Offset Tool like Autocad

[archislave]

This is the one command I miss most about Autocad. If you don't know what I am talking about then next time you are able to access autocad the select a line, polyline, or polygon and press offset. See how simple it is and can be repeated over and over!

[Jere]

Keith wrote:

TomWaltz wrote:
Yes,you would repeat steps 1-7, just as you would have to repeat steps 1-14 in Autocad.

No, in Autocad you would only repeat steps 5 & 6 (just 2 clicks). I suggest you guys get hold of a copy of Autocad and try it. You may be astounded!

Keith

True, but that's only if you want to offset the same distance as the previous line. I've used both ArchiCAD and AutoCAD and admit that a combination of the two would be the best. Overall, ArchiCAD's is much better.

In the end we're talking about saving perhaps seconds per day. So is the argument really worth it?

[Dennis Lee]

Actually, if you try to use ArchiCAD just like you use AutoCAD, then it will probably be more like a few hours a day, because in 2D AutoCAD, probably half of all commands are offset. The other half would be copy, move, trim chamfer, etc...

Therefore, I think it's pointless trying to prove that AutoCAD offset is better than ArchiCAD offset. So far, in ArchiCAD, I don't have to do nearly as much offset as I used to in AutoCAD.

If however, you insist in using ArchiCAD just like how you use AutoCAD, then I can see why there are so many complaints and frustrations...

[Anonymous]

I also find the ArchiCAD offset tool generally superior to AutoCAD. Since most of the things offset is used for in AutoCAD are drawn automatically in ArchiCAD I don't use it very often. There are many minor improvements that I would like to see before any further tweaks to the offset tool.

[Anonymous]

Keith wrote:
And presumably if you want to offset from a second element then you have to repeat all the steps 1 thru 7.

It is true if you want to start all over again from the new offsetted element.
If I want to offset a line at 5 cm from the original one, and then offset anoter line at 10 cm from the second one, I work this way:
in Repetitive offset mode - drag to show the direction, type 5, press Enter, type 15, press Enter, press Esc. Yes, you have to add the numbers in your head, but it is not such a big deal!

Keith wrote:
I didn't know about the 'O' shortcut key. It doesn't appear to do anything unless you have the 'Control Box' showing. (Not very user friendly!)

Shortcuts works regardless of the Control box state - showing or not. You just have to assign it!

[Anonymous]

Kliment

You can do that in Autocad too, using Offset> T (for Through, instead of a number) and input the dimension for each offset.

Not that I'm ever going back there....

[Anonymous]

Thank you, Stuart! I didn't know this! I'll tell it to my ACAD-user-friends!
I am not going back to Command Line neither!

[Anonymous]

As a former AutoCAD user, I do find the offset tool frustrating in ArchiCAD -probably the most frustrating thing to me. Although my firm is trying to catch up to drawing in 3d, we often still do need to draw some 2d objects as well. That's my 2 cents.

[Eduardo Rolon]

Jill wrote:
As a former AutoCAD user, I do find the offset tool frustrating in ArchiCAD -probably the most frustrating thing to me. Although my firm is trying to catch up to drawing in 3d, we often still do need to draw some 2d objects as well. That's my 2 cents.

and I find the French language extremely frustrating, they should learn proper Spanish.

Learn to embrace the light side the annoyance will disappear in due time...

[Anonymous]

I appreciate the humor, and not to sound overly sensitive...but if there is a way to improve a tool, why not do it? And the over 13,000 views of this topic demonstrate it's a valid point.

I switched to ArchiCAD about year and a half ago, and still find the offset tool cumbersome. It seems to me that the point of view of previous AutoCAD users is not being given fair consideration.

[Laura Yanoviak]

Jill wrote:
I appreciate the humor, and not to sound overly sensitive...but if there is a way to improve a tool, why not do it? And the over 13,000 views of this topic demonstrate it's a valid point.

True, but the poll results are very telling as well. I think that most AC users' point of view is that "different" does not mean that it's "not as good."

I was an ACAD user for over 10 years, the offset tool was tricky at first, but once I adapted, I found it just as useful (however, I now RARELY (ie. almost never) use it).