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Dan Perico/2 min read

The Reference Option Part 1: The Rotate Tool

AutoCAD Setup

1

Set Drawing Units

UNITS command — Architectural for feet/inches, Decimal for metric.

2

Create Layers

Layer Manager — name, color, lineweight per drawing standard.

3

Set Up Layouts

Paper space layouts with title blocks for plotting.

4

Save as Template

Save .dwt with your standards — start every new drawing pre-configured.

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Learn how to use the Reference option on AutoCAD's Rotate tool to adjust objects at irregular angles, aligning them to the 0˚ horizon line for a more precise design process.

Topics Covered in This AutoCAD Tutorial:

Intro to the Rotate Tool’s Reference Option, Using the Rotate Tool’s Reference Option

Exercise Preview

ex preview reference rotate tool

Exercise Overview

The bottom edge of this object is at an irregular angle that does not conform to Polar Tracking angles. In this exercise, you will use the Reference option on the Rotate tool to align the bottom edge to the 0˚ horizon.

Intro to the Reference Option on the Rotate Tool

When you enter an angle for the Rotate command rotate tool, the angles are always measured from the horizon line at 0˚, so if you’re trying to rotate an object or edge that doesn’t already conform to an incremental Polar Tracking angle, rotate it to an angle that does conform. With the Reference option you can click 2 points to establish a reference angle line other than the 0˚ horizon angle, and then easily snap the reference angle line to a Polar Tracking line.

  • This rectangle at an irregular angle can’t be set right because the default reference angle is 0˚:

    rotate reference 1 and 2

  • Matching the Reference Angle to the bottom edge of the rectangle allows you to snap the edge to a Polar Tracking angle, in this case 0˚:

    rotate reference 3 and 4

Rotating the Shape Using the Reference Option

  1. Open the file Rotate-Triangular Plate.dwg.

  2. Start the Rotate command rotate tool. Type ALL and press Enter to select all objects. Press Enter again to end the selection stage.

  3. Click the left endpoint of the straight line segment of the bottom edge to establish the Base Point.

    rotate base point

  4. Press R Enter to select the Reference option. Click the left endpoint of the straight line segment of the bottom edge, same as the Base Point, for the first reference point, and click the right endpoint of the line segment for the second reference point.

    rotate reference points

  5. Pull the cursor down to snap the bottom edge of the object to the 0˚ horizon line and click to end the command.

    TIP: Use Polar Tracking.

    rotate reference finished