Place SmartLine

Used to place a chain of connected line segments and arc segments as individual elements or as a single line string, shape, circle, complex chain, or complex shape element. This tool supports all snap modes. See Snapping to tentative points on elements for information on snap modes.

Rounded vertices can be created by allowing the tool to automatically place an arc tangent to two adjacent line segments. You can also round between two arc segments, or between an arc segment and a line segment. If a rounded vertex cannot be created, a sharp one is created instead. (This is often a more convenient, though less versatile, way of placing an arc than directly drawing one as a segment.)

Tool Setting	Effect
Segment Type	Sets the type of segment. Lines — Sets line segments Arcs — Sets arc segments
Vertex Type	Sets the type of vertex. Sharp Rounded Chamfered If after snapping to the first vertex point and before accepting it, you change Vertex Type, the new setting applies only to the final vertex. (For information about snapping, see Tentative snap points.)
Rounding Radius	(with Vertex Type set to Rounded) If on, sets the arc radius for a rounded vertex. If after snapping to the first vertex point and accepting it, you change Rounding Radius, the new setting applies only to the next radius. If after snapping to the first vertex point but before accepting it, you change Rounding Radius, the new setting applies to the previously placed radius as well as the next radius.
Chamfer Offset	(with Vertex Type set to Chamfered) Sets the two distances required to define a chamfer. Chamfer Offset requires that the two chamfer distances be equal (from the theoretical intersection point).
Join Elements	If on, places segments as a single element. With a tentative snap on the first vertex point, the Closed Element settings appear. If off, places segments as individual elements. The Closed Element settings do not appear, and the individual segments can have different symbologies. Toggling this setting affects previously defined segments in the chain.
Closed Element	If on, accepting a tentative snap on the first vertex point closes the element. Otherwise, accepting such a tentative snap does not close the element.
Area	(with Closed Element on) Sets the Active Area — Solid or Hole.
Fill Type	(with Closed Element) Sets the Active Fill Type. None (no fill) Opaque (filled with Active Color) Outlined (filled with Fill Color)
Fill Color	(with Closed Element on) Sets the color with which the element is filled: If Fill Type is Opaque, the fill color is the Active Color. If Fill Type is Outlined, the fill color can be different from the Active Color.
Rotate AccuDraw to segments	(in SmartLine Placement Settings) If on, after you enter line segments, AccuDraw typically rotates its compass such that the x-axis aligns with the line that you just placed. Instead of turning off AccuDraw's “context sensitivity” feature which would stop this aligning behavior in all the tools, the Rotate AccuDraw to segments setting affects only the Place SmartLine tool.
Always start in line mode	(in SmartLine Placement Settings) If on, when you select the Place SmartLine tool, the segment type normally defaults to “Lines,” despite the last segment type used. If off, AccuDraw uses the last segment type that you used.

To place a chain of connected line segments and arc segments

Select the Place SmartLine tool.

From the Segment Type option menu, choose the segment type.

If this is the first segment, enter a data point to position the first vertex.

Enter data points to define the segment (follow the prompts in the status bar), snapping if necessary to previously defined segments. For information about snapping, see Tentative snap points.

Segment Type

Enter data points to

Similar to

Lines

Define endpoints of segments.

None

Arcs

Define center.

Define sweep angle.
see footnote 6

Place Arc

Segment Type	Enter data points to	Similar to
Lines	Define endpoints of segments.	None
Arcs	Define center. Define sweep angle. see footnote 6	Place Arc

To define another segment of the same type, return to step 4. If you snap to the first segment but are not completing a shape or complex shape, turn off Closed Element before accepting the tentative point.
or
To choose a different type of segment, return to step 2.
or
To complete a line, line string, arc, or complex chain, Reset.
or
To complete a shape, circle, or complex shape, snap to the first vertex point, and accept the tentative point.

The following table explains illustrations of the Place SmartLine tool starting at the top left and moving clockwise.

A	Constructing a line string by setting Segment Type to Lines, Vertex Type to Sharp, and entering data points 1 and 2.
B	Setting Vertex Type to Rounded and Rounding Radius to 3.00 causes the active vertex (at the location of data point 2) to be rounded with an arc. (If the data points entered do not allow a round of the specified radius, a sharp vertex is created. Only one vertex at a time is affected by the vertex settings.)
C	Setting Vertex Type to Chamfered and Chamfer Offset to 3.00.
D	After setting Vertex Type back to Rounded and entering data point 3, Segment Type is set to Arcs, and data point 4 is entered to define the arc center. The direction of the arc (clockwise or counterclockwise) is determined by swinging the pointer past the starting point. (The Vertex Type setting is disregarded.)
E	After entering data point 5 to complete the arc segment, setting Segment Type back to Lines and snapping a tentative point to the starting point tentatively closes the element. To continue without closing the element, turn off Close Element prior to accepting the tentative point. (While the tentative point is active it is possible to change the vertex settings of the final vertex without affecting other vertices — here they are set to Rounded and 1.50. It is also possible to turn on Fill and change other tool settings related to closed elements while the tentative point is active.)

Key-in: PLACE SMARTLINE

To choose SmartLine Placement Settings, click the arrow in the lower right corner of the tool settings window.

Place SmartLine is designed to be used with the versatile drafting aid, AccuDraw. See AccuDraw and the Place SmartLine Tool.

To negate the last data point — before Resetting (or otherwise completing the placement procedure) — without affecting previously defined segments, choose Undo from the Edit menu. (Choosing Undo after completing the procedure negates the entire chain.)

To combine contiguous open elements of any type into a complex chain (open) or complex shape (closed), use the Create Complex Chain tool or Create Complex Shape tool in the Groups tool box. (With Join Elements turned on, Place SmartLine automatically places multiple segments defined with it as a single element.)