TubeCAD Define command

This command allows you to enter Layout XYZ* coordinates directly in the command line and will allow other devices to stream centerline Layout XYZ* coordinates into TubeCAD from an external source. *It is always the LAYOUT coordinates that change - never the DESIGN coordinates. The values changed are found in the General Specification menu.

The MicroScribe measuring arm (from Immersion) can collect points in 3D space, inputting them into TubeCAD using the format in this command.

Editing the Points

Enter "Define" in the command line and press Enter.

Either enter "P" and enter, or click on the Points option in the popup menu.

You will see a command bar like this:

To change the first point and move to the second, enter the values starting with the X value, then a semicolon ";", then the Y value, etc. The three values shown here X, Y, Z, and Radius values:

20;10;-5;0

• X = 20
• Y = 10
• Z = -5
• Radius = 0

Moving to the Next Coordinate Point

Press the Enter key to move to the next point. If the next point index is too high for the currently defined number of points, then TubeCAD will add a new point row in the Layout XYZ coordinates.

Entering Partial Values

You don't have to change the values as shown inside the square brackets. For example, you may want to change the X coordinate of point 2 to 100, but leave the other values at zero. Just enter a "100" in the command line then press Enter:

After you press Enter this is what you will see:

Now, enter the "<" symbol and press enter to move back to the second point.

You will see the second point X value has been changed.

The "@" Symbol

The @ symbol can be used to preserve values on any line. Suppose you want to preserve the "100" for the X value in point 2. However, you want to change the Y value to something new. Use the @ symbol like this to preserve the 100:

Now press Enter and then press "<" and then Enter again.

The Y value in point 2 is changed, while preserving the X value:

Note also that we never entered the Z or Radius values. TubeCAD only took in as much data as you gave it, then ignored the rest.

Exiting the Command One Level

You can stay in the Define command, but display the [[Points, Diameter] options, by press Enter with no value entered.

Completely Exiting the Command

Press Escape any time to completely exit the command.

Extra Lines at the End

TubeCAD will always act as if you added one extra line at the end of the XYZ data when you use this mode. So, it will be necessary to delete the last line in the General Specification Layout XYZ data when you are finished entering data here.

Complete Example of Entering Data Using the Define Command

Here's an example of how to build a layout using this command:

• Clear the TubeCAD layout for MM by pressing the document with the red ball.
• Enter "define" in the command line and press Enter
• Enter "P" and press Enter
• Enter "@", press Enter
• Enter "100", press Enter
• Enter "100;100", press Enter
• Enter "200;100", press Enter
• Press Escape
• Press the GS toolbar button
• Click on the Layout XYZ tab

You will see these values in the menu:

Note that the number of points is 5 because TubeCAD entered one more point than you entered.

• Select the Number of points edit box and press 4 to trim the last line from the data.
• Press Enter
  

• Enter radius values of 25 in both radius cells
  

• Click on the General tab
• Reset the diameter values (all of them) to 19
• Press the OK button
  

• Type "auto" and Enter
• Type "4" and Enter (this will automatically reorganize the layout)
• Type "zoom" and Enter
• Type "e" and Enter

Your layout will appear something like this: