Inconsistencies with the arc tool

cmd

jgb,

yes... it looks like the Arc tool does not analyze the edges when you are going from Construction Point to Construction Point .... or when creating edge tick marks (my personal habit)

No edge hints

For those who may not know, I have included some examples of where you will get the cyan/magenta hints.

jgb... perhaps line segments or construction LINES instead of POINTS may help in your work.

Edge hints

CMD

jgb

@thomthom said:

And quarter-circle snap would be nice.

Agree.

But better yet, arcs at a defined radius (and segments) between 2 selected intersecting lines and a tangential arc forms.

Wo3Dan

@jgb said:

.......almost all at the same symmetrical arc radius of 3 inches, so drawing "any" arc then scaling it back is not practical. .....

The problem is that I do not get even a magenta 45 deg line if I start from a 3 inch guide point on 1 or both lines. I only get it from a midpoint or intersection or from any unmarked point on the line(s).
.....

Do not start at any midpoint or endpoint. Stay away from any inferencing.
Just find some clean spot on one edge to click the first point.
Hover over the second edge to find the magenta 'On Edge' straight connection. Click right then and there on the second edge. Now hover in between to get the magenta arc and popup 'Tangent to Edge'. (*see note)
Midpoints and other inferencing just interfere finding the magenta arc. Once you get it click the third time to finish.

The arc you just made is tangent but not yet the right size.
The nice thing is you can adjust its radius in entity info, still letting it stay tangent to both edges.

Note that there must not be anything between first (and second) point and intersection of both edges. Not even a coinciding guide.

*Note: you just let my find a real bug in SU. You can get a totally wrong magenta tangent arc. But it's obvious that it's the wrong one. so no real problem. The right one is easy to find too.

Wo3Dan

jgb

@wo3dan said:

The arc you just made is tangent but not yet the right size.
The nice thing is you can adjust its radius in entity info, still letting it stay tangent to both edges.
Wo3Dan

Yes, that is a neat way to lay down a tangential arc of a defined radius, without guides or inference points. However, it is too many tool changes, clicks and a keyboard when I have a few dozen to do at one time.

jeff hammond

you might want to try a fillet ruby for this..

download the one called 2D Fillet here:
http://www.ohyeahcad.com/download

select all the intersecting lines you'd like to fillet then run the ruby.. enter a radius and all the intersecting lines will be rounded..

there's another fillet tool included in the 1001 bit kit ($30) and you'll like TIG's TrueTangents if you need to fillet an arc-to-line or arc-to-arc

using fillet.rb, this is possible in one simple operation:

Wo3Dan

@jgb said:

@wo3dan said:

The arc you just made is tangent but not yet the right size.
The nice thing is you can adjust its radius in entity info, still letting it stay tangent to both edges.
Wo3Dan

Yes, that is a neat way to lay down a tangential arc of a defined radius, without guides or inference points. However, it is too many tool changes, clicks and a keyboard when I have a few dozen to do at one time.

ok, skip the 'Entity Info' part. Right after creating just a tangent arc you type its new radius like 450mm[Enter] and if necessary, its new number of segments like 8s[Enter]. This brings down the tools needed to just the 'Arc' tool. Nothing else.

Wo3Dan

TIG

There's also my 2D Tools - 'Fillet Tool' - which Fillets or Chamfers any 2 picked intersecting lines - works in 2D or 3D, you can control the fillet's radius, number of segments etc - remembered that session once set until they are next changed [or chamfers size or sizes etc]: it places a guide-point at the center of the arc too... When set with a 0 radius it trims/extends the lines instead. It also tidies the end of any lines that are not needed for say other faces etc...

jgb

That's better Wo3Dan, I will keep it in mind.

But, TIG's fillet tool looks more like what I want, but hey TIG!! Where's it at?

TIG

@jgb said:

That's better Wo3Dan, I will keep it in mind.
But, TIG's fillet tool looks more like what I want, but hey TIG!! Where's it at?

A simple Advanced Search on the forum for '2D Tools', author 'TIG' returns this http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=185760#p185760 as the third item...
As is common the script is downloadable from the first post in that thread...

jgb

Got it, thanks, TIG.

I'll Try it on Wed as I gotta take the Mrs out for a quick dinner (she was too lazy to cook) and tomorrow I am out most of the day.