Routing Using the Compass Base Plane

This task shows you how to use the compass to define the plane on which you are routing.
ainfo.gif (980 bytes) This feature allows you to place the compass base on a plane and route on that plane.

1. Drag the compass and place it on the surface on which you want to route. In the illustration below it is one face of an item reservation and you will place a path reservation on it.

pathcompass1.gif (15361 bytes)

2. Click the Path Reservation button tbpathreserv.gif (1301 bytes) and do your routing on the surface. Double-click to end. The path reservation is created.

pathcompass2.gif (14749 bytes)   pathcompass3.gif (9332 bytes)

ainfo.gif (980 bytes) You can route on any plane on which the compass base can be placed. But you will not be able to route on any surface. You cannot route on the surface of other routables. If you need to route on the surface of a routable then you need to employ free space routing. After you place the compass base on the plane, you can route anywhere in your window and you will be routing on the same plane as the compass base. The illustrations below show one type of free space routing, in which you:
  • Create a boundary and place the compass on a plane.
  • Hide the boundary.
  • Route a path reservation.
  • Show the boundary again with the path reservation on the compass base plane.

The last illustration below is a top view showing the path reservation and compass base on the same plane.

  pathcompass7.gif (3079 bytes) pathcompass9.gif (1401 bytes)