D-Cam points - what's the point?

Thorvald,

I find the most useful part of using Assisting Geometry in DCam is to use the Object Related Points, under 4-2. These points are attached to the object that you relate them to, so if you move the object, the point will go with it.

The best application of this is when you are saving an object to your 3d library, under 1-5-1. The objects are saved to the library with the points, so when you want to place it in another position, you can have your point as a reference.

For example, I have saved sono tubes (cardboard tubes set on footings, then filled with concrete, that act as "piles" to support a point load) to my library with an object related point at the center of the top face of the tube. To place these tubes in my model, I turn on the axis' of my timbers, then call up these tubes from my library and select this center point. I can then quickly go around and "attach" a tube to the bottom of all the timbers that require a point load support.

To summarize, these points are just assisting geometry in the 3d workspace. They can be added and deleted without doing any damage to your model. To delete them, use 4-5 and either select them individually or use "x" on the keyboard and drag a window to select them all and delete.

dan

Cool tip, thanks