Measure
Measure distances, paths, areas, radii, angles and slopes by clicking points in the view, read the coordinates of a point, and list everything the program knows about one object. Results of the measuring tools stay on screen in a table until you clear them.
Distance
Measures between points you click. The tool has four modes: distance, path, area and radius. Each finished measurement is kept in a table in the view and its numbers are also written to the command line.
Where to find it
Tools tab → Measure group → Distance (Distance).
How to
- Click Distance. The tool is armed and an anchor marker follows the cursor to show where the first point will land. Click the button again to leave the tool.
- Click the points. Distance mode finishes by itself on the second click, radius mode on the third.
- For a path (two or more points) or an area (three or more points) press Enter or double-click to finish.
- Press Esc to drop the shape in progress. Finished measurements stay.
Modes
Right-click in the view to switch the mode. The menu offers the modes other than the current one:
| Menu item | Points | What is measured |
|---|---|---|
| Measure distance | 2 | One segment |
| Measure path | 2 or more, finish with Enter | Every leg and the total |
| Measure area | 3 or more, finish with Enter | Plan area, area along the surface and perimeter |
| Measure radius | 3 | Radius and diameter of the circle through the points |
The command line lines use these abbreviations:
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| L | Distance in 3D |
| h | Distance in plan |
| dZ | Rise |
| % and ° | Slope in percent and degrees |
| Az | Azimuth |
| Σ | Total length of a path |
| S plan, S, P | Plan area, area along the surface, perimeter |
| R, D | Radius, diameter (shown as infinity when the points lie on a line) |
The right-click menu
| Item | When it is shown | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Undo point | A shape in progress has more than one point | Removes the last clicked point |
| Measure distance, Measure path, Measure area, Measure radius | The mode is not the current one | Switches the mode; the shape in progress is dropped |
| Copy results | At least one measurement exists | Copies the table to the clipboard |
| Clear measurements | At least one measurement exists | Removes all measurements from the view |
Leaving the tool clears the shape in progress and the measurements on screen.
What next
Area · Slope · Angle
Angle
Measures angles between clicked points. Four modes cover a single angle, a chain along a polyline, a fan of rays and every corner of a polygon.
Where to find it
Tools tab → Measure group → Angle (Angle).
How to
- Click Angle.
- In the default mode, Angle by three points, click the end of one arm, the vertex, then the end of the other arm. The angle is measured after the third click.
- In the other modes, click the points and press Enter or double-click to finish. At least three points are needed.
- Press Esc to drop the points in progress.
Modes
Right-click in the view to switch the mode.
| Menu item | Clicks | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Angle by three points | Arm end, vertex, arm end | One angle at the second point |
| Angle chain | Points of a polyline | The angle at every inner vertex (numbered 1.1, 1.2 …) |
| Angle fan | A vertex, a base ray, then any number of further rays | Each ray against the previous one and against the base |
| Angle polygon | Corners of a contour | The interior angle at every corner, the closing ones included |
Angles are between 0 and 180 degrees. When two arms are parallel no arc is drawn. If an arm has no length the value is shown as a dash.
The menu also has Undo point (while points are clicked), Copy results and Clear measurements (once something is measured). Leaving the tool clears the measurements on screen.
Area
Measures the area and perimeter of a closed object or surface by clicking it, or of a polygon whose corners you click.
Where to find it
Tools tab → Measure group → Area (Area).
How to
- Click Area. The prompt "Click a closed object or a surface" follows the cursor.
- Move over a closed object. Its outline is highlighted and the prompt changes to "Click to measure its area".
- Click. The plan area, the area along the surface and the perimeter are added to the table and written to the command line.
Closed polylines, rectangles, circles, polygons and hatches work, as do surfaces such as meshes and solids. Objects on a locked layer, and on hidden or frozen layers, are not picked. When several objects lie under the cursor, the smallest is taken.
Area by points
Right-click and choose Area by points to click the corners of a polygon yourself; press Enter or double-click to finish with at least three points. This is the area mode of Modes. Choose Area of an object to go back to picking objects. The menu also has Undo point, Copy results and Clear measurements.
Slope
Two clicks give the slope between the points, with the distances and the direction.
Where to find it
Tools tab → Measure group → Slope (Slope).
How to
- Click Slope.
- Click the first point, then the second. The result is added to the table and written to the command line.
- Press Esc to drop the first point. Right-click gives Undo point, Copy results and Clear measurements.
What is measured
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| h | Distance in plan |
| L | Distance in 3D |
| dZ | Rise from the first to the second point (negative downhill) |
| % | Rise over plan run; a dash for a vertical or zero-length segment |
| ° | Inclination to the horizontal, positive upwards |
| 1:n | Plan run per unit of rise; a dash for a level segment |
| Az° | Azimuth, clockwise from north; a dash when both points share a plan position |
| α° | Direction angle, counter-clockwise from the +X axis, 0 to 360; a dash when both points share a plan position |
Point ID
Reads the coordinates of clicked points. Each point lands in a table with its X, Y and Z.
Where to find it
Tools tab → Measure group → Point ID (Point ID).
How to
- Click Point ID.
- Click a point; object snaps apply. Its numbered coordinates are shown and written to the command line.
- Press Enter to copy the last point as a tab-separated line.
The right-click menu
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Copy the point | Copies the last point (shown once a point is clicked) |
| Copy results | Copies the whole table (shown once a point is clicked) |
| Clear measurements | Clears the table (shown once a point is clicked) |
| Place a point object at each click | Every click also adds a point object on the active layer, one undo step each |
| Do not place point objects | Switches that off again |
List
Opens a window that lists everything about the selected object. It follows the selection.
Where to find it
Tools tab → Measure group → List (List).
Before you start
Select an object. Otherwise the command is unavailable with the message "Select an object first."
How to
- Select an object and click List.
- Read the table. It updates when you select another object. With several objects selected, the first is listed and the summary says how many are selected.
- Click Copy to put the list on the clipboard, ready to paste into a spreadsheet, or Close.
What the list shows
The table has the columns Group, Property and Value.
| Group | Rows |
|---|---|
| General | Kind, Id, Layer, Colour (the colour, or "By layer") |
| Measures | Vertices; for lines: Closed and Length; for closed objects: Plan area, Surface area and Perimeter; for surfaces: Triangles, Closed and, for a closed one, Volume |
| Bounds | Minimum, Maximum and Size |
| Properties | The values the kind of object keeps itself: numbers, text, flags, choices, colours and points |
| Vertices | The points one by one; beyond 200, a last row says how many more |
With nothing selected the table shows "No object selected".