Short Cut to "Convert to arc"

Michael Beanland

I am an electrical engineer creating electrical plan drawings for buildings. If I am creating a lighting plan, my first task is to locate the lights on the plan. My next task is to connect the lights together in strings and designate how power is provided. The strings are easily created by using a polyline that touches on each light. This leaves straight line segments between the light fixtures. Convention has it that all of these line segments be arcs. To convert the straight segments to arcs, I need to select each segment then right click and convert to arc then tweak the arc shape. I was hoping there would be a faster way. Perhaps a poly line arc? Or select each segment and press a short cut key (ctrl+a)? I am just trying to make the process easier and with fewer steps.

Luke Shiras

Shift+C will make an arc instead of a straight line. Would that be easier or do you need to draw a line and then convert it to an arc?

Three-point Arc

1. Select the Arc tool
2. Press and hold Alt
3. Click three points along arc

Jared Adler - Bluebeam CSM

When creating the polyline, if you hold down the Ctrl key before clicking your next control point, you can drag to draw a curved line/arc. Then continue to hold Ctrl before you click and drag on the next point and so on.

Another option is to add a 3rd point (i.e. an additional control point in between lights) instead of drawing straight lines, then you can hold Ctrl and click on that control point to convert it to an arc.