Tutorials CadCraft help Reference
Coordinate and distance entry
Every way to type a point, a distance, an angle or a number at the CadCraft command line, with examples.
Written for CadCraft 0.3. The same help is inside the app: press F1.
Points
When the prompt asks for a point, type one of these and press ReturnEnter:
| You type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
x,y | Absolute: measured from the origin 0,0 | 2500,1200 |
#x,y | Also absolute (accepted for habit) | #2500,1200 |
@dx,dy | Relative: across and up from the last point | @600,0 |
@d<a | Relative polar: distance and angle from the last point | @1500<45 |
d<a | Absolute polar: distance and angle from the origin | 3000<90 |
| a single number | Direct distance: that far from the base point, toward the crosshair | 1200 |
Or click in the drawing; object snaps and Ortho apply to clicks.
Rules:
- A comma separates X from Y. Decimals use a period:
1250.75,300. - Negative values go left and down:
@-600,0. - Do not type spaces: SpaceSpace sends the line, like ReturnEnter.
- Numbers may use exponents:
1e3is 1000. - No units are typed, and no feet-and-inch notation. Type plain numbers in drawing units.
The last point
@ counts from the last point you gave at any point prompt, in any command: a click, a snap or a typed point. It is remembered between commands, so you can start a new line @0,500 away from where the last one ended. Before you have given any point, @ counts from 0,0.
Some places where this matters:
- In
COPY, after the first copy the last point is that copy's point.@600,0twice places copies 600 and 1200 from the original. - After you place a dimension, the last point is where you placed the dimension line, not the dimension's end.
When in doubt, use an absolute point, a snap, or a direct distance.
Direct distance entry
A bare number is a distance from the command's base point (the point the rubber band starts from) toward the crosshair:
- Move the crosshair in the direction you want.
- Type the distance and press ReturnEnter.
With Ortho on, the direction snaps to straight across or straight up and down, which makes this the fastest way to draw square walls. If there is no base point, or the crosshair sits exactly on it, the number is refused with "Point or option keyword required."
Angles
- In degrees, as a plain number:
30,-45,112.5. - Measured counterclockwise from the positive X direction (pointing right): 0 is right, 90 up, 180 left, 270 or -90 down.
- Where an angle is asked for (rotation, text angle), you can also click: the angle is measured from the base point to the click. Before a base point exists, the first click sets it and the prompt asks for a second point.
Distances
Where a distance is asked for (radius, offset, text height, scale factor):
- type a positive number, or
- click a point: the distance from the command's base point to it, or
- click two points when there is no base point: the prompt changes to
Specify second point.
"Requires a positive number or two points." means the value was not a number, or was negative.
Options and defaults
- Options appear in square brackets. Type the capital letters of an option (
Dfor[Diameter],CLforCLose) and press ReturnEnter. Longer beginnings of the word also work (DIA). - A default appears in angle brackets, such as
<500>. Press ReturnEnter or right-click to use it.
The coordinate display
The status bar shows the crosshair's X and Y, after snaps and Ortho. While a command has a base point it adds Δ with the distance and angle from that point, for example Δ 1500 < 30°: the numbers you would type as @1500<30.
Use ID to print a point's coordinates and DIST to measure between two points.