How to make variable length arcs in CDR

[Micknot]

Hi all, thanks for the forum and hope you can help me.
Have returned to CDR (X7) after some years because I wanted to do (what I thought was ) a simple technical line drawing that involves arcs of varying length and start points around a common centre. No fancy graphics or even colour, just a descriptive diagram with explanatory text. I have access to Illustrator but the learning curve is too steep, is as intuitive as a spastic walrus and having had considerable success with CDR 6 many years ago thought I'd stick with the vaguely familiar.
I envisioned making one arc then duplicating it in place then adjusting the arc by simply dragging the nodes around the circumference to achieve the new size and position, scale the arc from the centre to achieve the required radii then repeat as needed.
But no. Moving nodes just send lines spearing all over the screen regardless of whatever combination of SHIFT, CTRL and ALT is used to constrain them. Have Googled extensively but just get advice on using CTRL D to add nodes to a circumference, but CTRL D only duplicates the object, or overlaying two arcs and rotating them differently to achieve the different start points and lengths. This fails because positioning the pivot points cannot be accurate enough to ensure the two arcs overlap exactly when rotated.
They are only examples of workarounds for what must surely be a straight forward vector graphic function. I would post an example of what I am trying to do but then I wouldn't require any assistance.
Thanks in advance.

[pauland]

I would post an example of what I am trying to do

Take a piece of paper and a pen and draw a rough diagram, then scan or photograph it. Or do the same using software with a pen tool, roughly.

[Micknot]

I would post an example of what I am trying to do

Take a piece of paper and a pen and draw a rough diagram, then scan or photograph it. Or do the same using software with a pen tool, roughly.

Hi,
Thanks for your prompt reply.
Have included a rough bitmap. As you can see its to help illustrate the individual wheel paths of a vehicle during steering. This is only the first simple one. I was wanting a vector graphic to go on and do more than a dozen other vehicle steering configurations including articulated all wheel drive, three, four and more axles in various configurations of rigid and steering axles and the differences in wheel deflection to obtain stable steering. Even up to ten axle all steering self propelled heavy lift trailers. So I hope you can see why I prefer the flexibility of vectors to adapt to increasingly complex diagrams.

[Micknot]

Oops,
Pic didnt attach.

[pauland]

First of all, I don't use CDR so I have no specific suggestions for that program, but..

On one layer I would draw four circles to have the tyres on their circumference. I would lock that layer and on a layer above simply draw a line/arrow from the tyre to the end of the arrow tip and use bezier tools to bend that line to match the circle arc underneath.

If you can cut a circle it would be even easier.

[Micknot]

Hi,
Thanks very much for the idea. Will give it a whirl.

[pauland]

I can't remember when I saw LISP last - described by my University tutor as Lots of Irritating Silly Parentheses. His description is pretty accurate. I did my AI course and never touched it again.

Does CDR run LISP?