Align

Edit Bar controls: Group, Align Selected, Allow rotation, Set origin, Angle snap, Angle.

This tool allows you to align folding models and mesh objects by picking snap points on the faces of mesh objects and folding models.

Group - if enabled the source object will automatically be parented to the destination object, so you no longer need to manually drag & drop the objects within the 3D Scene tab to create a parent/child hierarchy.

Align Selected - if enabled, all selected objects can be aligned to a single plane or face.

Allow rotation - if enabled, the highlighted surface on the source object will automatically rotate to attempt to match the orientation of the highlighted surface on the destination object. 

Set origin - if enabled, the 3D origin of the source object will be reset to the point at which it joins with the destination object.

Angle snap - if enabled, an entry field will be displayed allowing a value (up to 90º) to be entered. Free-hand object rotations will be limited to the specified increment

Angle - the incremental rotation value.

A suitable snap mode should be activated before running the tool. 

You do not need to make a selection to run the tool and any existing selection will not affect the operation of the tool.

Run the tool and hover the cursor over the source object (the object to be aligned). 

If this is a folding model, a face will be highlighted and a small arrow displayed to confirm that the outside of the face is selected. The Shift key will toggle between the selection of the outside face and the inside face.

If this is a mesh object, a polygon will be selected and a small arrow will be displayed to confirm that the outside of the polygon is selected. The Shift key will have no effect on mesh objects.

Once the source face has been identified, hold down the Control key to display snap-points on that face. Click to identify the snap-point on the source object.

NOTE: Smart Snap will allow snap-points to be displayed at the ends of a polygon on a mesh object and at the ends, mid-points and centres of an edge of a folding model.

Snap to End will allow snap-points to be displayed at the ends of a polygon on a mesh object and at the ends of an edge of a folding model.

Snap to Mid will allow snap-points to be displayed at the mid-points of a polygon on a mesh object, at the centre of rectangular polygons on a mesh object and at the mid-point of an edge of a folding model.

Snap to Centre will allow snap-points to be displayed at the centre of a polygon on a mesh object and at the centre of a surface of a folding model. Snap to Centre will also allow snapping to the centre of the entities around the edges of the board.

Once the snap-point on the source object has been identified, the source object will be attached to the cursor.

Repeat the process (face selection, followed by snap-point selection) to identify the snap-point on the destination object.

The objects will be aligned in accordance with the Edit Bar options.

NOTE: If Allow rotation is enabled, keeping the Control key depressed allows interactive rotation about the destination snap-point. You can change the axis of rotation by clicking upon the required axis of the rotation cursor.

 NOTE: The colours for face-highlighting and 3D snap-points are user-defined.

Related topics: Notes On 3D Tools, Snap Modes.

End and Mid Snap-Points for the outside face of a folding model via Snap Smart.

End and Mid Snap-Points for the inside face of a folding model via Snap Smart.

End Snap-Points for a polygon within a mesh object via Snap End.

        

Centre Snap-Points on the edge of the board - zoomed in version showing the point at zero height

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