Angles Display Format

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Graphic Details

Numeric Formats

Scale

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Angles Display Format

This tab view provides control of the format of numeric information provided for angles on the Graphic Details Inspector. The primary choice is the use of degrees or radians for angle values. Other selections allow user definition of the direction for zero degrees and the direction of positive rotation (clockwise or counter-clockwise).

This input selection is accessed by opening the Graphic Details Inspector, top item on the main Tools menu, and de-selecting all graphics (Cmd-Shift-A). With the Inspector open and no graphics selected, the Angle tab is clicked to present these control parameters.

The precision value defines the number of decimal digits shown, after the decimal point. If fractions are in use, decimal precision is used to define the precision of fractional intervals. For example, a precision of 2 rounds to the nearest 1/4 while a precision of 4 rounds to the nearest 1/16th.

The Units popup specifies the format of the suffix of a angle's value. You may choose None, Units, Abbreviation, or Punctuation. Punctuation implies the use of the small superscript circle as the degrees indicator. If minutes and seconds of arc are selected the single quote and double quote characters are designate minutes and seconds respectively.

The Form popup specifies how numbers should be displayed, Decimal, Fraction, Degrees-Minutes-Seconds or Alternate. Alternate provides for display as both degrees and radians, the alternate value shown in parenthesis after the selected form.

The Basis popup menu is used to select three settings needed to define how angles are measured on the drawing. The menu shows the settings as selected in a short-hand format.

The Basis-Form selection is used to define Degrees or Radians as measuring method. If Degrees is the chosen measurement form, a full circle of arc is defined as 360 Degrees, If Radians is the chosen measurement form, a full circle of arc is defines as 2 * Pi Radians (about 6.28 Radians).

The Basis-Rotation selection is used to select the orientation of a positive angle. The primary selection is Clockwise or Counter-Clockwise. The other two choices are Axis-Positive and Axis-Compliment. These last two selections respect the defined orientation of the two Cartesian axes of the drawing, as defined on the Scale palette.

The Basis-Direction selection is used to select the direction from which angles are measured. The choices are Right, Down, Left, or Up. This defines the direction of the zero or 360 degree angle.

These settings apply to both absolute and relative angle measurements. Most angle measurements are absolute, such as the orientation of a rotated rectangle. Some angles are measured relative to a defined axis that is defined by a second absolute angle. An example of a relative angle is the starting angle of a Pie shaped graphic. In this example the Elliptical axis is the absolute angle, think of it as defined first, then the starting angle is measured relative to the defined angle.