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Anchor Point

Anchor Point

Anchor Point

Menu:

Draw Anchor Point

Shortcut Key:  

A

Toolbar Icon:

 

The Anchor Point is an extremely useful tool to assist you in determining the correct angle and distance to draft or move objects on the design screen.  The DX, DY, Angle and Distance from the Anchor Point in relation to the mouse cursor location are shown in the Status Bar at the bottom of the design screen.  When drawing objects on the screen such as a Line, the Anchor Point will move to the last point set on the design screen.  You can reposition the Anchor Point location without drawing or moving objects.  The current Anchor Point location is depicted on the screen as an orange colored plus sign ().

To set the Anchor Point location:

  1. Start a command such as the Curve command and click one time on the design screen with the left mouse button.  The Anchor Point will move to the location of the mouse click on the design screen.

  2. Drag the cursor away from the Anchor Point location and read the angle and distance in the Status Bar at the bottom of the screen.


    Distance and angle from the current Anchor Point location

To move the Anchor Point without drawing on the screen:

  1. Press the A key on the keyboard and click on a new location on the design screen.  The Anchor Point will move to the new location.  

    You can move the Anchor Point to a new location while in a drafting command.  For example, suppose you need to draw a line that is 10' off the back right corner of a house and 8' off the front right corner of the house.

    1. Start the Line command from the toolbar icon or the Draw menu.
    2. Press the A key and click on the back corner of the house.
    3. Drag the mouse out from the house until the Distance measurement in the Status Bar reads 10'.
    4. Click one time with the left mouse button to begin drawing the line.
    5. Press the A key again to move the Anchor Point to the front corner of the house.
    6. Click one time with the left mouse button on the front corner of the house to set the new Anchor Point location.
    7. Drag the mouse out from the house until the Distance in the Status Bar reads 8'.
    8. Click one time with the left mouse button and press the Enter key to end the line segment.

Note:

  • If you are moving a grip on an entity, the Anchor Point will temporarily move to the grip location so you can see the angle and distance measurements while moving the grip handle.  Once the process of moving the grip is complete, the Anchor Point will return to its previous position.

  • You can temporarily turn off the Anchor Point by pressing the Shift + A keys on the keyboard.  The icon will change when the Anchor Point is turned off.

  • You can adjust the size of the Anchor Point in the Options command on the General tab.

 

 

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