Object Snap Tab (Drafting Settings Dialog Box)

Controls running object snap settings.

Note: The 3D Object Snap tab is not available in AutoCAD LT.

With running object snap settings, also called running osnaps, you can specify a point at an exact location on an object. Press TAB to cycle through the options.

List of Options

Object Snap On

Controls whether all specified object snap modes are turned on or off. (OSMODE system variable)

Object Snap Tracking On

With object snap tracking, the cursor can track along alignment paths based on current object snap modes when specifying points in a command. (AUTOSNAP system variable)

Object Snap Modes

Lists object snaps that you can turn on as running object snaps.

Endpoint

Snaps to the closest endpoint or corner of a geometric object.

Midpoint

Snaps to the midpoint of a geometric object.

Center

Snaps to the center of an arc, circle, ellipse, or elliptical arc.

Geometric Center

Snaps to the centroid of any closed polylines and splines.

Node

Snaps to a point object, dimension definition point, or dimension text origin.

Quadrant

Snaps to a quadrant point of an arc, circle, ellipse, or elliptical arc.

Intersection

Snaps to the intersection of geometric objects.

Extended intersections as shown below are available only as overrides during a command, not as a running object snap.

Intersections and extended intersections do not work with edges or corners of 3D solids.

Note: Results may vary if both the Intersection and Apparent Intersection running object snaps are turned on.

Extension

Causes a temporary extension line or arc to be displayed when you pass the cursor over the endpoint of objects, so you can specify points on the extension.

Note: When working in perspective view, you cannot track along the extension line of an arc or elliptical arc.

Insertion

Snaps to the insertion point of objects such as an attribute, a block, or text.

Perpendicular

Snaps to a point perpendicular to the selected geometric object.

Deferred Perpendicular snap mode is automatically turned on when the object you are drawing requires that you complete more than one perpendicular snap. You can use an object such as a line, arc, circle, polyline, ray, xline, multiline, or 3D solid edge as an object from which to draw a perpendicular line. You can use Deferred Perpendicular to draw perpendicular lines between such objects. When your cursor passes over a Deferred Perpendicular snap point, an AutoSnap^™ tooltip and marker are displayed.

Tangent

Snaps to the tangent of an arc, circle, ellipse, elliptical arc, polyline arc, or spline.

Deferred Tangent snap mode is automatically turned on when the object you are drawing requires that you complete more than one tangent snap. You can use it to draw a line or xline that is tangent to arcs, polyline arcs, or circles. When your cursor passes over a Deferred Tangent snap point, a marker and an AutoSnap tooltip are displayed.

Note: When you use the From option in conjunction with the Tangent snap mode to draw objects other than lines from arcs or circles, the first point drawn is tangent to the arc or circle in relation to the last point selected in the drawing area.

Nearest

Snaps to the nearest point on an object such as an arc, circle, ellipse, elliptical arc, line, point, polyline, ray, spline, or xline.

Apparent Intersection

Snaps to the visual intersection of two objects that do not intersect in 3D space but may appear to intersect in the current view.

Extended Apparent Intersection snaps to the imaginary intersection of objects that would appear to intersect if the objects were extended along their natural paths. Apparent and Extended Apparent Intersection do not work with edges or corners of 3D solids.

Note: Results may vary if both the Intersection and Apparent Intersection running object snaps are turned on.

Parallel

Constrains a new line segment, polyline segment, ray or xline to be parallel to an existing linear object that you identify by hovering your cursor.

After you specify the first point of a linear object, specify the parallel object snap. Unlike other object snap modes, you move the cursor and hover over another linear object until the angle is acquired. Then, move the cursor back toward the object that you are creating. When the path of the object is parallel to the previous linear object, an alignment path is displayed, which you can use to create the parallel object.

Note: Turn off ORTHO mode before using the parallel object snap. Object snap tracking and polar snap are turned off automatically during a parallel object snap operation. You must specify the first point of a linear object before using the parallel object snap.

Select All

Turns on all running object snap modes.

Clear All

Turns off all running object snap modes.