370
AutoCAD and Its Applications—Basics
NOTE N OT OT TE
The
COLumns
and
Rows
options allow you to enter a numeric value
or specify points for column and row spacing or total distance.
Count and Spacing Options
The
COUnt
option is an alternative to using the ribbon or the
COLumns
and
Rows
options to specify the number of columns and rows. Enter the number of columns
followed by the number of rows. Use the
Expression
option at the appropriate prompt
to enter an equation or formula if you do not know an exact count.
The
Spacing
option is an alternative to using the ribbon or the
COLumns
and
Rows
options to set column and row spacing. Specify the spacing between columns followed
by the spacing between rows. You can enter a numeric value or specify points. The
Unit
cell
option, available at the
Specify the distance between columns or [Unit cell]
prompt,
allows you to locate points to define column and row spacing. Specify the first fi corner fi
of an imaginary rectangle followed by the opposite diagonal corner. The horizontal
side determines column spacing and the vertical side determines row spacing.
Specifying the Base Point
AutoCAD calculates the center between the extents of the selected objects, or
centroid, and uses this location as the default base point from which objects are d
arrayed. If the centroid is not a suitable base point, select the
Base Point
button in
the
Properties
ribbon panel, or use the
Base point
option to define a different base fi
point, such as the corner of a rectangle or the quadrant of a circle. Choose the
centroid
option to use the centroid as the base point, or select the
Key point
option to choose a
constraint point, known as a key point, on a selected object. t Figure 12-16 shows the
point markers that appear as you move the pick box over an object to select a key point.
Pick the marked location to specify it as the base point.
Ribbon
Array Creation
Properties
Base Point
centroid: A
coordinate that is
the center of area
for a region.
key point: The
point on a selected
object that you use
to manipulate the
object.
Figure 12-16.
The key points you
can select on objects
to define a new
array base point.
MULTILINEIT
TEXTXEEX
SINGLE-LINE TEXT
T
LI L L LI I LI I L L L
Line
Polyline Object
Arc
Spline
Circle
Ellipse
Multiline Text
(Middle
Center
justification)
Single-Line Text
(Middle
Center
justification)