Design Integration Laboratory

Architecture 222

Condensed Advanced PowerCADD

Special Keys

Shift Key

(For details, see "Uses of the Shift Key", PowerCADD manual, page 7-4.)

Shift Selection

Shift Constraints

Option Key

(For details, see "Uses of the Option Key", PowerCADD manual, page 7-2.)

Option on Tool

Option Duplicate

Option during Reshape

Option with the Rotate menu item

Object Snaps

(For details, see "Dynamic Snapping", PowerCADD manual, pages 2-15 to 2-24, and exrcises, pages 2-25 to 2-28.)

For accurately crafted drawings, use object snaps to place lines mathematically, not just by eye.

Activate these positional modifiers on the fly, just by holding down the appropriate letter key. The meanings of these keys are one of the few things in Macintosh computing worth simply memorizing:

G -- Snap to Grid
V -- Snap to Vertex
A -- Snap to Alignment (with various object vertices, as highlighted in use)
X -- Snap to Intersections
S -- Snap to Surface -- meaning, somewhere along an edge of the object
T -- Tangent, to a circle, ellipse, or arc
P -- Perpendicular
C -- Snap to Center -- With cursor on edge of object, snap goes to center of object
E -- Snap to Endpoint
% -- (really, the "5" key) -- Percentage of way along a line. Use 50% to snap to midpoint. Use Option-% to change the percentage.

Practice object snaps a lot on simple examples, until your hands start to get it and the snaps begin to make sense and feel okay. These functions make the different between computer-aided drawing and computer aided drafting.

Trimming Functions

Basic

Knife tool -- Fast and simple trimming. Note trimming lines along their length, and how this interacts with the object snaps.

Intermediate

Trim Intersections tool (note Option options)

Cut with Line menu item -- (cuts whatever objects the selected line is in front of).

Advanced -- Two-dimensional Boolean Operations

Merge tool (known as the Combine tool ) -- Doesn't use selection -- Drag from one object to another to merge them.

Remove tool -- Drag from one object to the other to remove overlap of front object from object behind.

And, use Option-Merge tool for Intersection operation -- keeps only the overlap of the objects.

Convert to Polygon menu item -- may be necessary for booleans to work on some object types.

Other Tips and Tricks

(For details, see PowerCADD manual, whole thing ; )

Using Guidelines

Laying Out a Complex Plan, or a Section from a Plan, Quickly
Use Parallel Offset tool... (manual p3-102 to 3-103 ) and relative coordinates

Location Bar -- Relative Coordinates, Length and Angle ... and Measure

Complex Poche-- Method One
Be sure to set the Convert to Lines accuracy to High, by using the Option key with the Convert to Lines menu item.
Use the Combine tool and the Clip tool (manual p3-104 to 3-106) to assemble and trim little simple pieces of the poche shape into big complex accurate pieces.

Complex Poche -- Method Two
If the outline of the poche area is drawn cleanly and accurately, so that the ends of each segment meet precisely (and don't overlap), then Method Two let's you poche a complex area quickly and efficiently. If the linework is not this clean, then Method Two will be very, very difficult.
To poche an area by method two, select one segment of the poche outline, then use the Select Adjoining menu command to select the rest of the segments of the outline. Then, use the Attach menu command to join the selected segments into one outline polygon. Finally, set the fill color and pattern for the polygon.

Posted 95.10.18 KMM, rev. 95.10.25

What else do you want to know? Friendly suggestions are appreciated. Send e-mail: matthews@artifice.com

Architecture 222 Foyer | Architecture Computing | U.O. Architecture Home Page | Index