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How could you measure angle?

How could you measure angle?

Hi there,

I was trying to add a 2mm route around my board, but the board is not a rectangle shape. So how can you accurately add this?

Regards

JW

Thanks for your question.  Since the title of your question states how to measure an angle, I'll show this first.  You can also checkout the online help manual:
http://www.numericalinnovations.com/help/fab/usingmeasure.htm

To do this go to menu: Measure | Measure Pt to Pt,
(a) Select the first point
Note:  When you move the mouse, you'll see down in the status bar the "angle" (and distance) are displayed
(b) Select the second point, and a little popup window will appear.

Note:  A cool thing about FAB 3000 is that it also support "Object Snapping", so during measure you can make you cursor snap to the endpoint of a trace, the intersection of a trace, center of a flash, and much more.

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I you wish to add a route around the board, remember that FAB 3000 supports Polar coordinates.  So for example I wish to draw a trace around a board with one corner that's 45 degrees, I'd do the following:

1. Go to menu:  Add Trace...
2. Select my active Docde (from the toolbar pulldown).
3. Assuming the lower left corner of my board is 0,0 and I'm using inches for units, enter in the following coordinates - in the command window:
0,0                      <------ Start point
@5<0                 <------ @ tells FAB3000 to accept polar coords.  Move 5 inch at 0 degrees.
@4<90               <------ move 4 inches at 90 degree angle
@-1,1                 <------ move -1 in the X, and 1 in the Y. Creating the 45 degree angle
@4<180             <------ move 4 inches at 180 degree
@5<270             <------ move 5 inches at 270 degrees. Closes the trace.

Right Click to end 'Add Trace'

Here's a movie tutorial showing exactly how to use polar coordinates (no sound):
http://screencast.com/t/ci0ntj6fc

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