3 replies to this topic

[jons]

Hi, I'm new to forum and new to nanocad.

I'm a 2d QCAD user and never had any issues with it, I can creat the drawings I need very quickly. Technical drawings for CNC cut in flat sheet metal stock prior to forming.

I started to use NanoCad the other day after researching 3d, failing to get to grips with freecad and fusion. It appeared to be closer in use to QCAD.

Currently playing with the free version while I evaluate, I'm struggling to join an entity together after finalising the shape I need, created from single lines/arcs etc.

In QCAD, it's a simple step, right click on any line etc in the drawing and click the 'auto creat polyline' icon, it's that simple.

Similar with extend or trim, click the item you wish to extend, specify length and click, trim just removes the item to the nearest other point/s.

Is this a limit with the free version or does this not change and remain as painful in the full versions?

I have yet to succesfully close a shape into a polyline in NanoC.

[Tenbob1]

Hi jons. I hope I can help. I'm a fairly new user of nanoCAD. A couple of hints. The command line is your friend. Search for a few tutorials on how to do things in the AutoCAD command line. For most basic drawing commands nanoCAD is similar at the command level.

To join lines and arcs into a polyline use the following commands.

You: PEDIT <Space>  
Response: PE,PEDIT - Edit Polylines / Select polyline or [?/Multiple/]:
You: m <Space>
Response: Select objects [?/End/]
You: <Draw a window to select the objects you want to join> <Space>
Response: 6 found, 6 total / Convert Lines and Arcs to polylines? [Yes/No/] <Y>:
You: <Space>
Response: Enter an option [Open/Close/Join/Width/Fit/Spline/Decurve/Ltype gen/Undo/]:
You: j <Space>
Response: Join Type = Extend / Enter fuzz distance [Jointype/] <0.000000>:
You: <Space>
Response: 5 segments added to polyline
You: <Enter>

The separate lines are converted to a polyline. To break them apart again use Explode. You can do other things at the Join prompt like close the polyline, make the segments straight or curved.

Trim and Extend also work nicely from the command line. Enter TRIM and hit <Space> twice at the following prompt. This sets every object in the drawing as an object you can trim against. Then just go round the drawing clicking anything you don't want. It trims off any line segments that are sticking out beyond an intersection. Presing <Shift> switches to Extend mode so you can extend lines to the next intersection. If you make a mistake there is an undo option.

Hope this helps.

[jons]

Tenbob1, on 07 June 2021 - 02:45 PM, said:

Hi jons. I hope I can help. I'm a fairly new user of nanoCAD. A couple of hints. The command line is your friend. Search for a few tutorials on how to do things in the AutoCAD command line. For most basic drawing commands nanoCAD is similar at the command level.

To join lines and arcs into a polyline use the following commands.

You: PEDIT <Space>  
Response: PE,PEDIT - Edit Polylines / Select polyline or [?/Multiple/]:
You: m <Space>
Response: Select objects [?/End/]
You: <Draw a window to select the objects you want to join> <Space>
Response: 6 found, 6 total / Convert Lines and Arcs to polylines? [Yes/No/] <Y>:
You: <Space>
Response: Enter an option [Open/Close/Join/Width/Fit/Spline/Decurve/Ltype gen/Undo/]:
You: j <Space>
Response: Join Type = Extend / Enter fuzz distance [Jointype/] <0.000000>:
You: <Space>
Response: 5 segments added to polyline
You: <Enter>

The separate lines are converted to a polyline. To break them apart again use Explode. You can do other things at the Join prompt like close the polyline, make the segments straight or curved.

Trim and Extend also work nicely from the command line. Enter TRIM and hit <Space> twice at the following prompt. This sets every object in the drawing as an object you can trim against. Then just go round the drawing clicking anything you don't want. It trims off any line segments that are sticking out beyond an intersection. Presing <Shift> switches to Extend mode so you can extend lines to the next intersection. If you make a mistake there is an undo option.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for this, surely if the drawing contains many other items within the polyline I wish to create then 'select all' those other items will be included?

Secondly it confirms exactly as I stated, what a palavour! For something that right clicking on one part of the line achieves in QCAD. I have same problem with parrelel line at set distance, infact all the operations in QCAD can be done quickly and efficiently with the mouse, I have the command bar turned off.

I have to say though other than polyline/join/trim, I did manage to pick up the other functions within the software, command bar or mouse pretty well. Of several packages I've tried it has more potential, it's just how much slower it is to draw even the basic shapes we create.

[Tenbob1]

Hi jons. Yes. I agree that using the command line can get a bit fiddly. But in the above example for a polyline, you are mostly accepting the defaults and clicking the elements you want to join. If there are nearby objects that are not part of the polyline, you just need to be a bit more careful about selecting the ones you want. I found that practising with the command line taught me how to draft things very quickly and accurately. It wasn't a problem that some of the more advanced UI features were unavailable.

Incidentally, why migrate to nanoCAD if you are happy with QCAD? And do you really need to convert things to polylines? Can't you just leave them as lines?

For your parallel lines example, there are several quick ways to do it. eg. Draw a construction line perpendicular to the first line. Then COPY, setting the basepoint at the intersection and OSNAP as NEAREST. Use Direct Distance Entry to input the required separation distance. Or just use the OFFSET command.