Expert: Bob - 2/14/2008

Question
I'm a surveillance technician at a casino and use autocad to make simple (to scale) 2d maps of the casino floor layout, including gaming tables and slot machines.  I would like to create a block of a camera (simple arrow would work) to show the direction of the camera shot.  If i place a camera in the ceiling and have to zoom tight to get a table, the camera may actually be physicaly located on the other side of a bank of slot machines.  On paper this gives the illusion that the camera is for the slot bank and not the table.  

Is there a way in AutoCad 2008 to have object "associated" with another object so when I mouse over one object (ie the camera) the other "associated objects" (ie the table) "highlights".

My experience in CaD is novice and had some training back in the 90's.  I normally self learn, just need a direction on this.

Thanks

Answer
"I normally self learn" --- Of course this makes me run out screaming, lol. Your problem is half one of understanding drafting, not just AutoCAD, to me. And everyone needs an AutoCAD book next to the computer when trying to learn on his own.

I am afraid I havent a clue why, when you need to show the area covered by a camera, that you dont use dashed lines to indicate the field of view of the camera. Since the drawing is for security purposes anyway, as I gather, you would not be messing up a floorplan. The arrow you suggest seems less effective, since it cant indicate the zoom field.  I might add a dashed arrow at the center of the field, pointing all the way to the target object, in a case where the 2D drawing might not clearly show the target of the ceiling camera.  (so you would be drawing a cone-shaped field with a center arrow.)
Would that be good, or do I not understand?
Do you know how to create an arrow with a polyline?
As you may know, there is a camera object within the program, and you could insert one of those to indicate your camera, but, if the drawing is only lines, the camera cant be used to create views.

In order to have object A highlight when you pass the cursor over object B, the simplest way is to make them both into the same block.

The reason I wrote that I cant imagine not drawing the cone-shaped fields of view is that, were I placing the cameras, I would want to be able to look at a printed drawing and instantly see the coverage. The arrow seems vastly inferior to me -- but you may have left out something that would make my idea wrong.

Good luck and write back if you like.

BOB