Draft Constrain

Description
Draft Workbench tools allow you to pick points, distances, radiuses, and angles graphically by clicking on the 3D view with the pointer.

However, when these parameters need to be precise, it is possible to enter the exact Draft Coordinates in the dialog for the tool.

Another way of selecting more precise points is by constraining the movement of the pointer to a particular X, Y, or Z direction.

Horizontal and vertical constrains


To use constraining, hold the key while drawing. This forces the next point to be constrained horizontally or vertically in relation to the last point entered. The horizontal or vertical orientation depends on the position of the pointer when you pressed ; if you are more east or west from the last point, it will be horizontal; if you are more north or south, it will be vertical. To change the orientation, just release, move the pointer to a new location, and hold again.

Some tools, like Draft Offset and Draft Trimex use constraining differently. They do not constrain vertically or horizontally but use a different way more adapted to the particular tool, like for example constraining the operation to a certain polyline segment.

While constraining the movement of the pointer, the Taskview panel will lock the coordinate values that are not being modified. For example, if using a horizontal constraint, only the X value changes, while the Y and Z values remain at their original relative or absolute coordinates, depending on whether relative mode is active.