QCAD.org Forum

Hi, I'm new to QCAD and I'm stuck right off the bat (I could not find a question addressing my problem--please direct me if it has been answered). I tried to draw a line from 2 points and the QCAD book says that I can see fields to enter point coordinates, absolut or relative, but these options do not show in my version (QCAD pro 3.22.1 running under Mac OS 10.14). If I cannot do this, the program will be useless for me.

Sorry to hear that. Can you please indicate what chapter or page you are referring to in the book and which step if you are following one of the Hands-on exercises?

Generally speaking, to draw a line from two points, you would click on the "Line Tools" menu button (step 1), then on the button for "Lines from 2 Points" (step 2).

Now, QCAD expects you to specify the first point of the line. To use a coordinate, click on the button "Coordinate" (step 3).

So to follow the figure from the book, you first have to click the button indicated at the left side of the figure (1), then the one indicated in the middle (2), then the one indicated at the right (that's step 3):
You can then see the input for X/Y at the top of the QCAD application window:
Enter the X and Y values and click the green tick to set the start point of your line.

If you are still struggling, please let me know exactly at which step or what the problem is or which part of the user interface or which button you cannot find.

Hi uflem - welcome to the QCAD forum,

uflem wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 05, 2019 8:50 pm

If I cannot do this, the program will be useless for me.

You can do that for sure!

Maybe in your case the easiest thing to do would be to work with the command line.
Make sure the command line is active. (Menu/View?Command Line),
Then check your coordinate format settings and follow the given examples.

Now you can use the command line to launch every single tool and use coordinate formats to determine the points ...


Edit: overlapping answers ......

I'm referring to pg 67--it reads as if the coordinate options (abs. vs rel.) are displayed in the toolbar right after the line tool has been selected. Further perusal of the book reveals that this happens only if you select the "coordinate" snap after selecting the tool, something that doesn't exist in the CAD system I'm familar with. I'm still having problems with the exact sequence of steps. It seems that I first have to select the line tool, then select the relative coordinate origin (which in itself may involve a snap), then select the coordinate snap, then type in the rel. coordinates.

uflem wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 06, 2019 2:46 am

I'm referring to pg 67--it reads as if the coordinate options (abs. vs rel.) are displayed in the toolbar right after the line tool has been selected.

Please refer to step 2 again. There you can see the exact sequence of buttons you'll have to click to start the line tool and show the coordinate inputs. This involves clicking three buttons, including the last one which is to indicate you want to input coordinates (the third part of the figure in step 2).

uflem wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 06, 2019 2:46 am

Further perusal of the book reveals that this happens only if you select the "coordinate" snap after selecting the tool, something that doesn't exist in the CAD system I'm familar with.

This is of course entirely possible, QCAD is a different system with a different user interface. The book tries really hard in making every single step clear. If you think that's not the case, please let me know which step you think needs more information added.

If you are used to a command line style input (x,y, @x,y, r<a, @r,a), you can also do that in QCAD (see Husky's post above) but I'd consider that to be a more advanced way to enter coordinates. If you are new to the concept of coordinates, I'd stick with the more intuitive way as outlined in the book for now. Ticking "relative" might make more sense to a beginner than prepending an "@" to a coordinate.

uflem wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 06, 2019 2:46 am

I'm still having problems with the exact sequence of steps. It seems that I first have to select the line tool, then select the relative coordinate origin (which in itself may involve a snap), then select the coordinate snap, then type in the rel. coordinates.

In most cases, the relative zero point is already at the right position. For example if you draw a line and set the start point, the relative zero point is now at the start point of that line. You can enter the end point as relative coordinate to the start point without having to move the relative zero first.

You can however move the relative zero if desired at any point.

If you are you following the steps in the book, there's no need to move the relative zero, otherwise this would be mentioned in step by step details.

If you are creating your own drawing, please attach a screenshot and provide more details, so we can help efficiently.

Here's what I want to do: Draw a line whose FIRST point is relative to a point on some other entity. In other words, I have to select relative zero (the system cannot know this), then enter the coordinates rel. to that rel.origin, then start the line at that point. This is one of the most frequent operations I have to do, and I still haven't figured out how to do this. BTW I have extensive experience with a CAD system (MicroStation, which I taught in a 1 semester course). I do not expect QCAD to be at that level, but I still do not know what I really got.

If you can't use the "automatic generated" absolute zero point then feel free to move it to a more appropriate point at ANY time.
What you are locking for belongs into the category Snap point. You can find snap tools below Menu/Snap and this particular one is called "Set Relative Zero' (RZ). There is also a chapter regarding snap tools in your QCAD Book

I was led astray by my MicroStation experience, where you can do all of this WITHIN the tool. I now learned that you have to set the rel. zero you want BEFORE using the tool--it's OK, once you know it. And Thank you!

uflem wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 11, 2019 7:48 pm

... you have to set the rel. zero you want BEFORE using the tool

Nope - you can also use it within the tool.

Husky wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 11, 2019 5:23 am

... move it to a more appropriate point at ANY time.

Play with it to get familiar - it's very powerful!