This tool is one of the most useful and under-utilized tools in TurboCAD's arsenal. The Help Article for this tool is complete and accurate. However, the way it is written may not reveal the tool's true nature. The tool is easy to use and reliable. Taking advantage of this tool can greatly reduce the need for view and workplane manipulation.
The tool operates by moving a source plane (defined by three source points) so that it is coincident with the destination plane (defined by three destination points). The origin of each plane is defined by the first point pair. A line on each plane is defined by the second point pair in conjunction with the first point pair (Source Point 1 to Source Point 2 and Destination Point 1 to Destination Point 2). The third point pair finishes the definition of the two planes. After the source plane is moved, the first point pair will be Common (one and the same), the first point pair and second point pair will lie on a common line, and all six points will lie on a common plane.
Using the tool:
- The first Source and Destination points "lock" those points together. No matter how additional points are specified, these two points remain in contact. If no further points are specified (Local Menu, "Finish"), this acts as a straight vector move and the source object's orientation is not changed.
- When a second set of points is specified, the second destination creates a vector from the first destination. The second source point is placed on the vector. The separation between the first two source points remains unchanged. If no further points are specified (Local Menu, "Finish"), the object retains its original rotation about this vector.
- When a third set of points is specified, another vector is created to set the rotation about the first vector.
Note: all points must be selected with snaps or SEKEs. Any snappable feature is suitable.
So, when using the tool, think "Common point", "Common line", and "Common plane".
Changing an Object's Coordinate System: (Winston Mitchell)
Sometimes it is necessary or desirable to change the orientation of an object's Coordinate System (Entity CS). Here are two similar methods.
- Small-box method:
- Select or create a workplane with the desired orientation of the entity's CS.
- Create a new 3D Box, small enough and positioned so that it is totally enclosed within the object.
- Boolean Add the object and the new 3D box by clicking the object first and the 3D Box second.
- Large-box method:
- Select or create a workplane with the desired orientation of the entity's CS.
- Create a new 3D Box, large enough and positioned so that it totally encloses the object.
- Boolean Intersect the object and the new 3D box by clicking the object first and the 3D Box second.
Whichever method you choose, the object's CS will now be aligned with the chosen or created workplane and will have all of it's original properties (layer assignment, pen color, material, etc.)
Counting Parts: (Winston Mitchell)
If you need to count parts in your drawing select the items of interest by any convenient means and turn on the "Selection Info" palette. If you have more than one entity selected, the lower-left corner of the palette will display "number of total selected". Number is the number of entities in your selection and total is the number of items in your drawing including lights.
- Some specifics:
- There will be no display if only one entity is selected.
- A group is counted as one entity.
- A block insertion is counted as one entity
- When editing group or block content, total equals the total number of entities in that group or block.
CurveLab Scripting Errors: (Winston Mitchell)
If you encounter Scripting errors when typing in the CurveLab script window, you should be able to fix it by disabling two one-line subroutines that call the problem subroutine in the C&urveLab.htm file in TurboCAD's VBScript directory.
Here's how:
- Open C&urveLab.htm in a text editor and search for the word "translate".
- Type an apostrophe at the beginning of the line (this comments out the line and disables it).
- Do the same in the next subroutine.
The result of your edit should look like this:
Sub StText_onkeydown ' TranslateAccelerators(StText.event) End Sub Sub Document_onkeydown ' TranslateAccelerators(window.event) End Sub
If this solves your problem, thanks should go to TurboCAD forum contributor Joe Hren for solving this problem.
There may be several reasons that you can't delete an apparently empty layer. The usual one is that the layer's presence is required for the undo buffer to work properly. The solution is to clear the buffer.
There are a least two ways to do this. You can save the drawing, close it, and then re-open it; or, you can create a simple block and then remove it.
If you still can't delete the layer then there is probably some part of a group, block, or symbol assigned to it.
Although the text mode functions (Standard, Flexible, and Scalable) are not available in a Dimension tool's property dialog, you can set them with the Text Properties toolbar.
A lot of the content of this toolbar already exists in the Property toolbar and so turning it on wastes a lot of screen real estate. You can greatly reduce the loss of screen real estate by customizing the Property toolbar, incorporating the text-mode buttons in the Text Properties toolbar as a fly-out in the Property toolbar.
There seems to be some confusion about the internal dimensions of a dimension. Hopefully the image below will help to make the meanings of dimension settings more clear.
If an extrusion tool fails to respond when you click on an object to use as an extrusion path, you have probably picked an arc, elliptical arc, bezier, spline, or a polyline containing one of these objects. The first thing to remember is that, in v6.x & v7.x, extrusion paths can only be straight lines or polylines composed only of straight lines. The solution is to select the path and explode it enough times to reduce it to a collection of straight lines and then join them with the Join Polyline tool. Except for polylines composed of arcs and straight lines, one explosion is usually sufficient. Polylines with arcs and straight lines require three explosions before rejoining. To facilitate exploding, I suggest assigning a keyboard key to the Format|Explode function.
v8 does allow extruding on paths that contain arcs. However, the results may or may not be satisfactory. The problem usually occurs when the first segment of the path is an arc. This can be fixed by ensuring that the path begins with a short straight-line segment. If this is not wanted in the final extrusion, it is easily removed with the 3D Slice tool or the 3D Subtract tool.
Sometimes, when constructing a path for an extrusion, exploding small-angle arcs will not yield enough segments to produce the desired smoothness of curvature. Instead of just exploding the arc, you can divide the arc into as many segments as you wish, explode them, and then join them. This is how:
- Select the arc.
- In the local menu (right-click on drawing surface), select "Edit Node".
- In the local menu (right-click again), select "Arc Divide..." and enter the number of segments you want in the pop-up dialog.
- Explode the result.
- Join Polyline.
If you node edit the result you should find the number of segments that you input in step 3.
If you want to make solid, semi-transparent, or translucent objects that glow because of an internal light source (a lampshade for instance), over-drive the object's ambient response by setting the "Ambient" setting in the "Reflectance" tab of the Materials Editor to a value greater then 100. Start with a value of 400 and adjust to your taste.
Here is a way to speed up the process of adjusting grid density with a keyboard customization that is both intuitive and easy to remember.
Assign the "/" and "*" keys on your keyboard's NumPad to "WorkspaceGridDivide" and "WorkspaceGridMultiple". Try it, you'll like it!
You have a virtually unlimited number of layers at your disposal. TurboCAD asks for only one. That happens to be Layer Zero. Don't turn it off. This layer is used for all sorts of things to numerous to list here. Turning off layer zero will inevitably lead to problems, some obvious, some very obscure. Leave it on or suffer.
If you install a macro and it won't run, try uninstalling it and reinstalling it using a different project name.
There is an obsure bug in TurboCAD's VBA system. During macro installation, if you happen to choose a project name that is the same as the macro's main subroutine, it won't execute. Usually, this is not a problem because the main subroutine's name is not known to the user prior to installing. However, the user might remember the name on subsequent installs and attempt to use it.
You can easily check for this by examining the Drawing Macros dialog.
When giving a material a name, keep in mind that there is a restriction on the length of the name. The restriction isn't obvious.
The total of the lengths of the material's name and the name of its category must be twenty-nine (29) characters or less. Also, you can't use a comma in the category name because a comma is used internally to separate the category name from the material name in the propin.dat file.
Copying data in an Excel spreadsheet and pasting it into a 3D Mesh is easy if you follow these steps:
- The size of the mesh should be the same size and aspect ratio as the Excel data. In other words, the number or rows should be the same in each as well as the number of columns.
If the Excel data has Y position in the first column and X position information in the first row and you want to include it in the copy, then do so. When you paste the information into the mesh, select the upper-left corner of the input dialog and select all of the cells with the Shift button and arrow keys, paste in the data ([Ctrl]-V) and then click Ok. The mesh will move to the X and Y location specified by the Excel data.
Selected and copied Excel data:
Selected 3D Mesh cells before paste:
If you want to transfer only the Excel Z data cells then copy just those cells. When you paste the data into the mesh, select the upper-left corner of the yellow cells and select the remaining yellow data cells with the Shift button and arrow keys before pasting and clicking the Ok button. The mesh will remain in its current location and maintain its size.
Selected and copied Excel data:
Selected 3D Mesh cells before paste:
This is how perspective degree settings relate to the focal length of 35mm camera lenses. If you want to simulate the view you would get with a lens of a particular focal length use this table of common focal lengths (mm):
| 35 mm Camera Focal Length (mm) |
Perspective Angle (deg) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 77.3 | |
| 17 | 70.4 | (Eye Setting) |
| 18 | 67.4 | |
| 21 | 59.5 | |
| 24 | 53.1 | |
| 28 | 46.4 | |
| 35 | 37.9 | |
| 50 | 27.0 | |
| 85 | 16.1 | |
| 105 | 13.0 | |
| 135 | 10.2 | |
| 200 | 6.9 | |
| 240 | 5.7 | (minimum setting) |
Note: If these values look different from others you may have seen it is because the angle of view for camera lenses is typically given across the diagonal of the film plane. The difference arises because TurboCAD's viewing angle is for the vertical dimension of the image.
If you can't see the rulers at the top and left margins of the drawing window, do the following:
- Make sure that "Rulers" has a check mark in the Workspace menu
- Pick one of the orthogonal views (Front, Back, Top, Bottom, Left, or Right)
- Set the workplane to "Plane by Active View" on the WorkPlane toolbar or clicking "By View" in the Workspace/WorkPlane menu
If you ever see the error message "Object extents are invalid. Object(s) will be deselected!", your file is headed for trouble. The error can cause strange behavior: tools that don't work right (sometimes), weird renders, and slow and/or erratic program operation. It comes about by accidentally creating an invalid object (one that can't be selected and is also invisible).
v8 or later users please Note: The errors that cause this problem are trapped in v8 and no longer seem to be a problem. The only time the above message appears is when you turn off a layer when one or more objects on that layer are selected.
One of many ways of creating these is to intersect two 3D objects that don't intersect. If you do this, the operation will complete normally with the original objects disappearing and no indication that anything has gone wrong.
If you catch it in time, you can back out of it with the "Undo" command. To check a file for the presence of one of these, lean on the F6 or F7 keys long enough for every entity to be selected once. Do not use the shift key. Select All ([Ctrl]-a) will usually not reveal it.
If you find one, you can recover by turning on all layers and copying the complete contents of your drawing to a new one. Usually, the "Silent Killer" will be left behind. It's a good idea to check the new file again. I have seen the invalid object survive the transfer. If it does, you will have to isolate it with the F6 and F7 keys and selectively copy with Shift-F6 and Shift-F7.
Are your Property Toolbar's Fields feeling a little cramped? You can resize them! Here's how.
From the Menu bar click [Tools, Customize...] and then click on "Tools" in the left window. Next, click on the field you want to change and resize it by dragging its right border with the mouse. Don't forget to save your new settings!
The image to the right is a classic orthogonal view of a perfect (x = y = z) cube. The problem is how to snap to the front vertex instead of the rear vertex or visa-versa?
The way you do it is thus: To snap to the front vertex, click on the line marked by the blue dot at the blue dot's location. To snap to the rear vertex, click on the line marked by the red dot at the red dot's location.
This works because when you vertex-snap (or SEKE) on a line, the snap will occur at the nearest end point (node) of that line.
A little experimenting is in order here. Draw a perfect cube, select an isometric view, enable only the Vertex snap, turn on "Show Magnetic Point", and enable "Show snap aperture" (Preferences section of the Program Setup dialog). Now move the mouse around the cube. Notice that anytime the snap aperture intersects an edge of the cube the magnetic point is at the nearest corner of the cube. You may find this little experiment instructive for other snaps as well.
To verify that this works, vertex-snap a 3D Polyline to the dot locations shown above. Now rotate the view slightly and see that the 3D Polyline does indeed connect the front and rear corners of the cube as shown by the coral colored line in the image to the left.
In summary, for vertex-snaps or SEKEs to work, it is only necessary that a line be within the mouse's snap aperture, not the vertex itself. This is also true for mid-point snaps.
This tip is about how choosing a faceting mode can affect snaps and SEKEs.
| Degenerative Faceting | On | Off |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Minimalist | Classical |
| Form-building Edges | Not present | Present |
| Screen Redraw & Drawing Load |
Faster | Slower |
| Rendering Time | Slower | Faster |
There are two faceting modes: Degenerative Faceting "On" and Degenerative Faceting "Off". The main differences between the two modes are drawing appearance, the presence or absence of form-building edges, screen redraw and drawing load times, and rendering time. These differences are summarized in the nearby table.
Of particular interest, when discussing snaps, are the form-building edges. When they are present, snaps react to them—even if they are not visible! Visibility of form-building edges is controlled by a setting in the Drawing Setup dialog. Visibility can be turned on and off with this setting only when Degenerative Faceting is "Off". They cannot be made visible when Degenerative Faceting is "On" because then, they are not present.
Snapping to invisible form-building edges can be very troublesome if a user is not aware of this behavior as it makes it appear as though snaps and SEKEs are not working properly and are behaving erratically.
The presence or absence of form-building edges also explains why the faceting mode affects load and screen redraw times (faster without them) and rendering times (slower without them because they have to be generated for rendering).
The direction that the spiral is drawn is determined by the way you define the axis. It goes from the first point defined to the second.
- Number of copies:
- The number of times the profile appears in the result. Try 60 per turn (three turns, use 180).
- Degrees/Coils:
- Number of turns. Use one or the other.
- Offset:
- The length of the spiral as measured from the center of the first profile to the center of the last one, the measurement being parallel to the spiral's axis. (It seems to come up a little short).
- Scale:
- The ratio of the ending diameter divided by the starting diameter. The starting diameter is measured perpendicular to the axis and is the distance from the axis to the point of the profile closest to the axis.
- Tilt Profile:
- Use this to keep the profile normal to the spiral path.