Reference > Ribbon Tabs and Dialogs > Ribbon Tabs

Active only when the current environment is a drawing.

•Grid Mode - Toggle the visible grid [F7]. Note: the visible grid is rendered only for the Drawing Limits which can be set in the Drawing Properties Tool Panel.

•Snap Mode - Toggle the invisible snap grid [F9]. The invisible snap grid is based on the SnapX and SnapY settings in the Drawing Properties Tool Panel.

•Polar Track Mode - Toggle PT mode. When enabled and in a function requesting a point from the drawing the selectable polar angle will be restricted to the Polar Track Angle in the Drawing Properties Tool Panel.

•Extension Tracking -

•Ortho Mode - Toggle restrict movement to horizontal/vertical only.

•Coordinate - Displays the cursor position in current coordinates. Coordinates are expressed in drawing units (DU).Drawing units do not express particular units(meters,inches etc).

In this part user have to make some assumptions in order to define that the coordinates of the drawing mean particular units(meters,inches etc).

For example:

For a mechanical drawing we can make the assumption for example: where one drawing unit defines one millimeter(1 D.U=1mm).

For a architectural/technical drawing we can make the assumption for example: where one drawing unit defines one meter(1 D.U=1m) or one foot.

This can be very helpful in designing,dimensioning,retrieving information from the drawing(distances,area calculations).

•GripBlockStd - Show only one grip per insert.

•GripBlockAtts - Show one grip per attribute in the selected insert.

•Layers ... - Shows the Layers dialog.

•Layouts ... - Shows the Layouts dialog.

•Point Styles ... - Shows the Point Styles dialog.

•Text Styles ... - Shows the Text Styles dialog.

•Dim Styles ... - Shows the Dimension Styles dialog.

•Model Space Bounds - Shows the Model Space Boundaries dialog.

•Groups ... - Shows the Groups dialog.

•Images ... - Shows the Images dialog.

•UnSelect - Clears the current selection. Same as pressing {esc}.

•Select - Start a selection.

•Erase - Erase the current selection. If no selection then you will first be prompted to select entities.

•Copy - Copy the current selection. This is a base-point or offset copy and is preferred over [Ctrl][C] then [Ctrl][V] if copying in the same drawing as it is lighter weight. If no selection then you will first be prompted to select entities.

•Move - Move the current selection. If no selection then you will first be prompted to select entities.

•Scale - Scale the current selection. If no selection then you will first be prompted to select entities.

•Rotate - Rotate the current selection. If no selection then you will first be prompted to select entities.

•Mirror - Mirror the current selection. If no selection then you will first be prompted to select entities.

•Stretch - Stretch polylines in the current selection. If no selection then you will first be prompted to select entities.

•Explode - Explode the current selection. This function will reduce complex object to their primitive constituent parts. For example; exploding an insert unlinks all of the entities back one level. Exploding a polyline reduces the polyline to a collection of line segments. If no selection then you will first be prompted to select entities.

Entities that can been exploded:

vdDimension explode to vdLines, vdText(s), and vdInserts (the arrows).

vdInsert explode to the entities that is consist of. (If there are Inserts inside Blocks then you may need to apply more than 1 explode to get the base entities).

vdPolyHatch explode to vdPolyline(s).

vdPolyline explode to vdLine(s) and/or vdArc(s).

vdRect explode to vdPolyline.

vdText explode to vdPolylines(only texts with fontfile SHX).TTF(true type font) texts are not exploded.

•Trim - Trim objects at a cutting edge defined by other objects the current selection. First select the objects that define the cutting edges at which you want to trim an object and then the object.

Objects that can be trimmed include arcs, circles, elliptical arcs, lines. Notice that the trim command do not function if the objects do not intersect.

•Extend - Extend lines,arcs,polylines until they intersect with some other object which is used as limit of the extension. Firstly you have to select the objects that consist the limits of the extension. Then you have to choose a point at an object that you want to extend. If the object you want to extend does not intersect with above objects then nothing will happen.

•Fillet - Connect two lines , two arcs, or one arc with a line(these two objects must have at least one common point either visible, or in their extension) , with an arc with a specific radius. The value of the radius has some restrictions depending the position of the objects. If radius=0 then simply the objects are either extended until they intersect each other in one point(if there was not an intersection point) either trimmed(if an intersection point is visible).

•Offset - Create a new object in parallel direction and in specified distance from the original object which is used as pattern for the new object. When you execute offset command , you are prompted to select an object. Then you have to specify the offset distance which is the distance that the new object will be drawn from the original object. Then you have to set the side that the object will be draw because there are two sides.

•R Array - Creates multiple copies of objects in a rectangular pattern. Shows the Rectangular Array dialog. With the rectangular array you can create an array defined by a number of rows and columns of copies of the selected object. First you have to select the objects. Then you have to define number of rows and number of columns of the rectangle, the distance between rows and the distance between columns. If no selection then you will first be prompted to select entities.

•P Array - Same as R Array but copies radially around a center point. Select the objects to copy. Then set the center point and next define the numbers of the copy objects that will be created and the fill angle. Lastly choose if the object will be rotated or not.

•BTF - Bring to front. This changes the Z order of the objects in the render engine bringing the current selection to the front. If no selection then you will first be prompted to select entities.

•STB - Send the current selection to the back of the Z order. If no selection then you will first be prompted to select entities.

•Corner - Causes lines that can intersect to intersect. Start the command then select the first line then the second line.