2004

104 | Chapter 9 Specify Units, Angles, and Scale
Set Angle Conventions
You can specify the measurement conventions for angles so that positive
values of angles are measured either clockwise or counterclockwise, and
angle 0 can be set to any position. You can enter angles using grads, radians,
or surveyor's units or using degrees, minutes, and seconds.
If you use surveyor's angles when specifying polar coordinates, indicate
whether the surveyor's angles are in the north, south, east, or west direction.
For example, to enter a coordinate relative to the current coordinate for a
property line that is 72 feet, 8 inches long with a bearing of 45 degrees north,
20 minutes, 6 seconds east, enter
@72'8"<n45d20'6"e
To set the angle format and precision
1 From the Format menu, choose Units.
2 In the Drawing Units dialog box under Angle, select an angle type and
precision.
The Sample Output area shows an example of the angle type at the current
precision.
3 Select Direction to specify an angle direction.
The angle direction controls the point from which AutoCAD measures
angles and the direction in which they're measured. The default starting
angle, 0 degrees, is toward 3 o'clock (or east), and positive angle measure-
ment is counterclockwise.
4 Select the options you want to use, and choose OK to exit each dialog box.
Command line
UNITS
Draw to Scale
When you draft on paper, you determine the scale before you start drawing.
This scale compares the size of the drawn object to the actual size of the
object the drawing represents. For example, each quarter inch in an architec-
tural drawing might equal one foot in the floor plan of a house. The scale you
choose must allow the drawing of the object to fit on the paper.