How to Use Polar Tracking
Quick answer: Polar tracking lets you draw at exact angles, either at fixed intervals starting from 3 o’clock (East), or at specific additional angles you define. Turning it on automatically disables Orthogonal mode, and vice versa, the two can’t be active together.
How Polar Tracking Works
A tracking path line displays from the origin point whenever the cursor moves close to one of the polar tracking angles, and stays visible as long as the Snap Aperture box overlaps that line. In 3D views, an additional tracking line displays parallel to the current UCS’s Z-axis.
Tracking paths that run parallel to the X, Y, or Z axis of the current coordinate system display in that axis’s own colour, set by COLORX, COLORY, or COLORZ. TRACKPATH controls whether and how the path displays overall, and AutoTrackingVecColor sets its general colour. ANGBASE defines the base angle the tracking lines are measured from, relative to the current coordinate system.
Locking a Tracking Path
Press Shift while a tracking path marker is displayed to lock it; any point you then pick gets projected perpendicularly onto that path. Press Shift again to unlock it. A locked path changes colour to whatever SnapMarkerColor is set to.
Configuring Polar Tracking Settings
Right-click the POLAR or STRACK field in the Status Bar and choose Settings, or open the Settings dialog and expand Drafting > Coordinate input > Snap Tracking.
| Variable | Controls |
|---|---|
AUTOSNAP |
Polar tracking’s behaviour, and whether polar tracking and/or entity snap tracking is active at all |
POLARANG |
The polar angle increment, in degrees; 90 by default |
POLARADDANG |
Additional specific angles, separated by semicolons |
POLARMODE |
Several behaviours at once: whether angles are relative to a snapped entity’s direction instead of the coordinate system, whether polar angle settings also apply to entity snap tracking, whether POLARADDANG‘s additional angles are used, and whether Shift is needed to acquire entity snap points |
TRACKPATH |
Whether the track path displays across the full screen or only partially |
Using Temporary Tracking Points
With Polar Tracking on, temporary tracking points let you pick a location where no geometry exists to snap to directly, as long as you know its offset distance from existing snap points. It’s worth having Dynamic Dimensions active too for this.
- When a command prompts for a point, either click the middle mouse button, activate the Temporary tracking points entity snap mode, or type
TKand press Enter. The command pauses, and you’re prompted for the first temporary tracking point. - Enter a point, using an entity snap, for example. You’re prompted for the next one, or to press Enter to finish.
- Either enter another point, or press Enter to accept the last one and resume the command.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Polar Tracking and Orthogonal mode at the same time? No. Turning one on automatically turns the other off.
What happens if I pick a point while a tracking path is locked? It gets projected perpendicularly onto that locked path, rather than picked exactly where you clicked.
Why do some tracking lines show in different colours? Tracking paths parallel to the X, Y, or Z axis of the current coordinate system display in that axis’s own colour, set by COLORX, COLORY, or COLORZ.
How do I specify a point at a known offset from existing geometry, when there’s no actual entity there to snap to? Use temporary tracking points: press TK, the middle mouse button, or the Temporary tracking points snap mode when prompted for a point, then build the offset from an existing snap point.