8

2D Snap, 2.5D Snap, 3D Snap 35
Angle Snap Toggle (page 2–36)
Percent Snap Tog gle (page 2–37)
Spinner Snap Toggle (page 2–37)
2D Snap, 2.5D Snap, 3D Snap
Main toolbar > 2D Snap, 2.5D Snap, or 3D Snap on the
Snaps Toggle flyout
Keyboard > S
The buttons on the Snaps Toggle flyout provide
control over the range of 3D space where snaps
are active.
2D, 2.5D, 3D Snaps flyout
Object Snapping
Object snapping lets you snap to specific portions
of existing geometry during creation and
transforms of objects or sub-objects. You can also
snap to the grid, and you can snap to tangents,
midpoints, pivot points, face centers and other
options.
Themodeyouchoosemaintainsitsstatewhen
you switch levels.
Transforming Around Snap Points
When snapping is on and
Auto Key (page 3–760)
is off, rotat ions and scales occur about the snap
point. For example, if you’re using Vertex snapping
and you’re rotating a box, you can rotate it about
any of its corner vertices. See
To use snaps to move
an absolute distance: (page 2–36)
below.
When Auto Key is on and either Select And Rotate
or Select And Scale is active, the Snaps Toggle
button is disabled, and rotation and scaling take
placeaboutthepivotpointoftheobject.
Relative and Absolute Snaps
The mouse snaps absolutely t o the active snap
types. Relativ e snapping is also available. By
default, when you turn on snaps, only the Grid
Points snap t ype is active. If you perform a Move
operation, the cursor w ill snap to the gr id, but you
can select and pick up an object th at’s not aligned
to the grid. When you move the object and snap
it to grid points, the object’s original position
relative to the grid is maintained as an offset to
each grid point, providing relative snapping.
Tomovethesameobjectinanabsolutefashion,
add the Vertex snap type. Then, when y o u select
the object to move, you select one of its vertices,
and snap that vertex to any grid point, resulting in
an absolute snap.
You can also achieve var iations on relative snaps
byturningontheSelectionLockTogglebuttonin
the status line.
A wide variety of snap types are available from the
Snaps dialog (p age 2–38) ,thatyouusetoactivate
different snap types as you work.
Procedures
To tur n snap off during a tr ansform:
•PressS to toggle snapping off when it gets in the
way.PressSagaintoturnitbackon.
Tousesnapstomovearelativedistance:
1.
Turn on Snaps with the S key , or by clicking the
Snaps Togg l e button.