How to use Object Snap Tracking in CAD?

Object Track, or more precisely speaking, Object Snap Tracking is the combination of Object Snap and Polar Tracking, which is to use polar tracking at the tracking point of an object.

With Object Track, we can enter offset value when tracking object, track through two tracking points and acquire intersections in the direction of the polar. Let’s explore more about Object Track.

Since Object Snap Tracking is the combination of Object Snap and Polar Tracking, we can find the settings for it at the settings tab of Object Snap and Polar Tracking, as shown in the following picture:

In the Polar Tracking settings tab, we can set how you would like to track the object, Track orthogonal only and Track using all polar angle settings. Track orthogonal only means even if we have set the polar increment angle, the Object Snap Tracking can only track horizontally and vertically. Tracking using all polar angle settings is to track object according to polar increment angle, as shown in the following picture.

We can turn on the Object Snap Tracking by click the button in the status bar or press F11, if we want to use Object Track we need to turn on the object snap first. We can not track points that need to snap with Point Snapping toolbar button, SHIFT+Right click or enter commands.

 The following shows us uses of the Object Track:

• To create a point certain distance away from the snapping point. When snapping a point and the polar appears, move the cursor away from the snapping point down the polar, enter distance value and we can get the point we want, as shown in the following picture.

• By snapping the polar intersection of two snapping point, we can get a point as shown in the following picture.

We can see from the picture above that we get the intersection by tracking an endpoint of a 0 degree polar and another endpoint of a 90 degrees polar, which equal the X-coordinate and Y-coordinate of the two points. If we turn on the Track using all polar angle settings, we can track more complex intersections. As shown in the following pictures.

• Object Snap Tracking with temporary tracking point. When prompted to specify point, enter TT, specify a temporary tracking point and a small +appears at the point. Moving the cursor is to display tracking and aligning path of the temporary point.

Object Track has many uses, but it requires the use of cursor to locate and therefore decrease efficiency.