AccuDraw window


Rectangular coordinate system


Polar coordinate system

Used to facilitate data point entry. Toggles open/closed when the AccuDraw icon on the Primary Tools tool box is clicked. Once opened, the AccuDraw window automatically takes the focus whenever dynamic update occurs with a drawing tool selected. The AccuDraw window is dockable.

An option in AccuDraw is to use polar coordinates. To shift from rectangular to polar coordinates, first check that focus is in the AccuDraw window, then press the <spacebar>. Repeated pressing of the <spacebar> toggles between rectangular and polar coordinates. Polar coordinates also can be set from the AccuDraw settings dialog box.

The fields in the AccuDraw window depend on the type of drawing plane coordinate system in effect:

Coordinates	Fields	Used to specify
Rectangular	X,Y, (Z in 3D)	Distances along the drawing plane axes
Polar	Distance, Angle	Distances and angles relative to the drawing plane origin

The coordinate type is set with a keyboard shortcut.

X (Rectangular coordinates only)

Sets the distance, in working units, along the drawing plane x-axis to locate the next data point. While the accompanying check box is on, the pending data point is locked, as indicated by dynamic update, to the specified distance. The check box automatically turns on when the value is entered.

Y (Rectangular coordinates only)

Sets the distance, in working units, along the drawing plane y-axis to locate the next data point. While the accompanying check box is on, the pending data point is locked, as indicated by dynamic update, to the specified distance. The check box automatically turns on when the value is entered.

Z (Rectangular coordinates, 3D only)

Sets the distance, in working units, along the drawing plane z-axis to locate the next data point. While the accompanying check box is on, the pending data point is locked, as indicated by dynamic update, to the specified distance. The check box automatically turns on when the value is entered.

Distance (Polar coordinates only)

Sets the distance, in working units, relative to the drawing plane origin to locate the next data point. While the accompanying check box is on, the pending data point is locked, as indicated by dynamic update, to the specified distance. The check box automatically turns on when the value is entered.

Angle (Polar coordinates only)

Sets the angle, in degrees, relative to the drawing plane origin to locate the next data point. While the accompanying check box is on, the pending data point is locked, as indicated by dynamic update, at the specified angle. The check box automatically turns on when the value is entered. Conventional angles are measured from the x axis.

Keyboard shortcuts

A pop-up indicator confirms single letter shortcuts below the focused input field. This function not only confirms the key-ins and illustrates which key is being pressed but also serves to communicate that the shortcut is received via AccuDraw's input fields.

Two letter shortcuts appear attached to the focused input field, and confirm the action through the temporary appearance of the shortcut dialog box. The pop-down list adjacent to the input field illustrates where the shortcut comes from so that you can “follow the action.”

The AccuDraw Shortcuts dialog box is resizable and dockable.

The following table lists keyboard shortcuts that affect AccuDraw's operation and their corresponding key-ins. These shortcuts are effective only while the AccuDraw window has the focus. For information about the effects of these shortcuts, see Complete List of AccuDraw Keyboard Shortcuts.

Key	Key-in
<Enter>	ACCUDRAW LOCK SMART
<Space>	ACCUDRAW MODE
<O>	ACCUDRAW SETORIGIN
<V>	ACCUDRAW ROTATE VIEW
<T>	ACCUDRAW ROTATE TOP
<F>	ACCUDRAW ROTATE FRONT
<S>	ACCUDRAW ROTATE SIDE
<B>	ACCUDRAW ROTATE BASE TOGGLE
<E>	ACCUDRAW ROTATE CYCLE
<X>	ACCUDRAW LOCK X
<Y>	ACCUDRAW LOCK Y
<Z>	ACCUDRAW LOCK Z
<D>	ACCUDRAW LOCK DISTANCE
<A>	ACCUDRAW LOCK ANGLE
<L>	ACCUDRAW LOCK INDEX
<RQ>,<Q>	ACCUDRAW ROTATE QUICK
<RA>,<A>	ACCUDRAW ROTATE ACS
<RX>,<X>	ACCUDRAW ROTATE X
<RY>,<Y>	ACCUDRAW ROTATE Y
<RZ>,<Z>	ACCUDRAW ROTATE Z
<?>	ACCUDRAW DIALOG SHORTCUTS
<~>,<K>	ACCUDRAW BUMP TOOLSETTING
<GT>,<T>	DIALOG TOOLSETTING
<GK>,<S>	DIALOG CMDBROWSE
<GS>,<S>	ACCUDRAW DIALOG SETTINGS
<U>,<S>	ACCUDRAW DIALOG SUSPENDACCUSNAP
<J>,<S>	ACCUDRAW DIALOG TOGGLEACCUSNAP
<GA>,<A>	ACCUDRAW DIALOG GETACS
<WA>,<A>	ACCUDRAW DIALOG SAVE ACS
<P>	POINT KEYIN SINGLE
<M>	POINT KEYIN MULTIPLE
<I>	SNAP INTERSECT
<N>	SNAP NEAREST
<C>	SNAP CENTER
<K>	ACCUDRAW DIALOG SNAPDIVISOR
<Q>	ACCUDRAW QUIT

Rotation-sensitive shortcut

The cycle rotation single shortcut goes between three main planes: top, front, and side (3D only). This also works when your original plane is an ACS or context rotation (you do not have to use RX, RY to rotate to a 90 degree plane). By default the shortcut is E.

Distance and angle fields shortcuts

Shortcuts D and A set the keyboard focus to the respective distance or angle fields (in addition to locking them). If a tentative point is active, it just locks the value without moving focus.

Bump shortcut

This shortcut bumps an item in the tool settings dialog box (shortcut is ~, usually right under the <Esc> key—there is no need to press the <Shift> key). It finds the first enabled item in the tool settings dialog box that is a toggle button or an option button, and either toggles it or bumps it to the next valid value. For instance, if you are drawing a smartline and the focus is in the AccuDraw window, you can just press the <~> key and it switches to arcs without moving the focus from the AccuDraw window. Key-in: accudraw bump toolsetting.

Tolerance shortcut

The More AccuDraw Settings dialog box has a setting for indexing tolerance. You can also set this with a key-in: ACCUDRAW SETTINGS INDEXTOL [num], where [num] is the number of pixels ranging from 1 to 100.

AccuDraw's compass

Compass animation when you rotate the drawing plane is approximately the same speed regardless of the speed of your machine.

Setting manipulation

Commands can be used to force the setting either on or off. For instance, for context sensitivity, key inACCUDRAW SETTINGS CONTEXTSENS ON. If you enter it without trailing ON or OFF, it still behaves as a toggle. (Note: the on/off option does not show up in the Key-in window.)

AccuDraw defaults

To set shortcuts back to the defaults, key in ACCUDRAW SHORTCUTS DEFAULT. Use the key-in ACCUDRAW SHORTCUTS READFILE to reread the shortcuts file.

Create, edit and delete shortcuts

Press <Delete> in any of the text fields in the AccuDraw window to edit the string or to delete a selection set.
If shortcut.txt file cannot be written or read, you get an error message.
You can delete a shortcut by highlighting it in the shortcuts dialog box and pressing <Delete>.
When you create a new shortcut, it follows the highlighted one, rather than moving to the end of the list.
When you create a new shortcut or edit an existing one, a message box appears informing you if the shortcut is a duplicate or conflicts with an existing one (for instance, F and FS). You can still create it if you want to (which is often convenient if you want to edit the other one later), but if you click No, it returns you to the Edit/New Shortcut dialog box.

Number of shortcuts

You can have up to 400 shortcuts.