About Virtual Snap Points (AutoCAD Mechanical Toolset)

Object snaps enable you to select specific points in a drawing easily.

You can also use existing points and objects to define virtual snap points. You can use these virtual snap points to edit objects or add objects to the drawing.

With the drawing aid commands, you can define:

The Relative Point

With Relative Point, you can define a virtual snap point in the drawing by specifying its polar coordinate based on the last point entered.

If you start this function while no other command is active, the program returns only the coordinate of the relative point. To use this function to locate points in your drawing while a drawing command is active, start the drawing command and then define a relative point.

For example, to draw a line, start the LINE command and specify a starting point. Then start the Relative Point function ('AMPSNAPREL) as a transparent command. The program prompts you as follows:

Specify angle or [Base point]: Enter an angle value, and press Enter.

Distance: Enter a distance value or specify a distance with the pointing device.

Note: You can also specify another base point to define the angle. Select Base Point at the Command prompt. The program prompts you as follows:

New Base for Angle: Select a new point in the drawing, and press Enter to specify an angle value.

The Reference Point

With Reference Point, you can define a temporary reference snap point for specifying subsequent points in the drawing.

The Virtual Intersection

With Virtual Intersection, you can locate the apparent intersection point of two lines and use it as a virtual snap point.

If you start this function while no other command is active, the program returns only the coordinate of the virtual intersection2# point. To use this function to locate points in your drawing while a drawing command is active, start the drawing command and then define the virtual intersection point between two selected lines.

For example, to draw a circle at the virtual intersection point of two lines, start the CIRCLE command. Then start the Virtual Intersection function ('AMPSNAPVINT) as a transparent command. Select the first and second line to locate the virtual intersection point of those lines.

The Rectangle Center

Rectangle Center enables you to locate the intersection point between the perpendicular bisectors of two lines and use it as a virtual snap point.

If you start this function while no other command is active, the program returns only the coordinates of the point calculated. To use this function to locate points in your drawing while a drawing command is active, start the drawing command and then choose the Rectangle Center function ('AMPSNAPCEN) as a transparent command.

The Mid of 2 Points

With the Mid of 2 Points function, you can locate points on the apparent line that passes through two selected points.

If you start this function while no other command is active, the program returns only the coordinates of the calculated point. To use this function to locate points in your drawing while a drawing command is active, start the drawing command, and then choose the Mid of 2 Points function ('AMPSNAPMID) as a transparent command.

When you start the Mid of 2 Points function, the program prompts you for the first and second point. To locate the midpoint between those two points, enter 0.5 (the default value), when prompted for the Line Division. Enter 0 to locate the first point, and 1 to locate the second point. You can also enter negative values and values greater than 1.