Snapping with live objects
 
 
 

You can use the Make Live ( ) option with snapping to create or move geometry that is locked to existing geometry.

Snap all creation tools to a surface or construction plane

You can set a surface so that all creation tools (such as the curve drawing tools) are locked on to the surface. This does not affect actions (such as the create primitives commands).

To snap creation tools to the selected surface

  1. Click the “Make the selected object live” icon in the Status Line (toolbar), or select Modify > Make Live.
  2. While the Make live icon is on, creation tools snap to the surface when in Interactive Creation mode. Click the icon again to stop snapping to the surface.

To snap creation tools to a plane

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

    While the Make live icon is on, creation tools snap to the surface when in Interactive Creation mode. Click the icon again to stop snapping to the surface.

    NoteWhen you use Make live to snap a curve to a NURBS surface, the curve becomes a curve-on-surface and you can use it to trim.

    the Make live feature works in either wireframe or shaded display mode.

Snap translation to live object

You can set a surface so that a translated surface locks onto it.

To snap to a live object

  1. Select the surface you want to snap to.
  2. Click the “Make the selected object live” icon in the Status Line (toolbar), or select Modify > Make Live.

    If you perform a free translate on the object, it snaps to the live surface.

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