How to Draw Accurately in BricsCAD
Quick answer: New entities are created in the XY plane of your current coordinate system (the World Coordinate System by default), measured in drawing units set by the template you started from. BricsCAD offers 13 distinct drawing aids to help you place and size entities precisely rather than by eye, from entity snaps to the Manipulator grip tool.
Drawing Units and Coordinates
Every dimension in a DWG file is expressed in drawing units (DU); what one DU actually represents is set by the INSUNITS system variable. For a new drawing, that value comes from whichever template you started from, BricsCAD ships templates for both decimal and imperial units.
Drawing Aids for Accuracy
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| 2D entity snaps | Snap to key points on existing 2D entities, endpoint, midpoint, centre, intersection, or draw perpendicular, parallel, or tangent to one |
| 3D entity snaps | Snap to key points on 3D entities, such as solids |
| Dynamic dimensions | Enter distances and angles directly in on-screen fields as you draw; press Tab to move between fields when several show at once (drawing a rectangle, for example); a field turns red once you’ve entered and confirmed a value, showing it’s fixed |
| Polar tracking | Forces the drawing direction to specific angles relative to the current coordinate system’s axes |
| Entity snap tracking | Combines entity snaps and polar tracking together |
| Coordinate input | Enter XYZ coordinates directly to specify a point |
| Snap and grid | A grid of evenly spaced lines or dots gives a visual reference; the cursor snaps to grid points for fast, fixed-interval drawing |
| Drawing limits | Restricts the drawing area, preventing entities from being created outside it |
| Ortho mode | Forces cursor movement parallel to the X or Y axis of the current coordinate system |
| User coordinate systems (UCS) | Named coordinate systems you can define anywhere in 3D space and restore at any time |
| Direct distance entry | Enter lengths, radii, diameters, and movement vectors directly |
| Nearest distance | Dynamically view and adjust the distance between two selected entities or subentities |
| The Manipulator | A grip tool for quickly moving, rotating, scaling, or mirroring selected entities |
Frequently Asked Questions
What determines what one drawing unit actually equals? The INSUNITS system variable, which for new drawings is set by whatever template you started from.
What’s the difference between entity snaps and entity snap tracking? Entity snaps let you snap directly to points on existing entities. Entity snap tracking combines that with polar tracking for more flexible alignment.
How do I fix a value in a dynamic dimension field while drawing? Enter the value and press Tab. The field turns red to show it’s fixed, and you move on to the next field.
Can I define my own coordinate system instead of using the World Coordinate System? Yes. Named user coordinate systems (UCS) can be defined anywhere in 3D space and restored whenever you need them.