Molding offset/origin question


stephenbc
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This should be an easy question for those in the know. 

 

If I have a polyline I want to use as a molding, is there an expedient way to determine where the 'origin' is in the polyline so that I can place it appropriately?  Presently, one has to cut sections after placement and adjust the offset iteratively until it's placed where one wants it, which takes time.  If I use a polyline that I didn't create, how can I either change the origin in that polyline that the offset uses or somehow know where it is so that I can simply set my offset in the molding profile appropriately the first time?  Hopefully, I've explained this right.  Perhaps I'm missing something really basic here.  Thanks.

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Let's try this...I would like to use a complex shaped closed polyline as a molding profile.  Let's say as a crown molding around a pillar.  I would create a molding polyline around that pillar and apply the molding profile to it.  Is there a way to know where the origin in the molding profile is, so that one could place the molding profile using an offset (vertical and horizontal) that doesn't require creating sections through the pillar to iteratively adjust until the correct placement is achieved?  Or, is it possible to change/modify where the origin of the molding profile is?  The offset function uses this origin...it would be nice to know where it is.

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2 hours ago, stephenbc said:

This should be an easy question for those in the know. 

 

If I have a polyline I want to use as a molding, is there an expedient way to determine where the 'origin' is in the polyline so that I can place it appropriately?  Presently, one has to cut sections after placement and adjust the offset iteratively until it's placed where one wants it, which takes time.  If I use a polyline that I didn't create, how can I either change the origin in that polyline that the offset uses or somehow know where it is so that I can simply set my offset in the molding profile appropriately the first time?  Hopefully, I've explained this right.  Perhaps I'm missing something really basic here.  Thanks.

This was discussed but I can't find it in the forum even though I believe it was my topic! Essentially, you can add a rectangular molding, call it 'origin', make it 1/6"x1/16, and assign an invisible material. This gives a visual cue in the preview window.

image.thumb.png.705be0579a6b0456479fd202d84da4f2.png

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Eric - thank you.  You have answered my question with your video.  The answer I was looking for, that is, the origin CA uses in locating molding profiles is defined by the left and lower lateral extents of the outside edges of the molding profile.

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31 minutes ago, robdyck said:

This was discussed but I can't find it in the forum even though I believe it was my topic! Essentially, you can add a rectangular molding, call it 'origin', make it 1/6"x1/16, and assign an invisible material. This gives a visual cue in the preview window.

 

From your Pic it looks like it maintains the 'bottom left' location... 

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1 hour ago, stephenbc said:

Your quick method for determining the visual cue is cleaver.  +1!

Clearly you haven't been around this forum long enough to realize an idea that great couldn't have come from me! That idea for the molding cue is from @Alaskan_Son

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