UNIT 5: AutoCAD Coordinate Systems

Objectives:
Be able to identify, describe and/or apply

Assignments/Quizzes/Tests
5-1 Relative coordinates
5-2 Polar coordinates

AutoCAD UCS
The Cartesian and Polar coordinate systems
Relative and polar coordinate point entry
systems to pick points in space and create
drawings

Unit 5 Test: AutoCAD Coordinate

Systems

UNIT 5: AutoCAD Coordinate Systems (UCS icon)

NOTE: Z will remain at

0 until you are
working in 3D space

In the bottom left hand corner of the drawing area is an icon,

known as the UCS icon. The icon looks like the illustration
on the left and shows 3 specific bits of information. First, the
icon contains a figure X and an arrow which points from left
to right along the bottom of the screen. Second, the icon
contains a figure Y and an arrow head which points from
bottom to top along the left hand side of the screen. These
first two parts of the icon indicate the position and direction
of the X and Y axes. As your cursor moves over the screen
area you can see the change in X and Y co-ordinates by
watching the co-ordinate status area at the bottom left of the
screen (X,Y,Z). X and Y co-ordinates increase in the
direction indicated by the UCS icon. By implication the Z
axis points straight out of the screen towards us. If you have
just opened a new drawing the Z co-ordinate will appear as
"0.0000" in the status bar and will not change as you move
the cursor because you are only moving in the XY Plane.

UNIT 5: AutoCAD Coordinate Systems (Coordinate Systems)

A good understanding of how co-ordinates
work in AutoCAD is absolutely crucial if you are
to make the best use of the program.
Co-ordinates fall into two types, namely
Cartesian and Polar.
Cartesian Coordinates
Despite the fancy title (named after the French
philosopher and mathematician
Ren Descartes 1596-1650), the Cartesian coordinate system is the standard co-ordinate
system. The position of a point can be
described by its distance from two axes, X and
Y. This results in a simple point description
using two numbers separated by a comma.

UNIT 5: AutoCAD Coordinate Systems (Coordinate Systems-Polar Coordinates)

Polar Coordinates

The main difference is that polar

coordinates use one distance and one
angle to describe the position of a point
rather than the two distances in the
Cartesian system. The distance and
angle measurements are made relative to
an origin.

UNIT 5: AutoCAD Coordinate Systems (Relative Coordinates)

Relative Coordinates
Points in space are created
Relative to the last point,
rather than from the origin.
When entering relative
coordinates at the Command
Line, the @ symbol must be
entered first.
NOTE: Relative coordinates
is assumed when using
Dynamic Input with default
settings

NOTE: Relative coordinates

work well if you know the
dimensions of the object you
are drawing

UNIT 5: Assignment 5-1: Relative Coordinate Systems

UNIT 5: AutoCAD Coordinate Systems (Polar Coordinates)

Polar Coordinates
Points in space are located
based on a distance from a
fixed point at a given
angle.
Angles are derived from the
standard AutoCAD
Convention that 0 degrees
is to the right, or East
Use the @ symbol to create
geometry relative to the
previous point. Use the Less
Than symbol < to enter an
angle

UNIT 5: Assignment 5-2: Polar Coordinate Systems

Polar Coordinates
Start Point 1,1
To Point B (@2<0)
To Point C (@.5<45)
To Point D (@3<0)
To Point E (@.5<315)
To Point F (@4<0)
To Point G (@2.5<90)
To Point H (@4.5<135)
To Point I (@.25<90)
To Point J (@4.5<45)
To Point K (@2.5<90)
To Point L (@4<180)
To Point M (@.75<260)
To Point N (@1.75<180)
To Point O (@.75<100)
To Point P (@3.6966<180)
To Point Q (@5<270)
To Point R (@2.5<30)
To Point S (@4.5<270)
To Point T (@2.5<150)
Right-click select "Close"