Circle Tool

Use the Circle Tool to draw Circle entities. Activate the Circle Tool from the Drawing Toolbar or the Draw menu.

Keyboard Shortcut: C

Drawing a Circle

Circles can be placed on existing faces or separate from existing geometry. To draw a circle:

1. Select the Circle Tool. The cursor changes to a pencil with a circle.
2. Click to place the center point of the circle.
3. Move the cursor out from the center point to define the radius of your circle. As you move the cursor, the radius value is displayed dynamically in the VCB and can be specified by typing in a length value followed by the Enter or Return key. You can also specify the segmentation for the circle in the VCB.

Note - Press the Esc key at any point during the operation to start over.

4. Click to finish the circle.

Tip - You can also click and hold the mouse button to set the center of the circle, and drag outward without releasing the button to set the radius. Release the mouse button to complete the circle.

Radius and segment values can be specified using the VCB immediately after a circle is drawn. See Specifying Precise Circle Values for more information on setting the radius and segment values with the VCB.

Specifying Precise Circle Values

The VCB displays the radius after setting the center point of a circle. Use the VCB to enter an exact radius and number of segments.

Specifying a Radius

The VCB's label indicates "Radius" after you place the center point of the circle. Type the radius size in the VCB, after placing the center point, and press the Enter or Return key. You can perform this action either during or immediately following the creation of the circle. For example: 24r or 3'6"r or 5mr.

Note - The Circle Tool will snap to any previously entered radius within the VCB.

Specifying the Number of Sides

The VCB's label indicates "Sides" when the Circle Tool is initially activated. Specify the number of sides in the VCB, and press the Enter or Return key, before clicking to set the center point of the circle. For example: 100.

You can also specify the number of sides in a circle immediately after the creation of the circle. Type the number of sides in the VCB, followed by the letter 's', and press the Enter or Return key. For example: 20s. This number will be applied to any future circles.

  Note - The default number of segments for a circle is 24.

Locking a Circle to its Current Orientation

Press and hold the Shift key, before you begin drawing a circle, to lock drawing operation to that orientation.