About Editing Alignments Using Grips

Use grips to change the vertical curves and tangents in an alignment graphically.

Use editing grips to relocate or modify curves and tangents using visual design cues. If you created alignment entities using the constraint-based tools, some editing grips are not available.

Grips are oriented in the direction of the WCS (World Coordinate System) in which the object currently is displayed. The exception is constrained grips, which indicate a particular constraint direction.

Use this grip...

To do this...

AT END OF LINE OR CURVE

Move an unconstrained pass-through point on a line or curve. On a line, moving this grip affects the length and angle of the line. On a curve, moving this grip does not affect the radius of the curve to which it belongs, but it can affect the radius of another attached entity.

AT CENTER OF LINE

Move an entire line. Moving this grip only affects the line location.

AT END OF LINE OR CURVE

Change the constrained length of a line or curve. This grip appears on lines and curves that have a directly editable length and is aligned with the vector at the end of the line or curve. Moving this grip does not affect the radius of a curve or angle of a line.

AT CURVE CENTER POINT

Change the center point of a circle. Moving a center point changes only the center point.

AT PASS-THROUGH POINT

Change the pass-through point and radius of a curve or circle. Moving a pass-through point affects the radius of the curve.

AT POINT OF INTERSECTION

Change where two tangent points meet. This grip is oriented up with the top pointing toward the Y axis of the world coordinate system.

AT PASS-THROUGH POINT

Change the radius or through point of the curve. The triangle grip appears on curves that have a directly editable radius and is oriented in and constrained to the direction of the change. The circle grip changes the pass-through point and radius of the curve.

When a grip is selected, you can use either dynamic input or the Alignment Entities vista and Alignment Layout Parameters window to enter precise attribute values for the grip.

Tutorial Exercise: Grip Editing an Alignment