BricsCAD Bricsys 24/7
Go to bricsys.com Try BricsCAD
Sidebar toggle
  1. Bricsys Support and Help Center
  2. Command Reference
  3. M
Previous Next

Manipulate

  • Updated

Launches the manipulator widget to rotate, move, copy, mirror, and/or scale 2D entities and 3D models.

Note: The manipulator widget appears automatically any time you select an entity, when the MANIPULATOR variable is set to 1 or 2.

Accessing the Command

command bar: manipulate
quad: Modify | Manipulate

: Manipulate

Prompts you in the command bar:

Select entities: (Select one or more entities)

Entities in set: 1

Select entities: (Select more entities, or else press Enter)

The manipulator widget appears near the selected entities:

The manipulator widget stays visible until you press Esc.

Note: You don't need to use the Manipulate command to turn on the widget; it appears automatically with the MANIPULATOR variable:

  • 0 - manipulator widget is displayed only when you enter the Manipulate command
  • 1 - manipulator widget is displayed automatically each time you select an entity
  • 2 - widget is displayed automatically when you hold down the left mouse buttonlonger than the value of the MANIPULATORDURATION variable (default = 250 milliseconds, a quarter-second)

 

Command Options

Option

Description

Drag an axis

Moves or copies the selection along the axis being dragged:

  1. Place the cursor over one of the axes.

  2. To move the entity - (click, and then move the cursor to move the selection along the axis.)
    To copy the entity - (hold down the Ctrl key and click, then move the cursor to copy the entity along the axis.)

To complete the move or copy operation, do one of the following actions:

  • Pick a point in the drawing
  • If dynamic input is on, type a distance into the distance field
  • Eyeball the distance with the ruler (see figure above), and then click

Drag a plane

Moves or copies a plane.

Place the cursor over one of the plane swatches.
The swatch under the cursor highlights.

Do one of the following:

  • Click when the swatch of the desired plane highlights.
    The selection moves along with the cursor in the selected plane.
  • Pick a point 
  • If Dynamic Input is ON, type a distance in the dynamic entry fields.
    Hit the TAB-key to switch between the entry fields; press Enter to confirm the current values.

Drag an arrowhead

Mirrors, moves or scales the selection.
Right click when the cursor is over the manipulator to display a context menu.

Choose Arrowhead act as , then select the desired action: 3D Scale or 3D Mirror.

To mirror* the selection:

Place the cursor over an arrowhead.
The Mirror swatch displays in a plane through the selected axis and perpendicular to the mirror plane.
The selection will be mirrored about the plane that is perpendicular to the axis of the selected arrowhead.

Click when the desired mirror plane is selected.
The selection is mirrored dynamically when you move the cursor.

Do one of the following:

  • Pick a point.
  • If Dynamic Input is on, type a distance in the dynamic entry field.

To scale* the selection:

  • Place the cursor over an arrowhead.
    The arrowheads are doubled with a large arrowhead.
  • Click to start scaling the selection; you are prompted in the command bar:


    *** MANIP_SCALE ***
    New scale factor [Reference]:

Do one of the following:

  • Pick a point.
  • Type a scale factor at the command prompt.
  • Type R ; prompts you:
    Enter reference length - (use entity snaps to pick two points in the model.)
    New length [Reference] - (type the desired distance between the picked points.)

Drag a rotation arc

Rotates* the selection about one of the manipulator axes.

Place the cursor over one of the three rotation arcs.
The rotation arc under the cursor expands and the rotation axis displays.

Click when the desired rotation axis displays.
The selection rotates dynamically when you move the cursor.

Do one of the following:

  • Pick a point.
  • If Dynamic Input is on, type a distance in the dynamic entry field.

* To copy the selection set, keeping the original entities, do one of the following:

  • Press and hold the Ctrl-key when starting the action.
  • When dragging an axis or plane:
    • Type c then right click to create one or more copies. Right click to stop.
    • Type r then right click to create multiple copies at equal intervals.
      Click to define the interval, then move the cursor and click when the desired number of copie displays.

 

Procedures

 

Related Commands

Copy - copies entities.

dmMove - moves solids, faces or edges of a solid, or inserts using a vector.

dmRotate - rotates faces of a solid around an axis.

Move - moves entities.

Rotate - rotates entities in 2D.

Rotate3D - rotates entities about an axis in 3D space.

Scale - resizes entities.

Didn't find what you're looking for?

Contact Bricsys Support