In this article, we'll take an in-depth look at two essential tools for guiding your drawings with precision in LusoCAD: Polar Tracking and Orthogonal Mode.
Polar Tracking: Drawing with Angular Increments
Polar Tracking is an incredibly useful function that allows you to draw lines at precise angles, especially when working with specific angular increments.
Polar Tracking Activation and Configuration
- Activate Polar Tracking: Find and activate the "Polar Tracking" icon in the toolbar.
- Select Increments: Right-click on the Polar Tracking icon to see a list of predefined degree increments (e.g. 45, 30, 15 degrees). Choose the one that suits your drawing.
How it works
Once activated and configured with an increment, a green guide line will automatically appear each time your cursor passes through an angle that is a multiple of the selected increment. This greatly simplifies the drawing process, as you don't have to worry about hitting the exact angle with the mouse.
Add Additional and Unique Angles
If your drawing requires an angle that isn't in the predefined increments, you can add unique angles:
- Access Configuration: Return to the Polar Tracking configuration.
- Add Angles: Look for the section to add additional single angles. Please note that these are individual angles; LusoCAD will not automatically create increments of that angle. For example, if you need an angle of 158 degrees, you can add it directly.
- Visualise the Guide Line: Once added, a green guide line will appear for that specific angle when you need it.
Polar Tracking Advanced Options
Within the Polar Tracking configuration, you'll find other options for fine-tuning your workflow:
Polar Tracking Only Orthogonal: This option limits Polar Tracking to 90 degree angles, similar to orthogonal mode but within the context of Polar Tracking.
Polar angle parameters: It applies the Polar Tracking setting to object reference tracing, which allows your object references to also align with your polar angles.
Absolute or Relative Measurement: You can choose whether the polar angle is measured absolutely (from the origin) or relative to the last segment drawn. Relative measurement is useful when you need the angles to adjust from the end point of each line.
Orthogonal Mode: 90 Degree Restriction
If your design only requires perfectly horizontal or vertical lines, orthogonal mode is your best ally.
Activating Orthogonal Mode
Simply activate the "Orthogonal Mode" icon in the toolbar.
Difference with Polar Tracking
Unlike Polar Tracking, orthogonal mode restricts drawing strictly to 90 degree angles. It won't allow you to select any other angle, which makes it ideal for rectilinear geometries.
Polar Tracking and orthogonal mode are powerful tools in LusoCAD that will allow you to design with greater precision and efficiency. By mastering these functions, you'll reduce the effort needed to create complex geometries and concentrate more on design.
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