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usage:howto [2019/06/11 20:08] – Image insertions fa201usage:howto [2020/09/08 21:49] (current) – [How to 'fake' a circular dimension...] jack_sprat
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-**This section is under work** +[[usage:howto|How to]]
 ====== How to ====== ====== How to ======
  
-This section describes how to perform some tasks which are not covered by the //User Manual// nor by the //User Guides//.+This section describes how to perform some tasks in addition to //User Manual// and //User Guides//. 
 +The content is the following: 
 +  * [[usage:howto#How to copy entities from drawing A to drawing B?|How to copy entities from drawing A to drawing B?]] 
 +  * [[usage:howto#How to create standard blocks to be re-used ?|How to create standard blocks to be re-used ?]] 
 +  * [[usage:howto#How to add radius circle tangent to two lines ?|How to add radius circle tangent to two lines ?]] 
 +  * [[usage:howto#How to convert from mm to inches ?|How to convert from mm to inches ?]] 
 +  * [[usage:howto#How to fake a circular dimension|How to fake a circular dimension]] 
 + 
 +---- 
  
 ===== How to copy entities from drawing A to drawing B? ===== ===== How to copy entities from drawing A to drawing B? =====
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   - Go to drawing B window, click on //Paste// icon or press CTRL+V and define a reference point. That's it !{{usage:how-to:drawing_b_after_copy.png|Drawing B after pasting the rectangles}}   - Go to drawing B window, click on //Paste// icon or press CTRL+V and define a reference point. That's it !{{usage:how-to:drawing_b_after_copy.png|Drawing B after pasting the rectangles}}
 Note that LibreCAD moved the green rectangles of layer 2 in drawing A to the same layer2 in drawing B : so the green rectangles and circles now have the same layer. Note that LibreCAD moved the green rectangles of layer 2 in drawing A to the same layer2 in drawing B : so the green rectangles and circles now have the same layer.
 +
 +===== How to create standard blocks to be re-used ? =====
 +
 +When drafting, one often needs to re-use /several times the same part/: it can be a door for architectural design or a bolt for mechanical design. Even though one can copy and paste the part, it is not efficient. A more efficient way is to use a **library of blocks** which is at hand when you draft in LibreCAD.
 +
 +Let's say, we want to create a special part as shown below. Note that there are 2 layers, one for the part (yellow) and one for its axis (red). {{usage:how-to:special_part.png|Special part}}
 +
 +==== Step 1: create a block ====
 +
 +You can refer to the [[https://librecad.readthedocs.io/en/latest/guides/blocks.html#blocks|bloc section in the user manual]] for supplementary information.
 +  - Select all the features needed for the block (everything in our example). 
 +  - In the //Block list// dock menu, click on //Create a block// button
 +  - Select a reference point for insertion as shown.{{usage:how-to:special_part_ref_pt.png|Block insertion point}}.
 +  - Name this block //Special_part//. You should get the following: {{usage:how-to:special_part_block.png|Special part}}
 +
 +Now, we can insert this block as many times as we want in the current drawing at different locations with different orientations and scales.
 +
 +If we want to use this block in another drawing, there are 2 options:
 +  - Save the block as a DXF file: in the //Block list// dock menu, select the block and click on //Save the active block to a file//. Then, in you next drawing you can import if through the menu //File/Import/Block//.
 +  - Make this block readily usable by adding it in **your LOCAL library of blocks**.
 +
 +==== Step 2: create your local library of blocks ====
 +
 +Just after creating the block in the current drawing, we need to make this block available for other drawings. The example below in based on a Linux system but the process is the same for MS-Windows system except for the path name usually in the form of //c:\users\fabrice\bureau\//.
 +
 +  - Save the block as a DXF file: in the //Block list// dock menu, select the block and click on //Save the active block to a file//. The name of the saved file is //special_part.dxf//. Then, in you next drawing you can import if through the menu //File/Import/Block//. You can save the file at any location on your disk.
 +  - Create your library folder, here ///home/fabrice/Bureau/My_library///. The  folder //My_library// will hold all my library parts.
 +  - I want to have a sub-folder for the special parts named //Special// so I create it and move the file //special_part.dxf// into the //Special// folder.
 +  - Copy the path to the top folder of the library so ///home/fabrice/Bureau/My_library///. **Be careful not to select any sub-folders**.
 +  - In LibreCAD, go to the menu //Options/Application preferences//. Then select the //Paths// tab and paste the copied path in the field //Part libraries// as shown. {{usage:how-to:library_path.png|My library path declaration}}
 +  - Activation the new library path: on latest LibreCAD version, you can go to the //Library browser// dock window and click on //Rebuild// button. If this button is not available then you have to quit LibreCAD and relaunch it. Then you should see the //Special// folder in the //Library browser// tree.
 +  - Click on the //Special// folder to view its content: the //special_part.dxf// is available with a miniature picture. {{usage:how-to:library.png|My library with the Special folder and the special_part}}
 +  - Finally, you can insert this block in any drawing by selecting this block and clicking on //Insert// button.
 +  - Optionally, you can modify the block: look at the [[https://librecad.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ref/toolbars.html#other-toolbars|tool option]] bar, where you can set a [[https://librecad.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ref/toolbars.html#from-block-library|scale factor and rotation angle]] **before the block is inserted**.
 +
 +Note that other folders are also visible: these are coming by **standard** with the installation of LibreCAD. Your library will be **added** to the standard library. This way, **your library is not deleted when uninstalling LibreCAD** from your system.
 +
 +===== How to add radius circle tangent to two lines ? =====
 +
 +  - draw two crossing lines
 +  - create a construction layer
 +  - On the construction layer, draw a fillet with the required radius (shown dashed in image so visible)
 +  - On the drawing layer, draw a circle with the "centre, point" tool, using the centre of the fillet and its radius
 +
 +The lines and circle will be perfectly tangent, for instance the "trim" will work on both lines.
 +
 +{{usage:given_radius_cicle_tangent_to_two_crossing_lines.png|How to add radius circle tangent to two lines}}
 +
 +===== How to convert from mm to inches ? ===== 
 +
 +Let's assume General Scale is set to 1.
 +This is for an intended print scale of 1:1.  
 +
 +Then to scale from mm to inches: 
 +
 +  - Select all, by command (Tools - Select - Select All), or by pulling up a window around it.
 +  - Scale (Tools - Modify - Scale)
 +  - Specify reference point, normally best 0,0. Enter.
 +  - In the Scaling Options:\\ {{:usage:scaleopts.png}}
 +
 +To adapt the Drawing Preferences to inches: 
 +
 +  - Set Main Units:\\ {{:usage:mainunits.png}}
 +  - Adapt Dimensions. You could do it with General Scale 1/25.4, but better let it at 1 for possible later print scaling and change the size values individually. You can later use these settings for all your inches drawings.\\ {{:usage:drawprefs.png}}\\ And save it under a new name of course.
 +
 +===== How to 'fake' a circular dimension... =====
 +There isn't a circular dimension tool for annotating arcs, but we can use one of the existing dimension tools, and then manually edit the label.
 +
 +This really only works convincingly on segments of circles, although the approach could be applied to a continuous string of line entities, at a push, maybe with the ''Dimension: Aligned'' tool.
 +
 +**Step-by-step example:**
 +  - draw a circle, centred on a grid point :: ''Circle: Centre, Point'' tool
 +  - draw two lines, from centre to perimeter, to define a segment :: ''Line: 2 Points'' tool
 +  - divide the circle at the two lines, to create an arc (two, actually) :: ''Modify: Divide'' tool
 +  - select the arc to find its length in the status bar
 +  - create an angular dimension annotation between the two lines :: ''Dimension: Angular'' tool
 +  - edit the dimension properties, defining a new label with the length of the arc :: ''Modify: Properties'' tool
 +
 +{{ :usage:lc_circulardimension.png?650 }}
 +
 +**Hint:** in addition to ''Snap: Centre'', you can find the centre of an arc with the ''Dimension: Radial'' tool; you can then use two radial dimensions as temporary construction lines from which to create the angular dimension.
  
usage/howto.1560283734.txt.gz · Last modified: 2019/06/11 20:08 by fa201

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