Set Permenant Base Point

[williamj]

I'm starting to explore Isometric drawings and at first it seems a little intricate, especialy in how you lay things out in an exploded view. I'm beginning to get the hang of creating objects in Iso and using those objects to create a more complex drawing.

However, in relocating these objects, the base point is centered within the object making proper placement on a 30 degree slope a little difficult. Is there a way to permanantly replace the centered base point with a base point that's more stategically positioned?

thanks in advance,
williamj

[williamj]

(08-30-2012, 12:28 PM)williamj Wrote: Is there a way to permanantly replace the centered base point with a base point that's more stategically positioned?

Quote:When you Select the objects (before you group them), you can use the Set
Base Point function on the Select toolbar tab to set the base point. This
will become the group insertion point when you create the group.

Sincerely yours,

Midnight Software, Inc.

Thank you Midnight Software.
williamj[/quote]

[i44troll]

Whoops! Sorry Bill, this one got away while we were pow-wowing about the patch.

[williamj]

The procedure that Midnight Software provided doesn't seem to be working for what I want. I may not have been specific enought in my request for assistance from them.

What I am hoping to achieve is a grouped object with a relocated base point that will retain that relocated base point after being copied and saved and or pasted.

hope that makes sense,
williamj

[i44troll]

Bill, that should have worked exactly as you have indicated. Here's a better solution ......

Create the object
   
Set points at every position that you may need
   
Group the object (the points will seem to disappear but your cursor will still "snap" to each one)
   
Now you can select from any point you created before you grouped the object, simply hover your mouse over the location until you see cross-hairs form.

Chris "i44troll'

[williamj]

Okay,

I believe I'm beginning to realize where the problem lies, apparently it lies with the nut sitting in front of my keyboard. Seems that I don't fully understand what a "base point" is or what it's true function is.

When an object is moved, it's new position is anchored with a base point located in the center of the object. The base point functionality that I'm seeking lies in the following procedure...

"Select" (select object) + "Base Point" (set new base point) + "Move" (move object)

When an object is moved as described in the above procedure the object's new location is anchored with the new base point.

It's that "new base point anchor" function that I'm looking to sustain in a saved grouped object.

as always, "Thanks!"
williamj

[i44troll]

Your Base-Point will be the center of your part unless you change it (select the base point feature and click where you want it to be). Adding other points as I mentioned in the above post allows you to select different locations for those base points WITHOUT un-grouping your object. This procedure gives you much more flexibility over your object.

[williamj]

(09-05-2012, 07:37 AM)i44troll Wrote: Your Base-Point will be the center of your part unless you change it (select the base point feature and click where you want it to be). Adding other points as I mentioned in the above post allows you to select different locations for those base points WITHOUT un-grouping your object. This procedure gives you much more flexibility over your object.

Chris,

I gotta be doing something wrong somewhere. Everytime I try to relocate the base point and then group\save\copy\paste, whatever, the anchor point (base point) always reverts back to the center of the object.

I've included an attachment to pictorially (? is this really a word ?) show what I'm trying to accomplish. The whole point of this... "exercise", is to place grouped objects percisely along a measured Iso axis to form a much larger picture.

williamj

   

[i44troll]

Bill,
Select the part or object, place your new base-point location while the object is still selected, them immediately group the object or create a symbol file out of the object. If this was done correctly you will have preserved the newly placed based point in the new location and your symbol (if saved as a symbol) will use the new location exclusively. If you saved it only as a grouped object you will have to select the new base-point again to use it but it would not have been available to you had you not placed it originally.

Chris "i44troll"

[williamj]

Chris,

In the short term I can position an object with a newly placed base point. But, for the life of me I can't get it to maintain that base point for later relocation.

It appears that, once that object has lost it's Window's focus (been deselected), and then reselected to be moved, the move object function of DeltaCad, automatically establishes and centers a new base point, (within that object) for relocation purposes. Thus overriding any user placed base point(s) for alignment purposes.

It works the same with selecting and moving text as well. Reguardless of text justification or allignment, once selected for relocation the text is highlighted and given a new, centered, base point. And once moved, that text is repositioned and centered on that base point.

still vigorously scratching head,
williamj

ps
perhaps there's a magnanomous macro magician out there who can write a script or something. <Grin>