Polar Tracking

[Gil Navarro]

Currently using fabrication 2018. but I've had the same issue with other versions.  I can't get my polar tracking to work. I've gone through all of the settings I can think of, and I've consulted friends who are way more knowledgeable than me on this issue. We can't figure out why it won't work. If I want to measure or move, it starts tracking, but when I get to the intersection it switches to the other line. I don't get a double line crosshair like I should.  On a side note, if both items are at the same elevation it works.
Any ideas?

[sheetmetalman]

What is your aperture setting at?

Check the setting of aperture by typing in APERTURE . The smaller the number (between 1 and 50), the nearer you have to be to the line for polar tracking to lock on.

Hope this helps.

[Gil Navarro]

I think I solved this issue. In Options-Drafting there is a checkbox with "replace z value with current elevation". I had to check it.
As far as Aperture goes, mine was set to 10. Not really sure how it works. What setting do you reccomend? I've tried it with several different aperture settings and it seems to work with all of them after I checked the box.

[bparrell]

Z shouldn't matter. Hit F11

[Gil Navarro]

I had F11 active and it still didn't work. It only works when I check the Z box. If I uncheck it, it stops working again.

[pete]

I'm having the exact problem, and only works by locking the Z.  Anybody else here have a solution?

[frozen3]

This is a strange problem...

Pete and I are sharing the same settings. We've run out of options using POLARMODE, TRACKPATH and APERTURE. Same things happen stretching, making a new polyline or using FILLPOINT.

The APBOX sheds some light... (APBOX systems variable shows the APERTURE in model space). Once the polar extension line from the stretch "base" meets the extension line from the target inside of the APBOX the glyph for the desired extension disappears and the stretch loses lock on one of the extension lines.

If Pete has his targets and stretch object all in the same elevation it works. If the target is at a different elevation this problem occurs. This performs perfectly on my machine with the same settings, no matter what elevation. Pete must use the "ignore Z height" setting to use like normal.

CADmep 2017; Pete is on Autocad and I'm on Autocad MEP.

[bparrell]

Save your sys vars and post. I'll compare yours to mine

[pete]

He're my sys vars.
Thanks for checking it out.

[bparrell]

I imported your settings and all I had to do is set the snaps and all worked.

[frozen3]

Set the snaps in drafting settings I'm assuming? Did you try the tracking on an item at a different elevation, like 50' up?

Working with pipe I only need node to be on and this works. You don't have extension or perpendicular checked to make it work do you BParrell?

Mine works as normal, doesn't matter what the elevation is or whether I have OSNAPZ on 0 or 1. His is elevation dependent for some reason...

[bparrell]

Just set node on osnaps.

[bparrell]

Mine works as normal, doesn't matter what the elevation is or whether I have OSNAPZ on 0 or 1. His is elevation dependent for some reason...

Do a save on the machine that works and have him (broke) read your file thru the system variable. This will set most vars to the good machine.