Align

  Edit Bar controls: Leave Original, Scale To Fit, Selection

This tool allows you to transform entities by aligning two imaginary axis lines, mapping the first onto the second, translating, rotating and scaling as necessary. You can optionally transform a copy of the entities.

Before activating the tool, select the entities to be transformed. Alternatively, if you start the tool without any selected entities you can identify a single entity to transform when you pick the base point.

If you wish to modify the selected entities, ensure the Leave Original option is switch off. If, on the other hand, you wish to modify a copy of the selected entities, switch the option on.

The outcome of whether the transformed entities are selected or not is determined by the Selection option. Select New, Select None, Select Original and Select All.

If you wish to allow the entities to be scaled during the alignment, switch on Scale To Fit.

First indicate an imaginary axis line for the entities by picking two points on that line. If you started the tool without any selected entities then the first point you pick must be on the entity you want to transform. You may find it beneficial to use a snap mode when picking the axis points. The cursor displays the selected entities, their distance from the cursor position being determined by your first pick.

Next, identify the first point of a second imaginary axis line. The cursor now displays the entities rotating around this picked point, their position (and optionally their size) being determined by the cursor position. Pick a final point, determining the position of the second axis line, thus fixing the position of the entities.

The entities are copied if required and transformed so that the start point of the first axis is mapped to the start point on the second axis and the first axis is aligned to the second axis. Additionally, if the Scale To Fit option was selected, the end point on the first axis is mapped to the end point on the second axis.

If you have selected Leave Original, the new entities are added to the current block. However, if Leave Original is switched off, you can hold the Shift key down to override this setting.

Constraint Manager

If you have the Constraint Manager active whilst using this tool you will experience the following differences:

  • If Leave Original is enabled then all constraints and dimensions are copied from the original entities onto the entities copied, as long as they are satisfied
  • If Leave Original is disabled then all constraints and dimensions are preserved on the moved entities, as long as they are satisfied

Related topics: Selecting 

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