How to Draw Lines in ArchiCAD

[toman311]

Usually when I draw a line the distance information I enter in through the keyboard is drawn in the direction I have my mouse relative to the initial point but somehow that has changed into entering information in the x and y coordinates instead of distance.

So, basically, when I draw a line I have to enter in the x-coordinate and the y-coordinate. I also have to type in a negative sign or not for direction. I don't know how this has changed from the standard of entering a number in for the distance, but I would like to change it.

Help,
toman

[Dontknow]

Have you tried the tab-key to cycle through the options, or hit the D-key to enter 'distance'?

[toman311]

The TAB key cycles through the different drawings options which include the X-axis distance and the Y-axis distance among others if the TAB key is pressed enough. I didn't have to do this before the settings changed to where I have to cycle through the options with the TAB key. I don't know how the settings got changed either.

The D command doesn't do anything that I have noticed.

[Dave Seabury]

Toman

grab the line tool and start to draw a line by placing one point, don't place the second point. instead right click the mouse and at the bottom of the pop
up menu, select "prefer polar coordinates in tracker". that should get you back to where you were before.

David

[toman311]

That's it! Thanks! Drawing was hard with those x,y coordinates!

[Dave Seabury]

Glad it helped.

David

[Steve Jepson]

you may also find the snap grid to be helpful and the Ruler. ?

[rob2218]

here's a question.................
Why is there even a "Line" command?
I mean. Pline will suffice with just about all the needs you could want.
And besides, if you do indeed draw "individual line segments" they merely end up getting lost, overlapped or worse yet, not noticed and you end up with "stray" single lines everywhere.............so why do we even need the LINE command?

[Steve Jepson]

rob2218 wrote:
here's a question.................
Why is there even a "Line" command?
I mean. Pline will suffice with just about all the needs you could want.
And besides, if you do indeed draw "individual line segments" they merely end up getting lost, overlapped or worse yet, not noticed and you end up with "stray" single lines everywhere.............so why do we even need the LINE command?

What Line Tool ? http://screencast.com/t/WyHczuHBVx8w

[rob2218]

I know Steve, you are an advocate of NOT having a "LINE" tool....I agree with ya on that one.
if you want to draw a LINE, heck then just use the PLINE and draw ONE single line....that's it!

the pline has so so much more functionality than the single, segmented lines......so I'm with ya there sir. 😉