Your questions are simple enough to be answered using Draftsight Help or the Getting Started Guide.  Have you looked at either?

The difference between Absolute and Relative coordinate system is mentioned on pages 45 and 46 of the Guide.

Tolerances are mentioned on page 176 of the Guide.

A jogged dimension is practically self-explanatory.

By the way, there are also hundreds of YouTube videos about Drfatsight commands.  Here is a link to one about the Polygon command.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlMmeyCKQSw

You may also want to avail yourself of the two part Tips, Tricks and Videos Master Series Flipbook found at the Drfatsight Learning Resources.

http://www.3ds.com/products-services/draftsight/resource-center/tips-tricks/

Dassault has gone out of its way to provide its users with a wealth of information on how to use its products.  I suggest you take full advantage of the content.


Edited by John Connor - 16.Aug.2013 at 12:35

You want to know "when to use" each command?  I'd have to take a week off from my full time job just to write the first chapter.

What kind of drawings are you creating?

Do you have any kind of drafting background at all?

Are you a student?


Edited by John Connor - 16.Aug.2013 at 16:18

The best way to find out is through trial and error.  Start a new drawing and experiment.  You won't harm anything because in the end you can close the drawing without saving it.  The upside is you'll gain real practical experience and see all the options available to you and test each one.

And if you have one to two years of experience using AutoCAD then you should already be familiar with these commands (or their equivalents).  There isn't much to be found in Draftsight that isn't or hasn't been included in AutoCAD.

How does one get to Carnagie hall?  Practice, practice, practice.


Edited by John Connor - 16.Aug.2013 at 17:34

Corner and Slide Polygon?

That's supposed to be Side.

One is inscribed within a circle while the other is circumscribed about a circle.  That's the difference.  I won't tell you which is which.  You have to find out for yourself so in the future when you use the command you will know which option to select given the situation you find yourself in.

By the way, both options (inscribed and circumscribed) are available in AutoCAD.

Question: Why would coordinate systems be of any use to you in packaging and machine parts?  I can understand the use of polygons, tolerances and even jogged dimensions by not coordinates. 


Edited by John Connor - 16.Aug.2013 at 17:39