Entering Coordinates
When you are adding boundaries, there are various methods of entering the x,y coordinates. You can use:
- The keyboard (prompt line)
- The mouse (graphical entry)
- A coordinate table
- Import from a file
or any combination of the above. There are also many useful options available through the right-click menu or the prompt line, which aid in the entering of boundaries (snap options, drawing arcs, circles etc). See the Additional Options section below for a summary.
Boundaries in RS2 are modeled by a series of straight-line segments defined by x,y coordinates. The coordinate system uses the convention: X is horizontal and positive to the right and Y is vertical and positive upwards.
Keyboard Entry
Use the keyboard to type coordinates in the prompt line at the bottom right of the RS2 application window. Simply type in x,y coordinate pairs, and press Enter for each pair. For example:
Enter vertex [...]: 5,5 < Enter>
Enter vertex [...]: 5,10 < Enter>
Note: you may use either a comma or a space to separate the x,y values in the prompt line.
RELATIVE COORDINATES
In the prompt line, it is possible to enter coordinates as relative distances, rather than the actual coordinate values (i.e. you can define the location of a vertex by entering the relative x,y distances from the last vertex entered). To enter relative coordinates:
- Type the @ symbol in the prompt line, followed by the relative x,y distances from the last vertex, and press Enter.
- Example: if you enter @2,2 in the prompt line, a new vertex will be added which is 2 units to the right and 2 units above the last vertex.
RELATIVE COORDINATES (DISTANCE AND ANGLE)
You can also enter a vertex by defining the distance and direction (angle) from the last vertex entered. This is done as follows:
- Type the @ symbol in the prompt line, followed by the distance (absolute value), followed by the < symbol, followed by the angle (in degrees), and press Enter.
- Example: if you enter @2<45 in the prompt line, a new vertex will be added which is a distance of 2 units from the last vertex, in a direction of 45 degrees.
Graphical Entry
Coordinates can be graphically entered with the mouse. Move the cursor to a desired location and click the left mouse button to enter a vertex. Note:
- The Snap options are very useful for the graphical entry of boundaries. See the Snap topic for details.
- The cursor coordinates are always displayed in the right-most box of the Status Bar. The cursor coordinates can also be interactively displayed beside the cursor, if you select the Show coordinates when adding geometry check box in the Preferences dialog in the File menu.
- The Length and Angle between the current cursor location, and the last vertex entered, can be interactively displayed on the screen, if you select the Show length, angles when adding geometry check box in the Preferences dialog in the File menu.
- While using the mouse, be sure to take advantage of the options available in the right-click menu.
Coordinate Table
Coordinates can also be typed, pasted or imported into a Coordinate Table. To access the Coordinate Table while you are entering a boundary:
- Right-click and select Coordinate Table from the popup menu, OR
- Type t followed by Enter in the prompt line.
You will see the Coordinate Table dialog, which presents a mini-spreadsheet for entering or editing x,y coordinates. In this dialog you can enter, edit, import or export coordinates as described below.
ENTER/EDIT COORDINATES
You can enter x,y coordinates in blank rows of the spreadsheet, or edit the existing coordinates. The order of the rows determines the order of the vertices in the polyline.
Notice the editing tools at the top of the dialog - Select All, Cut, Copy, Paste, Insert Row, Delete Row, Append Rows.
IMPORT FROM FILE
To import x,y coordinates from a file, select the Import button in the Coordinate Table dialog. You will see an Open File dialog. You can import coordinates from a Comma, Tab or Space de-limited text file. Each row of the file must contain one x,y coordinate pair, separated by a comma, tab or space.
NOTE: Boundaries can be imported into RS2 from a DXF file, however this is done with the Import DXF option in the File menu, not with the Coordinate Table dialog.
EXPORT TO FILE
You can also export the current coordinates in the dialog, to a Comma delimited text file, by selecting the Export button in the Coordinate Table dialog. You will see a Save As dialog. Enter a file name and save the file.
When you are finished with the dialog select OK. The boundary will be defined by the coordinates entered in the Coordinate Table, and you will be returned to the current add boundary option.
Additional Options
While entering boundaries, various options are available in the right-click menu or by typing single-letter commands in the prompt line (applicable commands are listed in the prompt line). These include: