Saving changes in Drawing or Application Preferences

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petevick
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Re: Saving changes in Drawing or Application Preferences

Post by petevick » Fri Jun 03, 2022 8:10 pm

try changing the Meta Grid Spacing as auto for both X and Y
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Husky
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Re: Saving changes in Drawing or Application Preferences

Post by Husky » Fri Jun 03, 2022 9:21 pm

We are walking in circles ...

Note: The grid density will change regarding to the zoom levels for practicality and performance reason. With your current grid settings your drawing 72'x36' would be covered with 373248 snap point and a grid line density which would change the drawing into a white canvas. Impossible to work with! That is the reason why QCAD will autocratically adjust the grid density.
a40 wrote:
Fri Jun 03, 2022 7:40 pm
It seems that drawing the shape out with the tool, and snapping it to the desired point, would not be practical, and I would have to use only the tools that allow drawing to a specified distance.
Ok, for some reason you need to stick to your 1 inch snap approach - but you are right, that isn't practical.

However - many roads lead to Rome. Can you explain how you would like to draw a line from the left to the horizontal right and where you need to snap?
a40 wrote:
Fri Jun 03, 2022 7:40 pm
I like the tools and capabilities of QCAD. I'm not sure about the practicality for floor plans
Many Architects are working with QCAD because of the capability to do draw floor planes the traditional way. Your approach to use a 1 inch grid for a 72' by 36' layout isn't traditional ... :wink:
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CVH
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Re: Saving changes in Drawing or Application Preferences

Post by CVH » Fri Jun 03, 2022 9:22 pm

Hi,
Grid are the dots.
With SA or SG one can snap to the grid.

Meta Grid are the continuous lines simply as a hint and one can't snap to them.
Off course they run over grid points when the settings match up.

I agree that a 10 based ruler step may look odd for imperial but some may want just that.
With Husky's settings you get it 12 based.
a40 wrote:
Fri Jun 03, 2022 7:40 pm
Maybe I am being unrealistic to work in 1" increments on a viewport that is showng about 72'x36'
Yes indeed, 864 dots horizontally would fill up 45% of the pixels on a full HD screen.
Or about 25% of a 4K screen.
The grid is zoom state depended to prevent that.

Zooming in/out is the next thing aside moving in X/Y.
Zoomed out for an overview and in for verifying but also for editing in detail.
All tools allow zooming in between.

You mentioned zoom steps ... e.g. the plus and minus key ...
... Using a mouse with wheel it handles very intuitive.
When the grid is not precise enough, simply roll ... zoom in on the spot.

All that is for drawing grid based.
One can also draw in absolute values or in relative values or using polar notation.


Regards,
CVH

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ryancousins
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Re: Saving changes in Drawing or Application Preferences

Post by ryancousins » Sun Jun 05, 2022 10:17 am

a40 wrote:
Fri Jun 03, 2022 5:36 pm
So I'm thinking I can't view and work on the whole floor plan with a 1" grid and snap in QCAD. And that the grid and snap can't be independently set, so that zooming (which is necessary to see the full plan) would simply enlarge or shrink the grid.
Perhaps what you're looking for is in Edit>Application Preferences>Graphics View>Grid
Un-check the "Automcatically scale grid" and "Automatically scale meta grid" options.

Then set either your grid and/or meta grid spacing to 1" and your grid snap will remain every 1" regardless of your zoom level. Maybe a grid spacing of 1" and a meta grid spacing of say 12" would be ideal?

Is this what you're hoping for? :wink:

a40
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Re: Saving changes in Drawing or Application Preferences

Post by a40 » Mon Jun 06, 2022 8:25 am

YES!
I did have grid x and y both set to 1 (I guess that means 1"). Also had meta set to 12 and 12. And drawing unit was set to Inch, Inch, Imperial.
By making the changes you suggested, I could tell from watching the mouse pointer something changed, although both the grid and the ruler disappeared. I then tried selecting "Solid grid lines", and suddenly I could see the grid, though still no ruler.

So now it's like I'm drawing on a large piece of graph paper with a 12" grid, and I have a practical frame of reference for something the size of a building. And you're absolutely right that the grid stays as is no matter the zoom level.

For working on a floor plan, unless I'm drawing an exploded detail, I would almost never zoom in. I would zoom out about 14 times to start a floor plan. It would have larger entities, walls, tables, etc. A lot of them would line up with the grid. Sometimes it would be a fraction of a foot, and for those times, I can specify a distance. I realized I needed to multiply the number of feet times 12 to specify a distance. But the field will accept decimals. So I can achieve fractions of a foot pretty easily.

So this is progress. Thank you very much for taking the time.

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petevick
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Re: Saving changes in Drawing or Application Preferences

Post by petevick » Mon Jun 06, 2022 9:02 am

a40 wrote:
Mon Jun 06, 2022 8:25 am
Also had meta set to 12 and 12.
At the risk of repeating myself - https://www.qcad.org/rsforum/viewtopic. ... 593#p37577 , try changing the meta x,y to Auto
Pete Vickerstaff
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CVH
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Re: Saving changes in Drawing or Application Preferences

Post by CVH » Mon Jun 06, 2022 3:15 pm

a40 wrote:
Mon Jun 06, 2022 8:25 am
I did have grid x and y both set to 1 (I guess that means 1").
You don't have to guess in Drawing Prefs .. Grid, the unit is displayed aside the drop down boxes.

I can reproduce the ruler disappearing for some settings.
Sometimes it stays on until one zooms in/out, and then it will not come back.

I start to understand what you want in detail but I can't come up with a matching setting.
Solid grid lines is nothing else then lines instead of a string of dots.
One can only snap to the dots or at the intersections of the lines.
a40 wrote:
Mon Jun 06, 2022 8:25 am
I realized I needed to multiply the number of feet times 12 to specify a distance. But the field will accept decimals.
The field, and many other, will also accept mathematical equations. :wink:

Regards,
CVH

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ryancousins
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Re: Saving changes in Drawing or Application Preferences

Post by ryancousins » Mon Jun 06, 2022 3:25 pm

a40 wrote:
Mon Jun 06, 2022 8:25 am
I realized I needed to multiply the number of feet times 12 to specify a distance.
This is true if your drawing unit is inches. Instead of multiplying, however, you can simply add the foot symbol ' after your number and QCAD will do the multiplication for you. :lol:

a40
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Re: Saving changes in Drawing or Application Preferences

Post by a40 » Tue Jun 14, 2022 10:22 pm

Thank you.

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