We're now going to look at Object Snap Tracking in the Copy Command with AutoCAD.
Now, what we're going to do here, again we're in our office environment and we're
going to move some desks and chairs and place another person in this particular
office space here on the right-hand side of the office. Now, what we're going to
do, first of all, is select the objects that we want to copy. So we're going to
select this desk here. We're also going to select the computer, the phone and
the chair. Now, you'll notice that I've got Quick Properties on. Now, if that
does start to hinder you, you close the Quick Properties like so. Quick
Properties will be turned off. It will also close the panel for you by clicking
on that button there. Notice QP now is not on on the Status Bar. It can
sometimes get in the way when you're working but it is useful, especially if
you're working with object properties. So now let's have a look at using Object
Snap Tracking to copy our object here. Now, normally what I would do is I would
right click and I would go to Copy Selection on the right-hand Shortcut Menu.
Why do an extra click though when I can go up to the Home Tab, click on the Copy
Selection Command here and then it asks me for a base point. If I had 200 copies
to do, that would mean 200 extra mouse clicks; think about it. OK. Let's have a
look at moving our objects. Now, what I'm going to do here is I need to pick a
base point where I'm going to copy from. So I'm going to copy from that corner
there and left click. That is my base point. Now, what I need to do now, I'm
copying, as you can see. The objects are ready to be copied. So just check by
going down to O Snap here and right clicking. Our end points and midpoints are on.
Excellent. That is what we need. They are highlighted in blue there. So hit Escape
to lose that menu. Now what I'm going to do though is I'm going to hover on the
midpoint of this line that forms the wall here. Can you see that Midpoint Snap?
Notice I'm hovering over it. I'm not clicking on it. That's called acquiring an
Object Snap Tracking Point. If I move away from it now you should see a little
cross there. Yes, a little orange cross that indicates that Object Snap Tracking
Point has been acquired. I'm now going to hover on the end of the desk here, on
this Intersection Snap and again, if I move away now, you'll see a little cross,
a little orange cross there. Now, if I move you'll notice, look. AutoCAD gives
me the intersection of those two Object Snaps, hence I'm using Object Snap
Tracking. I now left click and you'll see now that I've copied my desk for the
second person in the office. I'll press Enter to finish. Quick and easy and it
gives me an exact intersection of two points. What I'm also going to do now is
I'm going to place a chair in front of this desk here. I'm going to click on
this chair here. Again, go up to Copy. It's quicker. And as I come in now it
asks for a base point. Now, I'm going to select the midpoint there on the back
of the chair as the base point and left click. Now, this chair when I copy it, I
want it to be opposite the midpoint of the desk here, so I acquire that midpoint
there. Now, as I move up, you'll notice I get an intersection of the midpoint of
the chair where I click on it originally and also the midpoint of the desk. The
base point becomes my first acquired Object Snap Tracking Point anyway. So I've
only go to acquire one more point so that I get the intersection of the two
points like so. I then left click, I've copied my chair, I press Enter to finish
and that's how you use Object Snap Tracking with the Copy Command in AutoCAD.
AutoCAD 2009 Certified Professional
Shaun Bryant
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