Tracking and Setting Inference Points
While running a command you can set temporary points to which you can refer to later in command execution. This is useful in the construction process by setting inference points which relate to the geometry of other drawing entities.
Although you can set freely temporary points during a command execution (see first command sequence below), setting these reference points is applied practically in conjunction with Polar Tracking and EntitySnaps being active (see second command sequence).
To set temporary reference points:
- Run a command which requires point entry, such as the Line or PolyLine command.
- When being prompted to specify a point,
- Type tt and press Enter.
- Type rp and press Enter.
- - or -
- Right-click and select ESnap Overrides > Inference point from the context menu.
- Specify a temporary point.
- A node is inserted on the DEFPOINT layer.
- If necessary, repeat step 2 and 3 to set more temporary points.
- While continuing drafting, snap to temporary points using the ESnap option Node.
When you execute another command, temporary points set in the previous command are deleted automatically.
To set temporary inference points applying tracking and entity snaps:
- Make sure ESnap is on.
- Clicking ESnap in the status bar or pressing the F2 key toggles running EntitySnaps on and off.
- Clicking ESnap in the status bar or pressing the Fn + F2 key toggles running EntitySnaps on and off.
- Make sure some running EntitySnap modes are set, among them the Node mode.
Right-click ESnap in the status bar, select Settings from the pop-up menu, and set EntitySnap modes in the Options - User Preferences dialog box.
- Make sure Polar Tracking and/or Entity Tracking is on.
- Clicking Polar in the status bar or pressing the F10 key toggles polar tracking on and off.
- Clicking Polar in the status bar or pressing the Fn + F10 key toggles polar tracking on and off.
- Clicking ETrack in the status bar or pressing the F11 key toggles entity tracking on and off.
- Clicking ETrack in the status bar or pressing the Fn + F11 key toggles entity tracking on and off.
- Run a command which requires point entry, such as the Line or PolyLine command.
- When being prompted to specify a point,
- Type tt and press Enter.
- Type rp and press Enter.
- - or -
- Right-click and select ESnap Overrides > Inference point from the context menu.
- Move the cursor over a significant point of an entity to which a running ESnap could be applied.
Move the cursor to the left or right (or up or down) until the tracking guide appears.
Move the cursor over another significant point of an entity to which a running ESnap could be applied.
Move the cursor up or down (or to the left or right) until the tracking guide appears.
Move the cursor near the virtual intersection of the previously detected tracking guides until the crossing tracking guides appear.
- Click to set the temporary reference point at that intersection.
The node is inserted on the DEFPOINT layer.
- If necessary, repeat step 5 and 7 to set more temporary points.
- While continuing drafting, snap to the temporary reference points you have set using the EntitySnap option Node.
Activate the ESnap option Node permanently when you want to apply inference points within a command.
Command Option: tt
Command Option: rp
Context Menu: ESnap Overrides > Inference point