What are the column coordinates?

3D column coordinates describe the exact position by the distance from the origin of UCS in the XY plane, the angle from the XY plane to the X axis and the Z value.

Column coordinate input is equivalent to two-dimensional polar coordinate input in three-dimensional space. It specifies another coordinate on an axis perpendicular to the XY plane. Cylindrical coordinates locate a point by defining its distance from the origin of UCS in XY plane, its angle with X axis in XY plane and Z value. Use the following syntax to specify a point using absolute cylindrical coordinates:

x <; [angle with x axis ],Z

Note that the following example assumes that dynamic input is turned off, that is, coordinates are entered on the command line. If dynamic input is enabled, you can use the # prefix to specify absolute coordinates.

in the following illustration, the coordinate 5 <; 3,6 represents a point 5 units away from the origin of the current UCS, making an angle of 3 degrees with the X axis in the XY plane and 6 units along the Z axis.

when you need to define a point based on the previous point instead of the UCS origin, you can enter a relative column coordinate value prefixed with @. For example, the coordinates @ 4 <; 45,5 denotes a point in the XY plane that is 4 units away from the last input point, makes an angle of 45 degrees with the positive direction of the X axis, and extends 5 units in the positive direction of the Z axis.