Origin and Coordinates.

[mygs29]

Hello everyone. Hopefully someone can help me out!

 

I have tried searching for the answer to my question but can't seem to find it. I am a bit new to AutoCad but I've been working with ProgeCad up until now.

 

Anyways here's the question. once I've set an origin, how do you get the geometry info in the properties to show the coordinates from that origin? what I want to do is set an origin and then find relative points from that origin. What are the ways to do this? On ProgeCad I would just set an origin and then if I viewed the properties of say a circle, it would tell me the x,y,z coordinates from that origin but I can't seem to do it in AutoCad. Can anyone please help?

 

As you can see from the picture, what I did was set an origin at the on point. Then I selected the arc for which I want to know the coordinates. But as you can see in the properties it says the x,y are like 566,567mm, but clearly if I draw lines to that point and measure the lines it is only like 1.00,0.70mm.

 

[CyberAngel]

Try the command UCS. That stands for Universal Coordinate System. If you type "3" at the prompt, you can define new X and Y axes by giving the origin, a point on the X axis, and a point on the Y (this option is not in the list). I'm sure there are other options, there always are in AutoCAD.

 

Welcome to the forum.

[mygs29]

Yeah I tried that several times, but it does not change the info under the properties for anything. It still bases the center x and center y on the WCS origin. Is there any way to move the WCS origin? Or maybe there's a setting to display info from the ucs origin?

 

If i want to draw a new circle now at say 10,10 it works fine and is located 10,10 from the ucs origin. But now if i go and select that circle, it says the center x and y are like 500,500 because it is basing it on the WCS. i want it to display the info from that ucs origin.

[BlackBox]

Have you tried the base command?

 

:: Warning ::

Changing a drawing's base point can result in numerous problems when working with a production team, where XREFs are used. Always restore the base point to the origin '(0 0 0) before saving.

Edited April 26, 2011 by BlackBox
:: Warning ::

[Bill Tillman]

I just drew a line using the WCS and then moved the UCS to the end of this line. When I rechecked the properties the coordinates showed the relation to the new UCS, not the WCS. Then I moved the UCS back to the WCS and the coordinates showed the original properties of the line based on the WCS.

 

I'm not sure why your's is functioning differently.

[Organic]

Is that Autocad Mac you are using? Could be a reduced functionality problem.

[mygs29]

yeah it's autocad mac, forgot to mention that...

 

i tried the base command, didn't seem to work.

[CADguy209]

Dumb question:

 

Did you move the part after you set the UCS origin on the part?

Edited April 29, 2011 by CADguy209

[eldon]

Even dumber question - why didn't you draw the arc relative to the WCS origin in the first place, then you would have no problem

[mygs29]

No I didn't move the part after setting the UCS icon. And the reason I didn't draw it relative to the WCS is cause I have a lot of different parts on the same drawing. I don't want to have to draw them all in the same location....