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Plotting a Parabola

Plotting a Parabola

Plotting a Parabola

(OP)
At the risk of sounding foolish....Is there an easy way to draw a parabola?

RE: Plotting a Parabola

Autocad does not have a built in parabola.  I'd use a spreadsheet to calculate the X and Y and then use a script to draw a polyline from those points.

RE: Plotting a Parabola

Yeah, use the UCS as the origin and then type the positions of X&Y values as points, then polyline between points or nodes. To remove the discrite shape invoke the FIT option under PEDIT to smooth out the curve.  

RE: Plotting a Parabola

A quick, and I believe accurate way to draw a parabola is as follows.  This method appies to a parabola as used for a balanced roadway vertical curve):

Draw a polyline from endpoint to VPI to endpoint, then PEDIT>>Spline. For it to be a proper parabola, set SPLINETYPE to 5 before pediting, and to get a smooth curve set SPLINESEGS to 15 or higher. (Thanks to RC McSwain for the Spline/parobola info).

RE: Plotting a Parabola

Carl,you should not use a spline because it is a statistical; you are better off to use a polylineand use thefit option tosmooth out the curve.  

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