Draw a line with relative angle to another line

[caigner]

Hi!

I need to draw a line with an angle to another line. The first line is at an "unknown" angle, and now I want to draw a line with (let's say) 75 degrees to this first line. How do I do this?

Thanks for your help.
Christian

[andrew]

There is a special tool for that: Draw > Line > Relative Angle:
http://qcad.org/doc/qcad/latest/referen ... ativeAngle

An angle of 0 could be used for a parallel, 90 for an orthogonal. The tool also works in relation to other entities such as arcs or ellipses.

[caigner]

Great! Exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks!

[chattermark]

There is a special tool for that: Draw > Line > Relative Angle:
http://qcad.org/doc/qcad/latest/referen ... ativeAngle

An angle of 0 could be used for a parallel, 90 for an orthogonal. The tool also works in relation to other entities such as arcs or ellipses.

Andrew,
thanks for that - just tried to apply it. Let's take the same starting situation like in this thread, then I want to add a segment of 100 units , 30° diverting from the previous segment. Choose the endpoint of that one as the start for the new, relative segment, bingo, it's there.

Now I want to add another reative segment at the same relative angle - but it just adds another 100 units in the same direction - and the temporary reference point (the red circle) remains at the end of the very first segment. in the attached example, I applied the tool twice, resulting in a 200 units long segment. Bug or feature?

My task: I want to transfer a manually made rod frame construction into a drawing - I have the angles between the rods and their length. Using this special tool looks like the right problem for this solution, but it seems to have some optimization headroom - or is my head above the ceiling level?

Cheers,

Ulli

[Clive]

After placing a line at a relative angle, right clicking the mouse button will take you back one step so that you can start over again, otherwise you will still be using the same 'set position' again.
I hear what you are saying here, seems buggy to me!

[chattermark]

Ooops, forgot to attach the simple example. I would not call it buggy, but yet to be re(de)fined.

[Clive]

I would not call it buggy, but yet to be re(de)fined.

Yes, upon reflection I would agree with you, thanks.

[Husky]

I would not call it buggy, but yet to be re(de)fined.

Yes, upon reflection I would agree with you, thanks.

Hmmm, maybe just me but isn't this tool working just logical?

[chattermark]

Ambiguity solved here. As Clive pointed to, there is this important right-click after placing the relative-angle-segment. If I do so, I can append a new segment at the end of the latest addition with a correct relative angle to the one of that last segment. Missing to do so keeps the direction of the first relative-angle-segment but allows to create new segments deliberately anywhere, also to the end of the previously added segment. Since the angle does not change then, it appears as a prolongation of that segment.
Other than when creating segments between two points (or segments with length and absolute angle), the new segment is not immediately closed here with a new red-circle-temp-reference point. Only right-clicking leads there.
Thus I also misinterpreted Clive's words

right clicking the mouse button will take you back one step so that you can start over again,

- as a non-native-english reader, I thought that would be something like an undo the last action - until I tried it now.

A somewhat more verbous explanation or even some examples like in the explicit QCAD-3-ebook would be appreciated. As one of our mechanics used to say, 'in the hands of the unexperienced, every tool becomes a hammer.'.

Thanks for your patience!

Cheers,
U.

[Husky]

Thanks for your patience!

No problem - I'm glad Clive was able to help you. Wünsche noch einen schönen "Rest-Sonntag"!