PointTrace

Open PointTrace from the GcodePilot toolbar, then create or select a named drawing in its movable HUD. A project can retain several drawings, and each drawing can contain outside profiles, holes, independent circles, separate closed contours, and open chains.

Three point sources are available:

• Capture DRO records a fresh, compensated live-controller position.
• Typed coordinates accept normal JetCad3 dimensional expressions in the current display units.
• Draw mode places points directly in the viewer with visible endpoint, center, and grid snapping. Hold Alt while clicking to bypass snapping.

Named drawings and incomplete construction stages are stored in the .jc3 project. You can close PointTrace, save the project, and return without losing a half-built arc or circle.

For a physical measurement:

1. Select the torch or pointer in Tool Library. The PointTrace badge shows the active tool and its XY offset.
2. In Capture mode, click a clear viewer location to place GcodePilot's normal click-jog waypoint.
3. Press Tab with the viewer focused.
4. Let the machine settle at the feature.
5. Choose Capture DRO or use the configurable PointTrace Capture shortcut.

PointTrace reads the controller's current status rather than an animated or rounded display value. Capture is disabled with an explanation while a program or jog is active, the machine is unsettled, status is stale or disconnected, a tool change has not settled, or the drawing's work frame no longer matches the machine.

The first physical capture binds the drawing to the current machine, WCS, compensated work zero, and active pointer offset. If that frame changes, Rebind keeps the authored coordinates fixed while declaring how they relate to the current machine. Starting a new drawing is the other option.

PointTrace retains the construction that defines each curve instead of replacing it with fitted line segments:

• Line connects the previous chain endpoint to the next point.
• 3 Pt Arc captures a through-point and endpoint, including clockwise and reflex arcs.
• R Arc uses an endpoint and positive radius; Flip Side and Short/Long choose the intended solution.
• 3 Pt Circle uses three circumference points.
• Ø Circle uses a center point and entered diameter.

Use New Contour to begin another profile, hole, island, or open chain. Close Loop closes a chain without adding a duplicate point. Closing is deliberate—PointTrace never guesses that nearby endpoints should form a closed cut path.

Select geometry in the viewer to expose the applicable editing controls. You can:

• Undo or redo complete actions and remove the latest capture, including an unfinished construction.
• Drag, type, nudge, or recapture defining points.
• Insert a point on an edge or delete selected nodes and circle contours.
• Convert between straight and arc segments.
• Reopen and continue an existing chain without deleting its retained geometry.

Dragging previews continuously and commits one undoable edit on release. Invalid dimensions or degenerate constructions leave the last valid geometry intact and explain the problem in the HUD. The overlay keeps a bold screen-space weight while zooming and follows the active JetCad3 theme.

Send To… creates an immutable snapshot and leaves the source drawing in PointTrace:

• Drafting receives editable analytic line and arc geometry.
• Design receives a polygon copy at controlled curve accuracy.
• Plasma, Laser, Oxyfuel, and Router receive canonical arc-carrying CAM geometry.
• Keep measured placement preserves the drawing's work-coordinate values, including negatives.
• Normalize to origin translates the whole drawing once without changing contour relationships.

Choose Whole drawing, Completed contours, or Selected contour when needed. If completed profiles coexist with an unfinished chain, PointTrace defaults visibly to Completed contours and leaves unfinished work untouched instead of blocking the useful geometry.

Export… writes DXF or SVG in inches or millimeters through JetCad3's normal local/cloud file picker. Exact supported curves, holes, contour relationships, and off-origin bounds are preserved.

Set as Plasma Plate installs completed closed contours directly as the active Plasma sheet's custom stock. It supports an entire valid drawing, all chosen completed closed contours, or one selected closed contour.

The handoff preserves measured placement, holes, disconnected material islands, existing and locked parts, sheet settings, stock-conflict checks, replacement confirmation, release behavior, and one-step undo. It creates a fixed geometry snapshot without staging a temporary cutting part, while the editable source drawing remains in PointTrace.