Offset 2 lines

[spudstud]

I'm absolutely brand new to AutoCad, running AutoCad 2013 for Mac. I've been working on this for 2.5 hours and I can't understand how this is so hard!

 

I have drawn 2 shapes that look like the letter L . Both "L"s are parallel to each other. I want to move the one "L" so it is exactly 1/16" of an inch away from the other on all sides.

 

 

I've watched every youtube viedo I can find, and it seems like "offset" is the way to go, but offset only offsets new lines, not existing ones.

I've also been trying distance, but that seems to me more about measuring than setting distance.

[Dadgad]

Welcome to CADTutor.

 

You could use OFFSET or COPY to create new lines, or

use offset to create temporary work lines indicating where you want

to move the existing line.

When drawing lines, which appear to want to be accurate, you should probably turn on ORTHO (for orthogonal),

so that your lines are constrained and don't wander around.

I noticed that the lower of your two somewhat horizontally displayed lines is fragmented, indicating that it is not

truly horizontal, which I would guess was your intention.

I suggest that you go to

 

http://www.we-r-here.com/cad/

 

, which would be a very good place for you to start.

I used it myself about 4 years ago when I started self instructing online.

Have fun, this is an amazing tool, be patient and go to that site and start working through

the very well thought out beginners instruction lessons.

[jamesp1426]

Not sure if this helps, but someone posted a similar question about moving two existing circular objects, I've put in the link.

 

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?78619-how-to-change-distance-between-two-objects

[JD Mather]

PE Enter Join then Offset (there might also be a simple Join command).

[eldon]

I would go for COPY with a relative displacement of 1/16,1/16.

[welldriller]

Why not erase the 2nd L and offset the one left 0.0625

[eldon]

From the OP's picture, it would appear that COPY is the way to reproduce the picture. BUT it might be that OFFSET is what is actually required. The OP will choose the right route.

 

I was a bit worried about the assertion that OFFSET could not work on existing lines

 

Have I been doing it wrong all these years

[Dana W]

Use "Copy Selection" or "Copy with base point". Sorry, you'll have to look them up with the F1 key. My breakfast is almost ready.

 

The offset command is intended to provide a rapid way to establish multiple concentric polygons or parallel lines. Offset can only act on one object at a time. In the case of your two lines, if they are not a polyline, you will need to do two offsets. The result will be one line offset from each original by a distance. Depending on which direction the offset is done, the resulting two lines will either be crossed or separated at the inner "corner" unless you are able to direct your cursor precisely 45 deg in the NE or the SW direction while offsetting each line segment. If your original line construct is made of a polyline, one offset command will give you a copy of the original, located the offset distance away, in the direction of your cursor move during the command execution. However, the resulting copy will have line segments that may be shortened or lengthened by the distance of the offset unless your corner angle is precisely 90 degrees. What the corner angle has to do with it is simple geometry. If the angle is more or less than 90 degrees, AutoCAD must give you concentric shapes with shorter or longer sides, since the perimeter of your object is changing in area contained. It doesn't matter whether your lines form a closed or open shape. Come to think of it, I am not sure the resulting offset line segments will not change in length, even if the corner angle is 90 deg exactly.

Edited April 21, 2013 by Dana W

[Dadgad]

Use "Copy Selection" or "Copy with base point". Sorry, you'll have to look them up with the F1 key. My breakfast is almost ready.

 

The offset command is intended to provide a rapid way to establish multiple concentric polygons or parallel lines. Offset can only act on one object at a time. In the case of your two lines, if they are not a polyline, you will need to do two offsets. The result will be one line offset from each original by a distance. Depending on which direction the offset is done, the resulting two lines will either be crossed or separated at the inner "corner" unless you are able to direct your cursor precisely 45 deg in the NE or the SW direction while offsetting each line segment. If your original line construct is made of a polyline, one offset command will give you a copy of the original, located the offset distance away, in the direction of your cursor move during the command execution. However, the resulting copy will have line segments that may be shortened or lengthened by the distance of the offset unless your corner angle is precisely 90 degrees. What the corner angle has to do with it is simple geometry. If the angle is more or less than 90 degrees, AutoCAD must give you concentric shapes with shorter or longer sides, since the perimeter of your object is changing in area contained. It doesn't matter whether your lines form a closed or open shape. Come to think of it, I am not sure the resulting offset line segments will not change in length, even it the corner angle is 90 deg exactly.

 

A masterful synopsis by one who is in caffeine deficit and late for breakfast!

[Dana W]

Tanks, and after coffee, I see that a couple of words needed spelling correction.

[Dana W]

Use "Copy Selection" or "Copy with base point". Sorry, you'll have to look them up with the F1 key. My breakfast is almost ready.

 

The offset command is intended to provide a rapid way to establish multiple concentric polygons or parallel lines. Offset can only act on one object at a time. In the case of your two lines, if they are not a polyline, you will need to do two offsets. The result will be one line offset from each original by a distance. Depending on which direction the offset is done, the resulting two lines will either be crossed or separated at the inner "corner" unless you are able to direct your cursor precisely 45 deg in the NE or the SW direction while offsetting each line segment. If your original line construct is made of a polyline, one offset command will give you a copy of the original, located the offset distance away, in the direction of your cursor move during the command execution. However, the resulting copy will have line segments that may be shortened or lengthened by the distance of the offset unless your corner angle is precisely 90 degrees. What the corner angle has to do with it is simple geometry. If the angle is more or less than 90 degrees, AutoCAD must give you concentric shapes with shorter or longer sides, since the perimeter of your object is changing in area contained. It doesn't matter whether your lines form a closed or open shape. Come to think of it, I am not sure the resulting offset line segments will not change in length, even if the corner angle is 90 deg exactly.

Forget part of this. I was asleep. with the offset command, one cannot offset an object in any direction other than perpendicular to the original object. When I refered to offsetting at 45 deg. I was stating the impossible. Of course, if the original object is already at 45 deg, then the offset object will move perpendicularly away at 45 deg also.

[welldriller]

Why not erase the 2nd L and offset the one left 0.0625

 

There is more than 1 way to skin a cat -- will this work for you

 

set OSNAP on

 

select LINE

 

select INTERSECTION of the first L

 

on command line type @0.0625

select ENTER

 

select MOVE

 

select both lines of the 2 L (if not a block)

 

select INTERSECTION of 2 L

 

select END of 45 degree line

 

select ENTER

 

erase the 45 degree line that you drew

 

Hope that this will help

 

NOTE: when you select INTERSECTION it may show as END (it does on my machine)

[eldon]

on command line type @0.0625

 

I think that this should read "on command line type @0.0884

 

otherwise the offset distance is not 1/16"

[Dadgad]

I think that this should read "on command line type @0.0884

 

otherwise the offset distance is not 1/16"

 

Hard to refute that logic.

One of the nice things about math, until you get to the theoretical level, where it all sort of becomes a hypothetical blur in a black hole.

Well spotted.

[BIGAL]

A way to do it one go

snapang 45

copy pick L

base point = cnr

'cal

sqrt(2)*dist required

bingo all done

snapang 90

[welldriller]

From the OP's picture, it would appear that COPY is the way to reproduce the picture. BUT it might be that OFFSET is what is actually required. The OP will choose the right route.

 

I was a bit worried about the assertion that OFFSET could not work on existing lines

 

Have I been doing it wrong all these years

 

eldon: You got me to thinking about this (boy did that cause a headache)

 

So I pulled up one of my old drawings and here is what I found I could do on it

 

(1) - I could offset an existing line in the drawing

 

(2) - If I clicked on a line on a block the offset did not work

 

Is this what you found to be true ?

 

 

[welldriller]

I think that this should read "on command line type @0.0884

 

otherwise the offset distance is not 1/16"

 

Well eldon you got me again -- thank you for the correction.

[Mike_Taylor]

Just thinking out of the box here, but you could also use MLINE command, Type S for Scale, type in the distance you want between your 2 lines (.0625 in this case), now just draw you line as you need. Also, messing with the baspoint option after getting in the MLINE command will change where your 2 lines are being drawn relative to the path you are specifying. You can explode these line if they need to be modified at all after that as well.

 

I jsut realized that this does not acheive the result the OP wants.

[Mike_Taylor]

I almost forgot about the From option.

 

Use the copy command, select your object, select your base point, hit SHIFT+Right Click, select from, track in the X-Direction you want, type .0625, then the Y-Direction type .0625, hit enter twice.

[Dadgad]

Just thinking out of the box here, but you could also use MLINE command, Type S for Scale, type in the distance you want between your 2 lines (.0625 in this case), now just draw you line as you need. Also, messing with the baspoint option after getting in the MLINE command will change where your 2 lines are being drawn relative to the path you are specifying. You can explode these line if they need to be modified at all after that as well.

 

I jsut realized that this does not acheive the result the OP wants.

 

As one who loves multilines, and has a whole bunch of them included on my default Qnew template, I would

venture to say that is pretty far outside the box, for such a simple and fleeting task. If on the other hand there

was a recurring need to draw lines like this then that would be the way to go. Except that as you noted

it would not do the same thing as offsetting or copying, as the ends would be even instead of staggered.