Is the ʼCircleʼ command able to draw a circle using 3 points in BricsCAD?

Short Answer

Yes — in BricsCAD, the CIRCLE command can draw a circle through 3 points using the standard 3P option, which is the most common professional method for defining a circle from known geometry. Start the Circle command, choose 3P, and pick the three points in order. Limitation: the three points cannot be collinear.

What You Need to Know Before

Warning: If the three picked points are nearly in a straight line, BricsCAD may create an unstable or unintended large-radius circle due to geometric precision limits. Also, object snaps that grab the wrong sub-point can produce a valid but incorrect circle.

How to Draw a Circle Using 3 Points in BricsCAD

• Command: CIRCLE

• Shortcut: C

• Quick Steps:

  1. On the Ribbon > Home tab > Draw panel, start Circle, or type C and press Enter.
  2. At the command prompt, choose the 3P option.
  3. Pick the first, second, and third points using Object Snap points such as Endpoint, Center, or Intersection for accuracy.

Variables & Settings

• Key Setting: Object Snap (OSNAP)
  Enable precise snaps such as Endpoint, Intersection, or Quadrant before selecting the 3 points.

Why it Fails

• Cause 1 (Geometry): The three selected points are collinear or almost collinear, so a true 3-point circle cannot be resolved reliably.
• Cause 2 (layers/Locks): The current layer may be locked, preventing the new circle from being created even though point selection works.
• Cause 3 (Command/Logic): Users sometimes stay in the default center-radius workflow and forget to switch to the 3P option inside the Circle command.

Quick Fix & Best Practice

• Quick Fix: Turn on OSNAP, restart CIRCLE, choose 3P, and select three clean snap points from actual geometry.
• Manager’s Verdict: Use the 3-point method when the circle must match existing geometry exactly; avoid it when points are approximate, because small picking errors can distort the result.

FAQ

Can I draw a circle from 3 points without typing 3P?
Yes, if you start Circle from the UI, you still need to choose the 3-point option during the command.

What happens if the 3 points are on a straight line?
BricsCAD cannot form a valid 3-point circle from collinear points.

Is 3-point circle creation better than center-radius?
Only when you already have three known geometric points to match.

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