Knowledge Base

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Drawing Features Using the Mouse

Updated December 15, 2021

There are three modes used to create and edit points on a feature.

	Entry mode – New points are inserted at either end of the current feature.
	Insert mode+ - New points are inserted in between existing points.
	Edit mode- Existing points are edited.

This example demonstrates basic drawing operations using the mouse. Edit and entry modes will be used to draw and modify a feature.

1. File | Open <Terrain>\CAD\drawing.terx.

Figure 1: File Drawing.terx Open in Terrrain Tools

2. We are going to create a new feature using Plan | New Feature button.

3. From the dialog, select the Mouse button.

The Entry mode cursor appears in the Plan Window indicating that a mouse click will create the first point of your new feature. The menu Edit-New Feature provides an alternate method.

Note: Features can also be created Plan | Draw Feature button | Mouse button. Boxes Displayed, Connected, Modelled boxes should be checked.

Without Elevations box selected the line will be at the elevations of the existing points this is known as a draped feature. If the Elevations box is selected the line can be drawn in at any elevation.

Over the next few steps, we will create the drawing as shown in the figure below

Figure 2: Creating a New Feature

Steps to create the drawing:

4. To make this easier (and more precise), we will first turn on the ‘Snap to point/line’. Select the Plan | Plan Options button. On the general tab of the Plan Options dialog, check Snap to point/line. Press Ok.

1. Locate the symbol labeled “1A”; move your mouse cursor over it. Left-click on point, a new point is created and the cursor changes to a cross. The red cross-hair representing the position of the new point is tied to the mouse – we say the point is captured. Notice that the snap cursor appears.

2. Join the points by left-clicking and snapping to “2A”:

3. Join point 2A to 4A by left-clicking on point 4A.

Note: To undo any point, use the undo arrow button on the left-hand side at the top of the screen or <ctrl + Z>.

Your screen should now look like the figure below.

Figure 3: Drawing with Mouse

5. Move the cursor over the line segment between 2A and 4A. Notice the cursor changes to the insert cursor. Left-click to insert point somewhere in the middle between 2A and 4A.

6. Move mouse upwards to point 3, and left-click to anchor the new point.

7. Move the cursor over the point labeled 5A and left-click twice to add a new point.

You should now see a ‘W’ as shown in the figure below.

Figure 5: Completed W, Points Connected with Mouse

8. Try to change the ‘W’ to an ‘M’ as in the figure below:

Figure 6: Completed M Connected with Mouse

9. If required the steps to create this drawing are:

10. Move the Entry mode cursor over “1A”. The entry mode cursor changes to edit point mode and the Edit cursor now appears over 1A.

11. Left-click over symbol “1A”, the cursor will attach to the line segment.

12. Move the Edit cursor over symbol “1B” and left-click again. This will attach the line segment to this point.

13. Repeat the above steps moving points “2A to 2B, 4A to 4B, and 5A to 5B”.

Note: When a point is captured it can be released by pressing the <esc> key and deleted by pressing the <delete> key. If the point is anchored and the <delete> key is pressed the entire feature will be deleted.

14. File | New, do not save changes. Continue to the next tutorial.