AutoCAD Tips: Quick tips for Rotating Objects
Autodesk’s commitment to releasing yearly versions or updated versions— in some cases— of its ground breaking CAD software AutoCAD, is one that has been hailed in some quarter of the CAD community as innovative and in other quarters as an un-needed distraction or Autodesk’s way of ensuring that they collect some annual tax from its users. Whatever your stance on this issue is, you have to agree that the few techniques that cut across all versions of AutoCAD, simplifies the annual learning process Autodesk has subjected us to.
One of these never changing techniques is the rotate feature that allows users rotate objects and text at any angle of their choosing. Long term users of the software would agree with me that this process has seen little or no changes since the AutoCAD 2003 version. This quick tutorial will serve as a guideline for AutoCAD newbies interested in learning the never changing technique of Rotation.
*Rotating Objects to Match an Angle*
When rotating objects to match a certain angle, there are three points you have to keep in mind in other achieve a successful rotation or alignment. These points are:
-The base point of your reference object—which is the base point of the object you plan to use as a reference and not the base point of the object to be rotated. This should be taken as your first point or point 1.
-Reference point to guide your rotation should be taken as point 2.
*Steps to Rotating Objects*
-Enable or start the rotate command.-Select the object you plan to rotate and specify point prompts would be shown. In the specify base point prompt, use point 1 which is the base point of your reference objects. -In the specify rotation angle prompt: choose point 2 which is your reference point. -In the specify reference angle: select the point on your object you plan to rotate which corresponds to your specified reference point or point 2. -In the specify second point prompt: you have to pick two points which are; the second point and the point which specifies the angle of the object you chose for rotation. -When applied, your selected object now rotates to align with the angle of your reference object.
*Rotating with Object Snap Feature*
-The technique involved in this method closely mirrors the use of angles technique with the exception of Osnap which completes the rotation process. The steps are:-Enable or start the rotate command
-In the specify base point prompt: select the base point of the object that needs to be rotated—point 1-In the specify rotation angle: select your reference point—point 2
-In the specify reference angle prompt: you pick the point a point on your object which corresponds to the base point specified earlier.
-In the specify second point prompt: pick the point which combines with point 2 to specify the angle of the object you plan to rotate.
-In the specify new angle prompt: this is where you utilize the object snap feature by choosing the parallel object snap, which activates OSnap and then proceed to moving your mouse or cursor over the line you plan to align your object with. A dotted line showing the rotated object would appear, and you can click once to complete the rotation.
These rotating techniques are sure to help you reduce the time you spend on AutoCAD drafting various objects. The rotation feature keeps all previous dimensions of your object except its placement angle.