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44 Chapter 10: Precision and Drawing Aids
3.
On the main toolbar, click the Snaps
Toggle button to turn on snaps, and then
right-click the button to open the Grid And
Snap Settings dialog to the Snaps panel.
The default Snaps setting is Grid Points only; if
thisisnotthecase,makeitso.Agridpointis
the intersect ion of two grid lines.
4. On the d ia log, click the Options tab.
In the G eneral group, Snap Preview Radius is
set to 30 pixels and Snap Radius is set to 20
pixels. You can leave this dia log open while you
use snaps.
5. OntheCreatepanel,clickShapes,and
then click Object Type rollout > Line.
You’re now in line-creation mode.
6. Click anywhere in the viewport to start creating
a line-typ e spline object.
7. Move the cursor around the viewport.
As you do so, a rubber-band line connects the
mouse cursor to the st art point.
8. P osition the mouse cursor near a grid point,
but not too close, so that the snap cursor (cyan
box + crosshairs) appears at the grid point,
but the line endpoint remains attached to the
mouse cursor.
This shows the snap preview; you’ll see its
purpose in the next step.
9. Click the left mouse button.
Thesecondlinevertexiscreatednotwhereyou
clickedbutatthegridpointindicatedbythe
snap preview. Snap preview lets you see where
asnapwilloccurbeforeitactuallyhappens.
10. Move the cursor toward anot her g rid point.
At the Snap Preview Radius distance (30 pixels),
the snap cursor appears at t he grid point.
11. Continue moving the cursor toward the grid
point.
After you move it 10 pixels closer (the difference
between Snap Preview Radius and Snap
Radius), the line endpoint jumps from the
mouse cursor to the grid point. This is the
legacy snap functionality.
12. Click to accept the snap.
13. Complete the line, and then zoom out so the
grid points are closer together. Start another
line, and then position the mouse cursor in the
center of a grid square, so the preview snap
point appears at one of the grid points.
14. Press ALT+SHIFT+S repeatedly to cycle
through the remaining nearby grid points. If
nothing happens, try zooming out more or
increasing the Snap Preview Radius value.
By default, the software uses the closest snap
point as the preview location. This keyboard
shortcut lets you choose other qualifying snap
points.
Interfa ce
Note: The layout of the Grid And Snap Settings
dialog is generated at runtime. Because of this, it
might appear slightly different than the illustration
shown here.