Snapping line or shape with offset ...

Hi Communityy,


is it possible to snap p.ex. the edges of a shape element with an offset?

Here's what our users would like to have

They would like to be able to snap shape-elements along a "virtual" axis as shown above.

I know the "normal" snap modes but unfortunately there is no option available that could fulfill that requirement.

Thanks in advance for your ideas!

Parents
  • Hello, 

    Would using Accudraw to do this work? For example, set an Accudraw origin (press O) on the midpoint of one of the vertical lines on the shape, then lock the movement to the horizontal axis (press Enter) which would serve as the 'virtual' axis. See video attached....

    Regards,



Reply
  • Hello, 

    Would using Accudraw to do this work? For example, set an Accudraw origin (press O) on the midpoint of one of the vertical lines on the shape, then lock the movement to the horizontal axis (press Enter) which would serve as the 'virtual' axis. See video attached....

    Regards,



Children
  • Hi Conor,

    thanks for that idea - I forgot to mention in my post that a "one-click-solution" is what our users want ...

    I have had a similar idea like yours using "snap center" and then lock an axis but "there are too many clicks to perform ..." :-(

    Cheers
  • if your drawing a line  and your in smart line mode  and you want the central axis  or a shape (as shown in your example then the default keypoint (centre) snap works as intended 

    step 1 run smartline  ( you have  to draw a line  so we dont count that click as an extra)

    2 move the mouse to wards the centre point of the vertical line and accudraw will find the centre and you just data point  ( not extra as  you need to draw a start point)

    3 move the mouse to wards the middle of the  opposite vertical approx near the centre and accudraw  snaps to the centre  data point and reset to end .

     again its normal  to data point to start click and data point to stop click  so only two clicks no extras..

    requirements of your setup

    accudraw and accusnap must be enabled

    and default snap locked to keypoint.. which is the norm and best default  as it want to use end points and centres the most common   you can use i for intersection..

    if not then you'll need to enter  keyboard C for centre snap with a tentative   snap oldschool before accudraw and that would indeed be 2 extra clicks and two keyboard  C's ..

    It still works if the shape is 4 separate lines as  long as the you want the central axis  from the vertical lines and that the  two verticals are the same length

    if  you only have two horizontal lines and you need to find or create a horizontal axis line  you need to know how far aparat to draw and you can use alot of steps in accudraw  but its   quicker to just measure tool with  the perp distance ( copy the answer into clip board) then use parallel copy tool and keyin paste value  from clipboard and put  /2 enter

    which does the calculation of half for you and data point the first line and boom central axis line done  you may wish to set the active line style first to dash etc 

    and in parallel copy there is option to use active settings... these are  2 shortest possible methods...

    with out creating a custom tool ( very long involved process and lots of click needed here) and you still need to run that tool ...

    Lorys

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