Method and system for aligning and laying out drawing elements in CAD drawings

1. A computer-implemented method for aligning a drawing element in a computer-aided design (CAD) drawing, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of an insertion point on an object within the CAD drawing,

wherein the drawing element attaches to the object at the insertion point; placing the drawing element at the insertion point;

establishing a tangent line based on the insertion point on the object;

orienting the drawing element at a predetermined alignment angle relative to the tangent line; and

populating instances of the drawing element within a designated space according to parameters specified in a layout rule.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising snapping the drawing element to the insertion point at the predetermined alignment angle relative to the object as the drawing element is directed near the insertion point.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameters include a number of the instances of the drawing element to populate into the designated space.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameters include a requirement of a standardized code.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising monitoring whether the populating step conforms to the requirements of the standardized code.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

calculating a length of the perimeter of the designated space; and

disposing instances of the drawing element along the perimeter based on the initial position and the length of the perimeter.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the disposing step is further based on a specified length in the layout rule.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting a set of the instances of the drawing element as a group; and

performing an action to one of the instances in the group, wherein the action applies to the remaining instances in the group.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for aligning a drawing element in a computer-aided design (CAD) drawing, which when executed by a processing unit in a computing device, causes the processing unit to perform the steps of:

receiving a selection of an insertion point on an object within the CAD drawing,

wherein the drawing element attaches to the object at the insertion point; placing the drawing element at the insertion point;

establishing a tangent line based on the insertion point on the object;

orienting the drawing element at a predetermined alignment angle relative to the tangent line; and

populating instances of the drawing element within a designated space according to parameters specified in a layout rule.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions for snapping the drawing element to the insertion point at the predetermined alignment angle relative to the object as the drawing element is directed near the insertion point

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the parameters include a number of the instances of the drawing element to populate into the designated space.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the parameters include a requirement of a standardized code.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , further comprising instructions for monitoring whether the populating step conforms to the requirements of the standardized code.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions for:

calculating a length of the perimeter of the designated space; and

disposing instances of the drawing element along the perimeter based on the initial position and the length of the perimeter.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the disposing step is further based on a specified length in the layout rule.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions for:

selecting a set of the instances of the drawing element as a group; and

performing an action to one of the instances in the group, wherein the action applies to the remaining instances in the group.

17. A method for laying out a plurality of drawing elements in a computer-aided design (CAD) drawing, the method comprising:

specifying a layout rule; and

placing one of the plurality of drawing elements at an initial position within the CAD drawing specified in the layout rule;

invoking a layout tool configured to populate the remaining of the plurality of the drawing elements in a designated space according to the layout rule.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the layout tool is further configured to orient each of the plurality of drawing elements at a predetermined alignment angle relative to an object in the designated space.

19. A computing device, comprising:

a processing unit; and

a memory system configured to store instructions for aligning a drawing element in a computer-aided design (CAD) drawing, which when executed by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to perform the steps of:

receiving a selection of an insertion point on an object within the CAD drawing, wherein the drawing element attaches to the object at the insertion point;

placing the drawing element at the insertion point;

establishing a tangent line based on the insertion point on the object;

orienting the drawing element at a predetermined alignment angle relative to the tangent line; and

populating instances of the drawing element within a designated space according to parameters specified in a layout rule.