly. So the simple way, picking from the palette, allows me to set the location, scale and other properties, using osnap to grab the end of the pipe for insertion point and a point near on the pipe for the rotation gets him that to step away from his old way as simple as I can come up with. (that is what I think you are refering to right Ben?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Well what I'm saying is it might be easier to have the crosshairs match the angle of the line. Snapang takes care of this. You can even construct a Snapang macro that will match the line no matter its' angle. Then a second Snapang macro can be used to reset the crosshairs back to normal. Heck, I've even seen a LISP routine that will rotate the whole drawing to orient a line in the horizontal position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenE Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 It's close. If you use bedit to edit your block, you can move the point you wish to be your basepoint to the origin, then type insbase and set it to 0,0. Then when you grab your block off of the toolpallet and drag to a note that you wish to snap to, your basepoint will snap to that node, eliminating a step. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Works for me BenE. Nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenE Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 P.S. ReMark is waaaaay more knowledgeable than I am about this stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yrnomad Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 I agree, BenE ReMark, thanks for your input. I'd forgotten about the snapang variable, I think I'll use it in another routine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldon Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 If you have POLAR turned on, then when you snap to the endpoint of a line for the insertion point, the polar angles align to that line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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