"Jim Wilkins" on Sat, 7 Sep 2013 19:05:55 -0400
typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:
"Gunner Asch" wrote in message
.. .
Thats exactly why I retain a nice big drawing board behind me as I
type. And I have all sorts of Cad/Cam programs on hand. While
Cad/cam may be cooler and High Techy!...I have great..great
difficulty
in efficently using any of them to design something. Which I can
do
quickly and easily using the drafting table. Yah..I know..Im an
anachronism....shrug

And I do love computers...so this is..... odd.....

Gunner

I settled on entering the shape quickly and crudely in an offset
position, similar to a pencil sketch but being sure that a closed
outline really did close, and then individually moving each line
segment or corner to the proper location. The advantage is that if I
was moving say the vertical end of a rectangle in the X direction,
inadvertent Y mouse motion had no effect. It did require paying
attention to the grid and snap-to settings and care in making group
selections.

I tried something like that. Wound up with so many things which
need to be a set distance from each other ... setting 18 circles to
the same diameter, with another 18 concentric, and then another 24
half circles alternating convex / concave as they enclose the 18 ... I
gave up and sought another way.
I'm sure there is a way to do as you say. On less complex pieces
I do it that way. Just be careful when adjusting dimensions. Nothing
like having what was the right outside line, now a middle line.
--
pyotr filipivich
"With Age comes Wisdom. Although more often, Age travels alone."