“Snapping” is a common feature in many drawing programs. Many times we create guide lines, or an invisible grid of dots in order to help align or lay out shapes, elements, or text. You can snap to different points such as elements, forms, Structural members, defined points on members or forms, or to a grid system.

Places on a form to which you can snap are defined by keypoints. Each element and form has keypoints, which are mathematically defined locations on the element — much like handles that you can grab.

Snapping to Tentative Points is handy when you need to locate a precise data point at which to perform some action, and there are multiple defined snappable points in the immediate area. With AccuSnaps you can preview where the data point will be placed, or see which element is selected before committing to it.

To snap to a tentative point, move the pointer to the location where you want to construct, attach, or modify the element. The existing element highlights, and a pointer crosshair appears at the nearest keypoint on the element. Click the left mouse button to enter a data point to accept the tentative snap point, and proceed with your design. If you snap to the wrong element or the wrong point, simply snap again until the correct point highlights.

• Snap Modes – The active snap mode is indicated by the Snap Mode icon located at the bottom of the screen in the right side of the status bar. Click the Snap Mode icon to display the snap pop-up menu. Choose Button Bar from the top of the pop-up menu to open the Snap Mode button bar, and display the snap modes, which are available dependent upon which drawing tool you are using. You can dock the button bar at any edge of the screen, or float it over one or more design views. You set the active snap mode by double-clicking a snap mode button in the Snap Mode button bar. The mode button is highlighted with gray when set as the active snap. You can override the active snap mode for a “single-shot” snap by single-clicking another snap button in the Snap Mode button bar. However, the override is effective only for the very next snap operation, and the snap mode reverts back to the active snap mode highlighted in gray.
• Commonly used snaps – Keypoint, Midpoint, and Center are three of the more commonly used snap modes. Keypoint is the default snap mode; when active, tentative points may be snapped to “keypoints” on an element. For instance, a line has keypoints at its end points; a circle has keypoints at its center and every 45 degrees; and an arc has keypoints at its center, at end points on the arc, and midway on the arc.
• Snap Divisor – The number of equally-spaced keypoints on a segment, element, or structural member is calculated via the Snap Divisor, which you control from the menu bar by choosing Settings > Design File > Snaps. Set the Divisor setting to be the number of parts you want to define. If you want the element to be divided into four parts, set the Divisor setting to four. The number of keypoints will be one more than that, since we are counting the end points. Also in the Design File Settings for Snaps, you can check or uncheck the Snap Lock check box to enable or completely disable any snapping features.