Anyone know this one?

[Squirltech]

Here's one for you...personally, I've never used this setting, variable, method before but maybe some of you have.

 

Using Civil3d/AutoCAD draw a line 100 feet long from left to right. Line can be at an angle if desired.
Place another line, using a different color for visual, by snapping to the left end of the 100 foot line then move your cursor to the opposite end of the 100 foot line, endpoint snap active. Now, DON'T snap to that endpoint. Instead get your cursor close enough to invoke the proximity snap but don't accept it, input a distance of 50 feet. Does the newly placed line follow the direction of the 100 foot line or does it follow the placement of your cursor?

 

I would like it to follow where that snap is showing, not the cursor. Anyone know the variable or setting that controls this? Based on my testing, it is not Polar Tracking.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Dadgad]

I have never used Civil3d, but this sounds just like the Option shown in this screenshot, may or may not be the same, but worth a shot.

Hopefully that will help you.  Priority for Coordinate Data Entry, take your pick.  The Variable name is OSNAPCOORD, as shown in the second screenshot, at least

it is in AutoCad Vanilla..

 

 

 

If you are still having    issues with it, you might need to turn off your AutoSnap Magnet

Edited December 12, 2020 by Dadgad
further clarification

[BIGAL]

Doable from a programing point of view, pick near end of line, this establishes start point, behind the scenes work out angle of line, enter distance, a -ve goes backwards, thinking a bit if type L123 then that means square off this point to left a distance. R or r123 case is not important as just check 1st character is a (= (type value) 'STR) then look at L or R .

 

Using Bricscad will check acad osnap set end etc.

 

"Line"

"L" enter length say 200

asks for angle pick other end 

all done

 

Tested on pline pick 2 corners ok

Edited December 12, 2020 by BIGAL

[Squirltech]

Thank you! I'll give the OSNAPCOORD and AUTOSNAP a try and see if that does the trick.

[Squirltech]

Excuse my GIF making capabilities, this is a little out of my wheelhouse.

Below is a GIF showing what I'm trying to do with a (I think) variable already within AutoCAD. Notice, I'm drawing the lines toward the end point snap but I am NOT snapping to those endpoints. I start at the vertex and draw a line at a certain distance toward the endpoint. Any help is appreciated.

 

CAD GIF

[eldon]

OSNAPCOORD at 2 makes it work perfectly for me.

[Squirltech]

I've tried the OSNAPCOORD being set to 2 with no positive results. Thanks!

[eldon]

Curious!!!

 

If I can do it, then you can, unless AutoCAD has been improved.

 

Must be my technique.

[Squirltech]

It does it for me too but apparently not the user who's having an issue.

 

I'm going to double check that the user is doing it correctly. Maybe turning the variable off (0) and back on (2) may do something. Thanks again for your input.

[steven-g]

The only thing I can find that controls this is 'APERTURE' just because a 'osnap' is highlighted it doesn't make it active (that only shows which is the closest available) in orde for your line to be drawn to that point is when the cursor is physically 'locked' onto the osnap point and it is aperture that controls this (measured in pixels with a size of 1 to 50), if your cursor is just hovering near, even though an osnap point is highlighted then the line is drawn in the direction of the cursor.

[Squirltech]

Interesting. I wonder if his (so many jokes here) is so small that it's not registering and therefore not finding the snap that's intended. I'll have him give this a try and report back. Thank you!

[Squirltech]

No dice. Same result as before. *shrugs*

[eldon]

Possibly operator error. The right buttons not being pressed in the right order!!!!!

[steven-g]

Your description does point at user error, using distance entry will draw in the direction of the cursor NOT to the users idea of where it should draw, the OSNAP highlight is a separate function, each osnap point will highlight at some point when it is the closest point to your cursor (not when it is active), and you need to move the cursor close enough to an osnap so that the cursor snaps to that point (this is controlled by aperture) typing in a distance has to have the cursor locked onto that point and not just floating nearing a green osnap icon

[eldon]

Here is a picture showing the snap activated, the cursor off line, and the line drawn along the line, but to a length input on the keyboard.

 

 

[steven-g]

For me the lowest line is the existing line and the endpoint is highlighted, but the cursor is not located at that endpoint.

Entering a distance and pressing enter will draw the line to the cursor position and not to the 'highlighted' endpoint.

Even though the endpoint is highlighted the line is drawn in the direction of the cursor.

However with dynamic input turned off, the behaviour is different, then using keyboard entry for the distance will indeed draw in the direction of the highlighted snap. Could that be the reason for the different user experience.

 

[eldon]

Obviously dynamic input is an improvement.

 

It is much too simple to switch off Osnap.