2011

Table Of Contents
Snap mode restricts the movement of the crosshairs to intervals that you
define. When Snap mode is on, the cursor seems to adhere, or "snap," to an
invisible rectangular grid. Snap is useful for specifying precise points with the
arrow keys or the pointing device.
Grid mode and Snap mode are independent but are often turned on at the
same time.
Control the Display Style and Area of the Grid
You can display the grid either as a rectangular pattern of dots or as rectangular
pattern of lines. The grid displays lines for all visual styles. The grid displays
dots only when the current visual style is set to 2D Wireframe. By default, a
lined grid is displayed while working in both 2D and 3D. There are several
methods to change the current visual style, including the VSCURRENT
command.
By default, the X and Y axes of the UCS display in a different color than the
grid lines. You can control the color in the Drawing Window Colors dialog
box. This dialog box is accessible from the Drafting tab in the Options dialog
box.
The LIMITS command controls the drawing area covered by the grid. As an
option, you can override the limits to make the grid cover the entire XY plane
of the user coordinate system (UCS). You can access this option in the Drafting
Settings dialog box or use the GRIDDISPLAY system variable.
NOTE When you use dynamic UCS, the grid limits are set automatically relative
to the size of the selected face of the solid and the drawing area available.
Control the Frequency of Major Grid Lines
If the grid is displayed as lines rather than dots, darker lines called major grid
lines display at intervals. When working in decimal units or with feet and
inches, major grid lines are especially useful for measuring distances quickly.
594 | Chapter 17 Use Precision Tools