Start + End + Dir

Draw an arc calculated from the start point, end point and the tangent vector at the start point.

This function allows you to draw an arc, by entering the start and end points of the arc and specifying a direction. You can use the cursor to define the angle or enter the angle from the keyboard. Alternatively, you can specify the radius of the arc.

Procedure

1. You are prompted to:

Indicate start point of arc

2. Position the cursor over the desired start point and click or press [Enter].

3. You are prompted to:

Indicate end point of arc

A line is drawn from the start point to the cursor, representing a chord of the arc.

4. Position the cursor on the end point for the arc and click or press [Enter]. You can jump to the desired point or use the snaps.

5. You are prompted to:

The arc shows with a line representing the tangent. Only the direction of the tangent affects the arc and not the length i.e. distance from the start point.

6. You can drag the tangent to the desired position for the required arc.

The curve is either concave as above, or convex as below, depending on which direction you drag the tangent in.

7. Position the cursor along the desired tangent line for the arc and click or press [Enter].

8. The function repeats and you can continue to draw the next arc.

9. You can also specify if you want to draw the arc by Arc angle or by Arc radius. To select one of these options, select the appropriate radio button.

10. You can now click in the text box, or press [Tab] to move into the text box, and then input the text.

11. When you select Arc angle and click ..., you can select the method for specifying the arc angle in the dropdown list.

The Arc angle is the angle from the start point to the centre point to the end point.

A 90° angle has been used below.

12. Right-click and select Quit to end the function. Alternatively, press [Esc].