Move and copy

- [Instructor] In this exercise we will learn to manipulate existing geometry using the manipulate tools. Open the file for chapter six manipulate basis geometry.dgn and using view groups select the copy and move model. In this example we will look at the copy and move commands. The copy and move commands can be found using the main toolbox located at the top of the task navigation dialogue. If I hold down the copy button you will see additional manipulate commands, such as move, scale, rotate, and mirror.

Let's open the manipulate toolbox while we work through all these commands. I will hold down the copy button and then select the open as a toolbox option. I can also access these commands using position mapping. If I place my cursor in the middle of view one I can key in the number three to access the manipulate toolbox at my cursor location. This is my preference for accessing these commonly used commands. Another method for accessing these common commands is to use the right click menu. With my cursor still in the middle of the view window I can slow right click to open a right click menu and access these common commands as shown here.

First let's take a look at using the copy command. When using the copy command I need to look at the status bar and make note that it is prompting me to identify the element that I want to copy. I need to select the element at the point I want to pick it up from. So I will select the lower left corner of this rectangle. As I move the cursor I can use the AccuDraw compass to control the distance. I will key in 100 feet and then left click to accept that distance. Be careful to maintain the access angle using the AccuDraw compass or you may copy it crooked.

You can also copy an element from one element to another. I will copy the rectangle from its corner to the endpoint of the line. If I wanted to make more than one copy I would modify the number of copies using the tool settings dialogue. I will change copies to three and drag it the required direction and key in the distance of 100 feet. This will give me three additional elements 100 feet apart.

If you just select the element anywhere and copy it to anywhere that's fine, but there's no geometric controls or distances provided in that type of copy or move. The move command works exactly like copy. I can move the element where I want by picking it up and placing it in a new location using snaps for precision or not. The move command works exactly the same as copy, just with a single original element. The next exercise will demonstrate how to use the scale element command.