Line Drawing - End The Line and NOT Exit The Tool?

larry_hawes

OK I will test the theory that there are no dumb questions but this has baffled me forever....Is there a way to end a line with the escape key and not exit the tool? I thought I saw a method but cannot recall. If I am drawing a const. line and want to draw another, I hit escape which exits the line and the tool, and then have to re-select the line/const. tool again. Or??

Thank you

owen_sparks

If you're drawing single line (only one segment, not multiple segments joined as a polly-line) then a left click and hold at the start point, then drag to end position and release, will result in the line being escaped and the tool remaining active to be able to draw another line.

I'm not aware of a method to draw a multi segment line, escape and keep the tool active.  Pressing the "L" key will escape the current line, so a double press will escape and start another...

Doesn't really give you the answer you want I feel :-:smile:

Owen S.

pmd

If you double-click the final point in a Line it will finish the poly-line and leave you in line mode.

If you have already single-clicked and want to end the poly-line but stay in Line just click on the end vertex again which does the same thing.

owen_sparks

If you're drawing single line (only one segment, not multiple segments joined as a polly-line) then a left click and hold at the start point, then drag to end position and release, will result in the line being escaped and the tool remaining active to be able to draw another line.

I'm not aware of a method to draw a multi segment line, escape and keep the tool active.  Pressing the "L" key will escape the current line, so a double press will escape and start another...

Doesn't really give you the answer you want I feel :-:smile:

Owen S.

pmd

If you double-click the final point in a Line it will finish the poly-line and leave you in line mode.

If you have already single-clicked and want to end the poly-line but stay in Line just click on the end vertex again which does the same thing.

larry_hawes

AHA!! Thanks Owen... Just never knew that. I have another CAD program where holding the left mouse button down through the line drawing process is the norm and I'm always switching methods between programs but will try and remember this method, where applicable, for OS.

Does seem like it would be cool to be able to escape multiple segment lines with the escape key and NOT exit the line tool. Now adding 'L' to my short cuts.

Thanks again

larry_hawes

pmd said:

If you double-click the final point in a Line it will finish the poly-line and leave you in line mode.

If you have already single-clicked and want to end the poly-line but stay in Line just click on the end vertex again which does the same thing.

Brilliant, I'm sure that's documented somewhere, but no where I could find after a long search for same... THANK YOU..

Curious, are these techniques that most people seem to know, learned through some sort of osmotic interaction with the program? Or is there a source for us boneheads to learn such things?

larry_hawes

owen_sparks said:

If you're drawing single line (only one segment, not multiple segments joined as a polly-line) then a left click and hold at the start point, then drag to end position and release, will result in the line being escaped and the tool remaining active to be able to draw another line.

I'm not aware of a method to draw a multi segment line, escape and keep the tool active.  Pressing the "L" key will escape the current line, so a double press will escape and start another...

Doesn't really give you the answer you want I feel :-:smile:

Owen S.

Here's what I REALLY dislike about the 'L' key and the inability to customize hot keys (or least I don't know of a way in OS). I'm right handed and use my left hand for short cut keys. The 'L' key is in a horrible spot for such things. I've customized my Q, W, A, S, Z, X keys in another program as they fall to my left hand very nicely.

The 'L' key although it's a very nice 'L'ine reminder really sucks for such things.

Can't be the first one to want customized hot keys? I'll do another search....

Cris_Bowers

I just tested this and escape just ends the line without exiting the tool for me. Pressing escape again does nothing, I expected it to close the tool. You can also right click after placing the end point and select the escape line option, which will keep the tool open. So there are lots of ways to do this.

The closest we have to customizing keys is customizing the shortcut toolbar. If you haven't set it up, you can do it for sketch, part studio, assembly, and drawings. Access it by pressing the "S" key. It will pull up a shortcut toolbar by your mouse cursor. Go to My account>Preferences and scroll down until you see it, then check what you want to add or remove from it.

larry_hawes

Not sure why our systems would work differently. The escape key both ends the line and exits the tool. Right clicking 'escape line' both ends the line and exits the tool. We must be doing a different task in a different way.

Holding the left mouse button through the line draw simply ends the line draw without exiting the tool and double clicking the end of the line ends the line and leave the tool active, at least on my computer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCWPmAmPho8

Cris_Bowers

You're right. I had a brain fart and was thinking it was exiting the sketch for you.

larry_hawes

  

chrisjh777

Thanks @pmd This has bugged me for years.