Can I use temporary tracking points for precise placement in BricsCAD?

ByCADbrief Staff

Short Answer

Yes — you can use temporary tracking points for precise placement in BricsCAD by combining Object Snap Tracking with the LINE command or any point-prompting command. The most common professional method is to acquire a temporary tracking point from an object snap, then place the next point using alignment paths. It depends on active object snaps and tracking being turned on.

What You Need to Know Before

Warning: Temporary tracking points often fail when Object Snap Tracking is off, polar tracking is misconfigured, or your snap source is on locked/faded reference geometry that is hard to acquire. In crowded drawings, incorrect snap acquisition is a common cause of misplaced points.

How to Use Temporary Tracking Points in BricsCAD

  • Command: LINE

  • Shortcut: L

  • Quick Steps:

    1. On the status bar, turn on OTRACK and OSNAP; if needed, open Settings > Drafting or right-click the status bar snap/tracking icons to confirm the toggles.
    2. Start LINE from the Ribbon or type L, then hover over a snap point such as Endpoint or Midpoint until BricsCAD acquires the temporary tracking point.
    3. Move the cursor away along the tracking path, align with the second direction if needed, and click to place the point precisely.

Variables & Settings

  • System Variable: AUTOSNAP (Default: 63)

  • Expert Setting: AUTOSNAP controls snap marker, tooltip, magnet, and tracking display behavior. If tracking paths or snap cues do not appear as expected, this setting may be reduced or partially disabled, making temporary tracking points harder to use reliably.

Why it Fails

  • Cause 1 (Geometry): The source object does not provide a valid snap point where you hovered, so no temporary tracking point is acquired.
  • Cause 2 (layers/Locks): The reference geometry is on a locked, off, or visually confusing layer, making correct snap acquisition difficult.
  • Cause 3 (Command/Logic): OTRACK is off, or the active command does not currently accept the point input the way you expect, so tracking paths do not appear.

Quick Fix & Best Practice

  • Quick Fix: Turn on OTRACK and OSNAP, then verify running snaps with OSNAP and retry using a clean Endpoint or Midpoint reference.
  • Manager’s Verdict: Use temporary tracking points for fast layout and 2D precision work, but avoid relying on them in dense drawings where direct coordinates, construction lines, or explicit object snaps are safer.

FAQ

Can I use temporary tracking points without drawing construction lines?
Yes, that is one of the main advantages of Object Snap Tracking.

Do temporary tracking points work with commands other than LINE?
Yes, they work with many commands that ask for a point.

Why does BricsCAD not show tracking lines when I hover?
Usually OTRACK is off, AUTOSNAP behavior is limited, or no valid object snap point was acquired.

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