Reference Section > Shape Library > Primitives

The Marking Cross is two straight lines crossing at right angles at their midpoints: one horizontal line Width long and one vertical line Height long. Both lines are open paths, not a closed part outline. Use it to mark a centre or a reference position on the plate, for example the centre of a hole to be drilled later or a datum for a fitting. For a solid plus-shaped plate that is cut out, use the Cross Plate shape instead.

It appears in the shapes library under Basic Shapes and Primitives.

Insert point and direction

The insert point is the centre of the cross, where the two lines meet. The horizontal line runs Width / 2 to each side of the insert point and the vertical line runs Height / 2 above and below it, so each line is bisected by the other.

The shape is built as two separate lines, in this order and direction:

•the horizontal line, from left (–X) to right (+X);

•the vertical line, from top (+Y) to bottom (–Y).

The dimensions drawn on the shape are Height, along the vertical line, and Width, along the horizontal line. Each dimension line is offset from the cross by 0.7 times the larger of Width and Height.

Properties

Property	Description	Default
Width	Overall length of the horizontal line, centred on the insert point (mm or inch).	50 mm (2 in)
Height	Overall length of the vertical line, centred on the insert point (mm or inch).	50 mm (2 in)

The defaults are half of the standard four-inch size: 50 mm in metric and 2 in in imperial. The shape has no aliases (no former names).

Limits and errors

•The shape applies no range check to Width or Height. They can be different, giving one arm longer than the other.

•A negative value reverses the direction of that line. The cross drawn is the same.

•A value of 0 makes that line zero length, so it draws nothing and its dimension reads 0. Only the other line is then visible.

•If building the geometry raises an error, the shape is drawn with a broken-shape marker and the property page shows the red warning Warning: Cannot build shape from these parameters. The shape has no input check of its own that causes this.

The two lines are open paths. They have no inside or outside and do not form a closed part outline. The shape adds no tool, kerf or lead hint to its lines, so the shape itself does not decide whether they are cut or marked.

Every 2D shape also has the Transform properties (Base X, Base Y, Rotation, Scale, Mirroring X) and the Polar Array properties, listed after the shape's own properties.