The more you know about how your software works, the better off you will be… wouldn’t you agree? Today’s article will provide you with a basic explanation of what the User Coordinate System (UCS) is, explain the UCS Manager, and will show where to find the UCS Manager. Additionally, I will also provide a brief introduction to the Data Entry Manager in BobCAD. Let’s dive right in.
A UCS is a coordinate system whose X, Y, Z zero positions have been redefined to make the current drawing, or at least the current portion of the design, easier to draw for the user. Not only can the location of the X, Y, Z zeros be redefined, the vector direction (or orientation) of the UCS itself can also be redefined.
UCS Manager Location
The UCS Manager is located, by default, on the right side of the application, docked with the BobCAD Live Manager, the Layer Manager, and the Posting Manager. The location of the UCS Manager, however, can be adjusted to preference, as explained in the “How To Use Your Docking Panes” Tech Tuesday article. The UCS Manager allows you to select between existing user coordinate systems, to modify existing user coordinate systems, and to create new user coordinate systems. The default user coordinate systems are Top (X/Y), Front (X/Z), and Side (Y/Z). The default coordinate systems cannot be modified, but others can be created, and at any point in the drawing process, you can click on a particular UCS in the UCS Manager to make that the active coordinate system. When you set a UCS as active, the coordinate system in the graphics area is updated to reflect the selected UCS. CAD geometry is always created using the X, Y, and Z zeros of the Active UCS.
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The Data Entry Manager is located, by default, on the left side of the application, docked with the CAD Tree Manager, the CAM Tree Manager, and the BobART Manager. The location of the Data Entry Manager, however, can be adjusted to preference, as explained in the “How To Use Your Docking Panes” article. When starting a file from scratch, the Data Entry Manager is, most likely, the first Manager pane you will be introduced to. When you first select a CAD creation tool, its parameters will automatically be opened in the Data Entry Manager. Through the Data Entry Manager, you will make choices and enter data as necessary, and either cancel out of the function or choose another function to use.
Note: Did you know you can use the Input Boxes in the Data Entry manager as a calculator? Make simple, quick calculations in a matter of moments without leaving the software! Learn more in the video below.
There you have it! Now that you know a little bit more about the functions in the software that are there to simplify your programming, creating code should be that much easier. If you don’t have our latest CNC software, click the link below for a full trial version & see the difference BobCAD can make in your shop.
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