The UCS Manager

Introduction

The UCS (user coordinate system) Manager is used to create and modify user coordinate systems. By default these include Top (X/Y), Front (X/Z), and Side (Y/Z). When you set a UCS as the active UCS, the coordinate system (not the WCS indicator) in the Workspace is updated to reflect the selected UCS. CAD geometry is created using the Active UCS.

TIP:   The default Top (X/Y) UCS is the WCS or world coordinate system for BobCAD-CAM. The WCS coordinate system indicator displays in the lower-left corner of the Workspace, and it is always in reference to the Top (X/Y) UCS regardless of the Active UCS. When this Help system references the WCS, it is referring to the fixed Top (X/Y) UCS.

Navigation

The default location of the Layer-UCS-Post Manager is the lower-left corner of the user interface. Click the UCS tab to access the UCS Manager.

The Shortcut Menu

You right-click anywhere in the UCS window, or the UCS name, to access a shortcut menu with the following commands.

• Add New UCS - adds a new UCS to the list and opens the Create UCS dialog box in the Data Entry tab for you to define the new UCS.
• Active UCS - sets the selected UCS as the active UCS.
• Rename UCS - enable editing of  the UCS description for you to type a new name.
• Modify UCS - opens the Modify UCS dialog box in the Data Entry tab for you to change the location of the selected UCS.
• Delete UCS - removes the selected UCS from the list. You can't delete the default (Top, Front, or Side) work planes.

The Create UCS Dialog Box Parameters

When you click Add New UCS, the following parameters display in the Data Entry tab.

• Snap - uses a snap point, that you select in the Workspace, to set the origin (X0Y0Z0) location of the UCS.
• 3-Points - uses three points, that you select in the Workspace, to create the UCS.
• Move - enables the X, Y, and Z boxes for you to define the origin of the UCS.
• Planar Face - enables the selection of a planar face to define the UCS location.
• Cylind. Face - enables the selection of a cylindrical face to define the UCS location.

• Direction 1 - sets the direction from the selected cylindrical face. If this doesn't create the desired result, select Direction 2, and select the face again.

• Rotate - enables the X, Y, and Z boxes for you to type angle values, by which the UCS is rotated.

The Modify UCS Dialog Box Parameters

The Modify UCS dialog box contain many of the same parameters as the Create UCS dialog box. The difference being that the parameters are used to modify an existing UCS. Some of the parameters include an Absolute option for defining coordinate values from the WCS, instead of incremental values from the current position.

• Snap - uses a snap point, that you select in the Workspace, to modify the origin (X0Y0Z0) location of the UCS.
• 3-Points - uses three points, that you select in the Workspace, to modify the UCS.
• Move - enables the X, Y, and Z boxes for you to define an incremental value, from the current location, by which to move the UCS.

• Absol. - sets the XYZ coordinates to absolute values, based on the WCS (world coordinate system).

• Planar Face - enables the selection of a planar face to define the new UCS location.
• Cylind. Face - enables the selection of a cylindrical face to define the new UCS location.

• Direction 1 - sets the direction from the selected cylindrical face. If this doesn't create the desired result, select Direction 2 and click the face again.

• Rotate - enables the X, Y, and Z boxes for you to type angle values, by which the UCS is rotated. The values are incremental from the current location. To make these absolute values from the WCS, click Absol.

• Absol. - sets the XYZ coordinates to absolute values, based on the WCS (world coordinate system).

Setting the Active UCS

The UCS that is selected when you open a CAD function determines the drawing plane.

To set the Active UCS, do one of the following:

• Right-click the UCS name, and click Active Layer.

• Double-click the UCS name.

• Click the UCS icon ().

When you set the active UCS, the UCS icon changes to the Active UCS icon.

Related Topics

Getting to Know the User Interface

The Layer-UCS-Post Manager

How to Create User Coordinate Systems (UCS)