Topic: (AutoCAD LT) AEC Ceiling Grig - long shot.

[jumpy]

Quick question for you all.

Is there any way for me to edit/modify (clip to a boundary) and AEC Ceiling grid object in atutoCAD LT and still retain it's grips and  dragability?

Our ceiling grids are often indicative so are prone to change - a while back I got a 600x600 AEC grid from an incoming drawing with the bright idea that I could modify the boundary to suit my drop ceilings with some simple alterations, instead of laboriously offsetting lines or rotating and exploding hatches in what is a crude bodge job.

I've reached the limit of my patience with trial and error.

I can alter the existing boundary the grid came from, but it has about a hundred vertices in the closed polyline, and this takes almost as long as making a grid by drawing it by hand and there doesn't seem to be a delete vertices from polyline from the pedit command.

Any ideas welcome (though I suspect I'll be out of luck with LT....it is rearing its ugly head the more I try and make things more efficient for drafting).

[StykFacE]

It's definitely out of the question with LT (to the best of my knowledge). However, I've managed to create a very effective way to create ceiling grids with super ease by leveraging hatch patterns and manually selecting the origin where the ceiling grid pattern starts. So it's a workaround, but you can recreate these ceiling grids very quickly to suit your needs.

Also, as an alternative, have you tried the -EXPORTTOAUTOCAD command? I believe this is also available in LT, and basically strips all the AEC Objects in the file so everything that gets in your way turns into normal AutoCAD entities. Maybe this might be all you need?

Just some suggestions is all. Hope one or both can be of use. :kewl:

[jumpy]

Thanks for the response. 

Yer, what you suggested with the hatching is what I've already been doing prettymuch. I've got a setting for a crossed hatch scale to make it 600x600mm and aligned to the rooms in question.

Only downside is I cannot snap block inserts (modular lighting fittings) to the hatch intersections without exploding the darn thing, thereby loosing any ability to adjust it later on (and someone always wants that... 'could you just tweak this along a tile or two?' 'can we just ease this over there a bit?') ...invariably they want an even tile gap all the way round so whatever way I initially draw it with be altered, usually after I've just placed a couple of hundred lights on the thing too.

I've tried explode to autoCAD command before (it's great when there's aec walls that have to go ...they don't like the colours you know...) you can explode the walls without loosing doors and windows iirc. But with the AEC grid it completely removes the functionality that make this particular CAD object so potentially useful - it's like a dynamic block that keeps on adjusting itself by drawing more tiles when you drag it around within its attendant boundary.

I guess this will go into my little black book of why LT is simply no good for anyone who knows more than how to plot in an autodesk product

[Krushert]

In LT do you not have the OSNAPHATCH variable?


BTW, I have some home grown hatches labeled as ceiling grid so that you will not have to explode.  If you want them, I can post them.

[Krushert]

Only downside is I cannot snap block inserts (modular lighting fittings) to the hatch intersections without exploding the darn thing, thereby loosing any ability to adjust it later on (and someone always wants that... 'could you just tweak this along a tile or two?' 'can we just ease this over there a bit?') ...invariably they want an even tile gap all the way round so whatever way I initially draw it with be altered, usually after I've just placed a couple of hundred lights on the thing too.

Does LT have these hatch editing commands?  "Set origin" is how I line up brick and siding hatches on my elevations.  However for grids I used the ACA Grids.  If you have that command I highly recommend using it.  IT saves time on editing the grid.

[jumpy]

Hi Krushert.
Ah, yes, the options dialog... so many settings...so tucked out of harms way.
I'd forgotten about the snap to hatch setting. Cheers.

Seems I can only set hatch origins either at creation or via properties dialog - no right click option; I'll figure something out.

What are your grid dimms? if they're 600x600mm I'll bite yer hand off 

[StykFacE]

Check your right-click customization settings. Or maybe even a CUI change altered this?

[Krushert]

Hi Krushert.
Ah, yes, the options dialog... so many settings...so tucked out of harms way.
I'd forgotten about the snap to hatch setting. Cheers.

Seems I can only set hatch origins either at creation or via properties dialog - no right click option; I'll figure something out.

What are your grid dimms? if they're 600x600mm I'll bite yer hand off 

My grid dimensions are imperial; 24"x24" (609.6x609.6)  and 24"x48" (609.6x1219.2).  You are welcome to them if you want to tweak them to metric.

The other way call the hatch origin is to call "HATCHSETORIGIN"  at the command line. 

[jumpy]

Thanks guys.
I generally have my RCC (right click customisation) set to enter/repeat last command etc. I enabled right click menus and the option to set an origin didn't seem to be available with a hatch selected. All you get is the basic modify and selection tools.
If there's a CUI alteration.... it's going to have to wait for another day for me to investigate as there's too much drawing work to do. 

As for your grids, if you can post them I'll have a bash at tweaking to suit things here, that'd be great. 

[Krushert]

See attached for the Hatch Pat files.  Enjoy.

[jumpy]

Thanks for the hatch patterns Krushert.

I've had a looksee and read some hatch tutorials (and altered some of the hatch dialog settings) created a support file path etc and now have a useable 600x600mm grid.
So, cheers for that - it should save me some time and messing about with any luck.