Modify Objects - Manipulation Commands
Modify Objects - Manipulation Commands
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1004 Using the Move Command with Object Snap Tracking from One Point
Using object snap ensures that you select precise locations on objects. For example, you can use
object snap with the Move command to move objects to precise locations. But what if you want to
place an object a certain distance away from another object? For example, perhaps you want to
move the desk toward the corner of the room, but actually want it to be located 14 units down from
the corner. You can easily do this by using object snap tracking. On the Status bar, click the arrow
adjacent to the Object Snap button and choose Object Snap Settings to display the Object Snap
tab of the Drafting Settings dialog. Here you can see all of the current running object snaps. You
can also toggle Object Snap Tracking on and off. You can also toggle object snap tracking by
pressing the F11 key. Click Cancel to close the dialog. On the Status bar, you can also toggle object
snap tracking by clicking the Object Snap Tracking button. Make sure that it is toggled on. On the
Home ribbon, in the Modify panel, click the Move tool. The program prompts you to select objects.
Use a window to select the desk and then right-click to complete the selection. Now, the program
prompts you for a base point. Instead of clicking to select an endpoint at the corner of the desk,
however, move the cursor over the endpoint until you see the Endpoint AutoSnap marker and
tooltip, and then simply move the cursor away from the desk. With object snap tracking enabled,
you now see a tracking line, indicating that the cursor is snapped precisely at a 90-degree angle.
When you move the cursor, it also snaps into several other alignments at 0, 23, 25, 45, and 75
degrees. These are polar tracking angles, and you can control them by adjusting the polar tracking
settings. On the Status bar, click the arrow adjacent to the Polar Tracking button and choose
Tracking Settings to display the Polar Tracking tab of the Drafting Settings dialog. In the Polar
Angle Settings group box, you can see that the program is currently set to use a 45-degree
increment angle as well as these additional angles. And in the Object Snap Tracking Settings group
box, you can see that the program is currently set to track using all polar angle settings, in other
words, all of the polar tracking angles currently set on the left. While you could toggle off the angles
on the left, if you only want to track at orthogonal or 90-degree angles, you do not have to change
the polar angles. Under Object Snap Tracking Settings, simply change this to Track orthogonally
only. You can also toggle polar tracking on and off using the checkbox, but note that polar tracking
does not need to be enabled in order to use object snap tracking. Click OK to close the dialog.
When you move the cursor back into the drawing, it now only tracks at 90-degree angles. When you
are not at one of those angles, you can still see a plus sign at the endpoint in the corner of the desk.
When you move the cursor back over that corner and then move it away again, you no longer see
the plus sign and the program no longer tracks from that corner. When you move the cursor over
the endpoint again until the AutoSnap marker and tooltip appear, and then move the cursor away,
the program is once again using object snap tracking. So by simply moving the cursor over a
running object snap location, such as the midpoint of the desk, you can enable that location for
object snap tracking. And if you no longer want to track from that point, you can just move the
cursor over the point again. Now that you understand how object snap tracking works, you are
ready to move the desk. Track off the corner at a 90-degree angle. Then, type "14" and press
ENTER to lock the cursor to a position exactly 14 units away from the corner, at a 90-degree angle.
That is now the base point, and when the program prompts you to specify the second point, move
the cursor until it snaps to the endpoint of the wall and then click. The desk has been moved so that
it is exactly 14 units down from the end of the wall. To position the chair so that its midpoint is
exactly 3 units away from the midpoint of the desk, press the SPACEBAR to repeat the Move
command, select the chair, and then right-click. This time, when the program prompts you to select
the base point, click to select the midpoint of the front of the chair. Then, when it prompts you to
specify the second point, use object snap tracking to track away from the midpoint of the desk at a
0-degree angle, type "3", and press ENTER. The chair is immediately positioned exactly 3 units
away from the desk. As you have just seen, you can track either when specifying the base point or
the second point, and achieve the same type of results. Press the SPACEBAR to start the Move
command again, select the file cabinet, and then use object snap tracking to place it exactly 4 units
away from the corner of the desk.
1005 Using the Move Command with Object Snap Tracking from Two Points
Using object snap ensures that you select precise locations on objects. And object snap tracking
enables you to select a point located a precise distance away from an object. You can actually use
object snap tracking to track in two directions by tracking from both the base point and the second
point. For example, perhaps you want to move the desk toward the corner of the room, but actually
want it to be located 12 units down from the corner and 3 units away from the face of the wall. I'll
start the Move command by clicking the Move tool in the ribbon. The program prompts me to select
objects, and I can use any convenient object selection method. In this case, I'll use a selection
window. Once all of the objects are selected, I'll right-click. When the program prompts me to
specify the base point, I'll move the cursor over the endpoint of the corner of the desk. Remember
that I don't click. To acquire that corner for object snap tracking, I just move the cursor over the
corner until I see the object snap glyph and tooltip. Then, when I move the cursor away, I can see
the tracking alignment. Now, it really doesn't matter which distance I specify first. I could track up 12
units and then track away from the wall 3 units, or I could track toward the wall 3 units and then
track down from the corner. Either will yield the same results. In this case, I'll move the cursor up
along the 90-degree tracking alignment, type the desired distance of 12 units, and press ENTER.
The cursor is now positioned at the base point, which is exactly 12 units away from the corner of the
desk. Now, when the program prompts me to specify the second point, I'll move the cursor toward
the corner until I see the endpoint object snap glyph and tooltip, track along the 0-degree alignment,
type "3", and press ENTER. As soon as I do, the command ends and the desk has been moved so
that it is precisely 12 units down from the corner and 3 units away from the face of the wall.