How to draw (lines or walls) parallel to another on the fly?

[MarCur]

let's say I'm drawing a wall starting from a given point and I want the drawn entity to be snapping to something like to a parallel reference from another already drawn item (line, wall, slab border)… how?

 

Samrt cursor parallel hint pops up only if the starting point is on the "snapping" item.
The  "Constrain parallel" tool is not what I would choose.

 

I'm referring to a simple snapping to parallel like the one used in other software like. Archicad and Rhinoceros.

[Tom W.]

You can set a Datum point by hitting the G key then typing in the desired offset in the floating data bar.

 

Or you can set a snap offset in the Smart Edge Snap Settings.

[MarCur]

not pretty so immediate as I was referring: in Rhino and Archicad you just start the drawing by clicking the first point, than you choose the snapping to parallel and you can click on the reference object. So everything made graphically without typing any value.

 

Isn't this possible in VW?

[Tom W.]

I think I've misunderstood what you're asking. Can you post a screenshot or movie? Reading again I think you're saying you start drawing a Wall + you want to end it so it aligns with another object. To do this I'd start the Wall then move the cursor over the the other object to activate the extension line then end the Wall on that line.

 

Originally I thought you were talking about starting drawing a Wall a specified distance from another object.

 

[MarCur]

23 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

Reading again I think you're saying you start drawing a Wall + you want to end it so it aligns with another object. To do this I'd start the Wall then move the cursor over the the other object to activate the extension line then end the Wall on that line.

 

 

That's exactly what I mean, but there's no way it's working for me.

 

 

[Tom W.]

Do you have Smart Edge enabled in your Snap settings? I have mine set so I get a Smart Edge just by hovering over an edge, then you can snap parallel to the Smart Edge.

 

[MarCur]

Tom, 

I got what you mean but it's not properly what I was looking for.

Your approach needs a value offset to be entered in the snapping dialog prior to start drawing.

 

I was looking for a more flexible way to design:

I've surrounding objets/polys etc, I start a new line somewhere freely on the plan (first click) and I wish I could than do the second click so that I end up with a line/wall parallel to a choosen item

[Tom W.]

Is this not what you're trying to do:

 

 

 

Ignore the 'Snap to Offset' value: that's something else.

[MarCur]

watched your video, discovered that to make this work I need to hold down SHIFT key once the drawing process starts to have the parallel relative to extension line (that I supposed was only to be used to snap to set angle snapping in the dialog!!!!).

Is that correct?

[Tom W.]

Holding down Shift will restrict the snapping to the angles set in the Angle Snap Settings. You shouldn't need to use shift to get a parallel snap, you should automatically get 'Edge' displayed in the smart cursor cue when you're parallel. You just need to move the cursor until 'Edge' appears, then you know you're parallel

[MarCur]

Gotcha,

the "Snap to Angle" needs to be active anytime to make it works as you showed me without the need of pressing the shift key.

Thx

[htranbos]

On 3/22/2023 at 7:01 AM, Tom W. said:

Do you have Smart Edge enabled in your Snap settings? I have mine set so I get a Smart Edge just by hovering over an edge, then you can snap parallel to the Smart Edge.

 

This works for me. Thank you!

[zoomer]

"T" key is the official general VW drawing support for your problem

and the main intention of the "T" key.

 

 

As I mostly have to deal with 90° perpendicular/rectilinear Walls only,

I usually just misuse the "T" key to lock only to only a single X, Y or Z axis.

Which was the only way to do so, until we got the 3D Giszmo,

now even available for standard Selection/Drag Tool.

 

 

On 3/22/2023 at 10:27 AM, MarCur said:

let's say I'm drawing a wall starting from a given point and I want the drawn entity to be snapping to something like to a parallel reference from another already drawn item (line, wall, slab border)… how?

 

 

But in VW there are often workarounds. Often by using Tools other than intended ...

 

Or in this case, if I want to draw a Wall  in the same arbitrary angle like another Wall ....

I would just copy the initial Wall to the new point and adapt its dimensions, change its

Wall Style if necessary or whatever needed - before I try to  find the recommended way ...