Draw arc with Line command (Inventor 2011)

[Catenary]

All my sources say I can create a perpendicular or tangent arc from the end of a line segment by holding down the left mouse button. The Direct Manipulation Tutorial even suggests the arc doesn't have to be perpendicular or tangent. Alas, I have spent far too long trying various permutations of click and hold with not even the slightest hint of an arc to show for it. What am I missing?

[JD Mather]

Click first point for line.

Click second point for line.

Click on second endpoint and drag the mouse like you were dragging a pencil in an arc.

Tip #24

http://home.pct.edu/~jmather/SkillsUSA%20University.pdf

[Catenary]

J. D. Mather, I appreciate your prompt suggestion. I have spent at least an hour and a half looking at various options and default settings after trying unsuccessfully and frustratingly to do this seemingly simple and basic maneuver.

 

With the line command active in Sketch, I left-click and release anywhere in the sketch plane to create the start of a line (A). I then move the mouse, left-click and release on a second point (B) to create a line segment. So far so good.

 

Case 1) I move the cursor with no button action whatsoever, creating another, connected line segment.

 

Case 2) I move the cursor without releasing the button after pausing at point B This moves point B. Both Case 1 and Case 2 produce the expected result.

 

Case 3) Expecting to draw an arc, after releasing the left button at B, I left-click and hold but the result is another straight line segment, no matter how fancy a gyration I impart to the mouse.

 

I have tried double clicking, double click and hold, exiting and re-entering the line commmand and several permutations of the above, all without success.

 

I have played with relative and absolute coordinates to no avail.

 

I have opened a new sketch plane with the same result.

 

At this point I'm going to bed before I get too discouraged.

[JD Mather]

I have played with relative and absolute coordinates to no avail.

.

 

Are we talking about Autodesk Inventor (I have never heard of using relative or absolute coodinates in Inventor - post screen shot).

 

Also - constraint persistence must be turned on (default setting - so it should be on unless you turned it off) and Constraint Options - Coincident must be turned on (default setting - so it must be on unless you turned it off). Check these two settings.

 

Attach your ipt file here.

[Catenary]

Yes, this is Inventor 2100. After checking the environment variables you suggested, click-hold now produces an arc as it's supposed to. Thank you. I'll play around to try to make it non-perpendicular or tangent, as the tutorial (Direct Manipulation - Sliding-pin Hangar.ipt) suggests I can.

 

As to the absolute/relative coordinates, when the line command is active, right-click on the sketch plane>Coordinate Types>Absolute, Relative, Polar, Cartesian. The Absolute is greyed out, but I thought that when I first ventured there it was an option.

 

Adding the screen shot you requested makes the message exceed the 15,000 character limit: is there another way to get it to you?

[JD Mather]

As to the absolute/relative coordinates, when the line command is active, right-click on the sketch .....

 

Hmmm, learned something new today. Don't know how I will ever use that in Inventor, but something new to me.

 

I think there are a total of 8 different ways you can drag out the arc. It takes a bit of practice, but becomes automatic after a while.