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usage:howto [2019/06/11 20:08] – Image insertions fa201 | usage: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: |
====== How to ====== | ====== How to ====== | ||
- | This section describes how to perform some tasks which are not covered by the //User Manual// | + | This section describes how to perform some tasks in addition to //User Manual// |
+ | The content is the following: | ||
+ | * [[usage: | ||
+ | * [[usage: | ||
+ | * [[usage: | ||
+ | * [[usage: | ||
+ | * [[usage: | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
===== 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: | - Go to drawing B window, click on //Paste// icon or press CTRL+V and define a reference point. That's it !{{usage: | ||
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: | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Step 1: create a block ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | You can refer to the [[https:// | ||
+ | - 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: | ||
+ | - Name this block // | ||
+ | |||
+ | 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 // | ||
+ | - 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 // | ||
+ | |||
+ | - 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 // | ||
+ | - Create your library folder, here /// | ||
+ | - I want to have a sub-folder for the special parts named //Special// so I create it and move the file // | ||
+ | - Copy the path to the top folder of the library so /// | ||
+ | - In LibreCAD, go to the menu // | ||
+ | - 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 // | ||
+ | - 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:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | 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 " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The lines and circle will be perfectly tangent, for instance the " | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{usage: | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== 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: | ||
+ | |||
+ | 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:\\ {{: | ||
+ | |||
+ | To adapt the Drawing Preferences to inches: | ||
+ | |||
+ | - Set Main Units:\\ {{: | ||
+ | - 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.\\ {{: | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== How to ' | ||
+ | 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 '' | ||
+ | |||
+ | **Step-by-step example:** | ||
+ | - draw a circle, centred on a grid point :: '' | ||
+ | - draw two lines, from centre to perimeter, to define a segment :: '' | ||
+ | - divide the circle at the two lines, to create an arc (two, actually) :: '' | ||
+ | - select the arc to find its length in the status bar | ||
+ | - create an angular dimension annotation between the two lines :: '' | ||
+ | - edit the dimension properties, defining a new label with the length of the arc :: '' | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | |||
+ | **Hint:** in addition to '' | ||