To activate snaps choose Active snaps from the Edit menu item or open the Snaps toolbar by choosing Managers > Snaps toolbar. Options are:
Grid # 1
Grid # 2
Grid # 3
Grid # 4
Snap to grid lets you snap any entity to the closest grid intersection.
Point
Snap to points allows snapping any entity to:
- curves and surfaces control points;
- endpoints of curves;
- midpoints of lines;
- centers of circles, arcs, ellipses.
Translate
Rotate
Scale
These snaps allow you to translate, rotate, and scale only by steps of
the measure you have set in the Grid Setup panel.
Curve
Snap to curve allows you to snap whatever you are moving (a point, a light, or a camera) to any point on a curve. It takes precedence over the above mentioned snap options.
After you have enabled this snap option, click the curve you want to snap to. Without releasing the mouse button, slide the snap point along the curve. Release the mouse button when you have reached the desired position. To set the point free from the curve, just press the Ctrl key. To snap to another curve in the scene press again the Ctrl key when you are over it.
Snap to curve makes achieving intersections easy. You are suggested to disable this option when you do not need it.
Tangent
Snap to tangent allows you to snap whatever you are moving (a point, a light, or a camera) to a given curve tangent. It takes precedence over any other snap options. You are suggested to disable it once you have used it.
After you have enabled this snap option, click on the curve you want to snap to. Without releasing the mouse button, slide the snap point along the tangent of the curve until you have reached the desired position. Then, release the mouse button.
Repeat the same steps for the second point: click the curve you want to be tangent to and, without releasing the mouse button, slide the snap point along the tangent of the curve. Release the mouse button once you have reached the desired position. You can insert all successive points normally. The new curve remains tangent to the first one.
If you want the first point of the new curve to coincide with the last point of the first curve, you must also enable snap to point. Place the first point of the new curve out of the first curve and, without releasing the mouse button, drag it until it snaps.
Then, position the second point: click on the curve and, without releasing the mouse button, slide the snap point along the tangent of the curve. Release the mouse button when you have reached the desired position.
Snap in 3D
When you enable Snap in 3D, snapping on the view's disabled axis (the axis perpendicular to the view plane) is allowed. Otherwise, snap is enabled only in the active plane, i.e. XY in the Top view, XZ in the Front view, and so on.
Snap disabled
Disables all the snap options you activated. This way, you can quickly enable/disable your preferred snap configuration without having to enable/disable each single option.
See also