Snap to a live surface

Snap creation tools to a live surface

To snap creation tools to the live surface

  1. Set a live surface.
  2. Select a creation tool.

    Tools snap to the live surface when in Interactive Creation mode.

    3. Tip: Click the Make Live icon again to stop snapping to the live surface.

To snap creation tools to a construction plane

  1. Select Create > Construction Plane > , set the initial orientation of the plane, then click Apply.
  2. Use the Move and Rotate Tools to orient the plane.
  3. Select the plane and select Modify > Make Live.

    The plane becomes the live surface and creation tools snap to its surface when in Interactive Creation mode.

    Note: When you use Make Live to snap a curve to a NURBS surface, the curve becomes a curve-on-surface. See Curves-on-surface.

To snap to components on a live surface

  1. Set a live surface.
  2. Double-click the Move Tool icon in the Tool Box .
  3. In the Tool Settings window that appears, select a Snap to Live Polygon option—Face Center or Vertex.
  4. Click the object you want to move and drag the center Move manipulator handle or one of the plane handles.

    The movement is constrained to the nearest face centers or vertex locations on the live surface.

    Note: The arrow Move manipulator handles do not constrain movement.

Components will also automatically snap to a live surface if using the Multi-Cut Tool while a live surface is active.

Snap translation to a live surface

To snap to a live surface

  1. Set a live surface.
  2. Click the object you want to move and drag the center Move manipulator handle or one of the plane handles.

    The object snaps to the live surface.

    Note:

    If Snap to curves is enabled and the object is already snapped to a curve or very close to one, the object remains snapped to the curve when it is transformed. If the object is not near a curve, it snaps to the live surface.

Related topics

Parent topic: Align and snap