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24 Chapter 10: Precision and Drawing Aids
Selection
You can select a tape-measure object from either
end, or from the middle. When you click the
connecting line, both ends of the tape object
become selected so you can move them as one.
Note that the same is true of target cameras and
lights.
Note: Line selection is available only when clicking
w ith the mouse. Region selection doesn’t work
for this.
Tip: TheLengthreadoutofthetapeobjectis
displayed in the Modify panel only when you select
thetapeendoftheobject(asopposedtothetarget
or link line). You can lock t he Length display by
activating the Pin Stack button while the tape end
is selected, and then proceed to adjust any p art of
the tape object or any other object in your scene.
See also
Measure Distance Tool (page 2–15)
Pr ocedur es
To measure a distance:
1.
Click Tape and drag from one point to create
the tape, and then drag to a second point and
release the mouse button to create the target.
Thedistancebetweentapeandtargetappears
intheLengthfield.ThenumberintheLength
field is gray to indicate that this is a read-only
measurement.
Note: To snap the tape ends to object vertices,
edges and so on, turn on
Snap (page 2–35) with
the appropriate snap settings activated.
2. Move either end to a new location. The line
between stretches to t he new distance, shown
in the Length field.
Note: For a ccur ate results when moving a tape
endpoint with Snap, you must turn on Pivot
in the Snap Sett ings panel as well as the types
of sub-object you want to snap to; see
Snaps
(page 2–38)
.Thisisbecausetheendpointsare
actua lly pivots.
To set a distance:
• TurnonSpecifyLengthintheParameters
rollout, enter a length, and then create the tape.
The connector line is the length you specified,
althou gh you can still set the t arget to any
offset by dragging. You can reorient this line as
required.
Note: Clearing Specify Length will adjust the
connector line leng th to meet the target and the
new leng th appears in the Length field.
Interfa ce
Parameters rollout
Lengt h—Specifiesthelengthofthetapeobject.
YoumustselecttheSpecifyLengthcheckboxto
enable this option.
Specify Length—A ctivates the Length parameter
setting. Otherwise the tape object’s length will be
specified by clicking and dragging in the viewport.