Circuit Design Details: Trace

If you bring in an oval from the Design Editor, Offset the Oval and select the Offset, or Convert Arcs to Splines, then clicking on the "Oval" will display Circuit information instead of the Oval information.

A Circuit is an enclosed, connected object such as a Rectangle or a Polygon in Trace.

The Offset button creates a displacement copy of the selected object a parallel distance away as specified in the Offset Reveal field.

Open

See: Offset Function in Trace

Offset Rules:

Enclosed Objects:

• The Left < button will offset an enclosed object to the outside.

• The Right > button will offset an enclosed object to the inside.

Arcs and Curves greater than 180 Degrees use the same rules as closed objects. 

Unenclosed Objects:

For unenclosed objects the arrow buttons depend on the direction of travel of the vector segments, starting from the line’s start point. The Left < button offsets Clockwise and Right > button offsets Counter-Clockwise.

If it doesn’t Offset in the expected direction, click Undo and click the other Offset Direction.

The Arc tool allows you to draw a three-point mathematically defined arc in the Trace software.

The Arc has three points: Initial Position (called an Anchor), Middle Point (called a Handle) which can be moved to change the shape of the Arc, and Terminating Position (called an Anchor).

The Convert Arc to Splines process will convert the Arcs to Splines which are easier to tangify to make cuts smoother.

Open

Drawing an Arc

See: Arc Tool in Trace

See: Arc Tool Definition 

See: Splines Definition

See: Convert Arc to Splines Function

The Curve function allows you to draw a four-point mathematically defined Bezier/Spline Curve in the Trace software.

The Bezier/Spline Curve is defined by four points: Initial Position (called an Anchor), Two Separate Middle Points (called Handles) which can be moved to alter the shape, and the Terminating Position (called an Anchor)

The Convert Arc to Splines process will convert any Arcs to Splines/Curves which are easier to tangify to make cuts smoother.

See: Arc Definition

See: Arcs Tool Function

See: Splines Definition

See: Splines Tool Function

See: Convert Arc to Splines Function