Object snaps are essential to specifying precise locations on objects. For example, you can use object snaps to create a line to the center of a circle or to the midpoint of another line.
You can specify an object snap whenever you are prompted for a point. By default, a marker and a tooltip are displayed when you move the cursor over an object snap location on an object. This feature, called AutoSnap ™ , provides visual confirmation that indicates which object snap is in effect. For example, the marker for a midpoint object snap is a triangle.
Specify an Object Snap
To specify an object snap at a prompt for a point, you can
- Press Shift and right-click to display the Object Snap shortcut menu
- Right-click and choose an object snap from the Snap Overrides sub-menu
- Click an object snap button on the Object Snap toolbar
- Enter the name of an object snap
- On the status bar, right-click the object snap button
- When you specify an object snap at a prompt for a point, the object snap stays in effect only for the next point that you specify.
- If you want object snaps to ignore hatch objects, set the OSOPTIONS system variable to 1.
- Object snaps work only when you are prompted for a point. If you try to use an object snap at the Command prompt, an error message displays.
Use Running Object Snaps
If you need to use one or more object snaps repeatedly, you can turn on running object snaps. For example, you might set Center as a running object snap if you need to connect the centers of a series of circles with a line.
You can specify one or more running object snaps on the Object Snaps tab in the Drafting Settings dialog box, which is accessible from the right-click menus. If several running object snaps are turned on, more than one object snap may be eligible at a given location. You can press Tab to cycle through the possibilities before you specify the point.
Click the object snap button on the status bar or press F3 to turn running object snaps on and off.