Use QuickCalc Directly

When you work directly with QuickCalc, you can perform calculations and unit conversions just as you would with a desktop calculator. You can use the Windows clipboard (CTRL+C, CTRL+V) to transfer the results of your calculations to other parts of the program or to external programs. Calculations that you perform directly do not affect or change anything in your drawing.

You can access QuickCalc directly in the following ways:

• Click Tools menu  Palettes  QuickCalc.At the command prompt, enter quickcalc.
• On the Standard toolbar, click the QuickCalc button.
• In the drawing editor (with no command active), right-click and click QuickCalc.
• At the command prompt, enter quickcalc.
• At the command prompt, enter qc.

Use QuickCalc Transparently from Within a Command

During a command, you can access QuickCalc transparently in the following ways:

• Right-click to display the shortcut menu. Click QuickCalc.
• At the command prompt, enter quickcalc.
• At the command prompt, enter qc.

Calculations that you transfer to the command prompt affect the drawing. For example, if you are drawing a line with the LINE command and you pass an expression to the command prompt from the calculator, the next point of the line uses the results, which might be a distance or coordinate value. In QuickCalc, you click the Apply button to pass the value to the drawing based on that expression.

Use QuickCalc Transparently from the Properties Palette

When you want to modify properties and apply evaluated expressions to objects in your drawing, you can access QuickCalc transparently from the Properties palette. Use the following method:

• Click any box in the Properties palette that contains a numeric value. Then click the QuickCalc button that appears in the box.
• After calculating a value, transfer the result to the Properties palette by clicking the Apply button.

The object or drawing property is modified and the changes are displayed in the drawing.

Calculate Mathematical Expressions in a Dialog Box

You can also enter and evaluate mathematical expressions in a dialog box using the following format: =expression<ALT+ENTER>.