Well, with the advent of new ACS functionaliity in V8i many folks have been asking about it, and how does it exactly work? Let's start with some basics:
You can define new x‐ and y‐ axes in your design plane and save them as an auxiliary coordinate system (ACS). You can define several auxiliary coordinate systems and quickly choose any of them to use. At any time, you can make one ACS active per view.
ACS's are now View Independent, that is to say you can have a different ACS in each view.
Auxiliary coordinate systems can be particularly helpful in 3D design, where they facilitate placing elements on planes at different depths and orientations. By using an ACS that corresponds to the location and orientation of a particular element, you can enter data points relative to that element rather than the global origin.
But do not overlook their value in 2D, when you wish to save a specific rotation.
So the main thing to understand is that a view's ACS is completely independent of any named ACS, the name is just a helpful hint as to how it was setup that is only valid as long as nothing is changed.
MicroStation V8i no longer has a Depth Lock. It is replaced by the ACS Plane Lock. The ACS always defines your working plane now, it is not going to be some static thing that you just leave at 0,0,0 with an identity rotation and never use.
To mimic depth lock you can setup a view independent ACS, which is the default for files that did not have ACS Plane Lock enabled and what the set active depth tool now does. Then turn on ACS Plane Snap from Settings > Locks > ACS Plane and ACS Plane Snap or use AccuDraw shortcuts LP, LA and/or LS.
Some Frequently Asked Questions:
Well, there is much more here like AccuDraw and ACS's and using the ACS tools ... more on that in later blog ... happy drafting!
Samir, can you give an update on Accudraw with some graphics please? You must have something available from the conference especially for us poor souls who cannot attend?
thanks
Charlie McGowan
Hatch Ltd
this article needs pictures or demo gif's or something because its confusing as hell.
just need to cover the very basics please
thanks!