Entering Coordinates

When you are adding modeling or drawing entities (e.g. Add Polygonal Load, Add Excavation), 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 (e.g. snap options, undo, etc).

Keyboard Entry

Use the keyboard to type coordinates in the prompt line at the bottom right of the Settle3 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>

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 in the Plan View and click the left mouse button to enter a vertex. Note:

• The Snap options are very useful for the graphical entry of coordinates. 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 Coordinates of Last Vertex checkbox in the Plan View tab of the Display Options dialog, or click on the VERT OFF/VERT LAST button on the Status Bar.
• 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 Segment Length, Radius, Angles checkbox in the Plan View tab of the Display Options dialog, or click on the DIM button on the Status Bar.
• 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.

Coordinates can be imported into Settle3 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 option (e.g. Add Polygonal Load).

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:

• Undo
• Close Boundary
• Snap
• Arc
• Circle
• Mirror and Close