9

Using Grid Objects 5
Using the home grid to position houses
Changing Home Gr id S ettings
The home grid is a single system; its three planes
use the same settings for grid spacing and m ajor
line divisions. You change these settings from a
single panel of the Grid and Snap Settings dialog.
ToaccesstheHomeGridpanel,dooneofthe
following:
•ChooseCustomizemenu>GridAndSnap
Settings, then click the Home Grid tab.
•Right-clickanysnap button (page 2–35),then
click the Home Grid tab.
Setting Grid Spacing
Grid spacing is the size, in current units, of the
gr id’s smallest s quare. The basic idea is to choose
a g rid spacing that corresponds to your unit of
measurement, then choose a larger spacing for
multiple units.
For example, if you have units set to centimeters,
you m ig ht ma ke one gr id space equal to 1.000 (one
unit, or one centimeter in this c ase).
Setting Major Grid Division s
The home grid displa ys heavier or "major" lines to
mark groups of g rid squares. You can use these to
represent larger units of measurement.
Forexample,ifyouuseagridspacingofone
cent imeter, you might use a value of 10 so the
major grid divisions represent one decimeter.
Setting Color and Intensity
To improve grid visibility, you can change the
intensity or color of the home grid. Choose
Customize menu > Customize User Interface >
Colors panel (page 3–799).
Usi ng Gr i d Obj ects
Above: Inactive grid object in a scene
Below:Activatedgridobject
Gridobjectsletyoubypassthehomegridand
work on separately defined grids to create and
position objects. You can use as many grid objects
as you like, each ser ving as a custom construction
plane with its own grid settings.
Grid objects are 2D parametric objects, with
adjustments for overall size and grid spacing. You
can adjust their orientation in world space, and
match them to a particular sur face or object.