Grid Panel

Related Information

Guide Palette

Major Grid

Minor Grid

Snapping

Snap Vertices

Snap Guidelines

Guides Layer

Align To Grid

Tangent Snap

Perpendicular Snap

Grid, Guide, and Snap Menu

Drawings may have one or two grids to assist in placing graphics or viewing the relative location of graphics. The grids are referred to as "Major" and "Minor". If Rulers are shown the grids may be linked to the rulers. The grids is used as drawing aids to visualize alignments and spacings.

Graphics may be "snapped" to grid intersections. Alternatively graphics may be snapped in specific relationships or orientations to other graphics. Graphic vertices (corners, or ends) may be snapped to the vertices of other graphics or intersections of lines and curves.

Guide snapping will provide precise orientation of one graphic to others on the drawing. Guide actions include: co-linear orientation of lines and paths, parallel and perpendicular orientation, positioning of vertices along reference lines or on intersections.

Tangent and perpendicular snapping will snap-orient a line (or straight path element) from a point to the tangent of a curved path (such as a circle). This action has a variant that snaps the line become Normal (or perpendicular) to the curved graphic.

This submenu is found on the Format main menu. It provides short cuts to common grid actions and access to the Grid Panel which is used to set the spacing of the grids and to select the grid actions active for a drawing.

Both grids may be shown or not. Drawing actions may be snapped to a grid independently of the visibility selection for the grid. The color of each grid may be selected using the Grids Panel.

A graphic or graphics must be selected before the two snap options at the bottom of the submenu are be enabled. If selected a graphic(s) may be "Snapped" to either grid.

The Show Grid Panel action opens the grid parameter panel. If the panel is open this menu selection will close the panel.

The menu sections "Snap to ..." will toggle the drawing’s snap action for the named grid. If Snap is selected a check mark is shown on the menu. When Snap is selected all drawing actions that specify a location on the drawing are allowed only at the horizontal-vertical intersections of the grid. This option is valid for the both the Major and Minor grids.

The menu sections "Show ..." will toggle the drawing’s show grid selection. If Show is selected a check mark is shown on the menu. When Show is selected the grid is drawn for the target drawing, when not checked the grid is not drawn. The color and spacing for the grid is defined on the Grid Panel .

The menu sections "Snap Graphics to ..." apply to a selected graphic (or graphics) on the drawing. The menu selection will move the graphic(s) to the nearest intersection of the grid specified. The graphic’s reference point is moved to the grid intersection. These are disabled unless a graphic is selected. The action is used even if the grid is not shown. The spacing for the grid is defined on the Grid Panel .

Mark Center is used to draw a center indication mark associated with a graphic. This applies to graphics that have a defined center point, such as a circle or arc of a circle. The defined center for these graphics is not simply the geometric center of a bounding box. For example, for a arc the defined center may be well displaced from the actual arc - it is the point where a traditional compass tip would is placed to draw the arc. This menu item is enabled if the selected graphic(s) has a defined center. Execute the menu command to change the show/hide state for the Center Mark.

Snap Drawing is a guide option that will snap and show when a refernce point on a graphic is aligned with the edges or center (horizontal and or vertical) center of the drawing. For multipage drawings the edges and center of each individual drawing page are active guide snaps. The Attribute Bar button with the "Dw" indicator provides a single click access point to turn this snapping on and off.

When the Center Mark of a graphic is shown, the defined center point is available for vertex snapping and for Connector or Dimensions attach. If the Center Mark is not showing, snapping does not happen at the defined center.

There is a check box on the Graphic Details Inspector where the state of the Center Mark may be inspected and set. Either this check box or the menu command may be used, both have the same action.

If Rulers are shown the grids are usually linked to the ruler spacing and tick marks. This action is enabled by a selection on the Grid Panel.