2013

Table Of Contents

Use the 3D UCS icon to help you visualize which plane these coordinates will

be projected on; the 3D UCS icon does not use a broken pencil icon.

Enter Coordinates to Specify Points

When a command prompts you for a point, you can use the pointing device

to specify a point, or you can enter a coordinate value at the command prompt.

Overview of Coordinate Entry

You can enter two-dimensional coordinates as either Cartesian (X,Y) or polar

coordinates. When dynamic input is on, you can enter coordinate values in

tooltips near the cursor.

Cartesian and Polar Coordinates

A Cartesian coordinate system has three axes, X, Y, and Z. When you enter

coordinate values, you indicate a point's distance (in units) and its direction

(+ or -) along the X, Y, and Z axes relative to the coordinate system origin

(0,0,0).

In 2D, you specify points on the XY plane, also called the work plane. The

work plane is similar to a flat sheet of grid paper. The X value of a Cartesian

coordinate specifies horizontal distance, and the Y value specifies vertical

distance. The origin point (0,0) indicates where the two axes intersect.

Polar coordinates use a distance and an angle to locate a point. With both

Cartesian and polar coordinates, you can enter absolute coordinates based on

the origin (0,0), or relative coordinates based on the last point specified.

Another method of entering a relative coordinate is by moving the cursor to

specify a direction and then entering a distance directly. This method is called

direct distance entry.

You can enter coordinates in scientific, decimal, engineering, architectural,

or fractional notation. You can enter angles in grads, radians, surveyor's units,

or degrees, minutes, and seconds. The UNITS command controls unit format.