Snap switches and symbols

Tekla Structures
2019
Tekla Structures

Snap switches and symbols

Use the snap switches to control which positions you can pick in the model or drawing. By using snap switches, you can position objects precisely without having to know the coordinates. You can use snap switches whenever Tekla Structures prompts you to pick a point.

Click the snap switches on the Snapping toolbar to switch them on or off. If there is more than one point available to snap to, press the Tab key to cycle forward through the snap points, and Shift+Tab to cycle backwards through them. Click the left mouse button to select the appropriate point.

Alternatively, you can control the snap switches with Quick Launch. Start typing the name of the snap switch, for example, snap , and click the name of the snap switch on the search results list to activate the switch.

Main snap switches

The two main snap switches define whether you can snap to reference points or any other points on objects, for example part corners. These switches have the highest snap priority. If both these switches are off, you cannot snap to any positions, even if all the other switches are on.

The snap symbols have two colors:
  • Orange for part or object snap
  • Green for component snap

Switch

Snap positions

Description

Symbol

Reference lines and points

You can snap to object reference points (points that have handles).

Large

Geometry lines and points

You can snap to any point on an object.

In drawings, you can use this switch to snap to snapshot overlays.

Small

Other snap switches

The table below lists the remaining snap switches and their symbols in the model and drawing.

Make sure that you do not have too many snap switches on when snapping, as it may easily lead to inaccuracies and errors in snapping. Be particularly careful when you use theSnap to any position snap switch.

Switch

Snap positions

Description

Symbol

Points

Snaps to points and grid line intersections.

End points

Snaps to end points of lines, polyline segments, and arcs.

Centers

Snaps to centers of circles and arcs.

In a drawing, when you want to snap to the center point of a circle that has been created by using a polygon cut in the model, set the advanced option XS_ADD_SNAPPING_SYMBOL_TO_CIRCLES to TRUE.

Midpoints

Snaps to midpoints of lines, polyline segments, and arcs.

Intersections

Snaps to intersections of lines, polyline segments, arcs, and circles.

Perpendicular

Snaps to points on objects that form a perpendicular alignment with another object.

Line extensions

Snaps to the line extensions of nearby objects, and reference and geometry lines of drawing objects.

Any position

Snaps to any position.

Nearest point

Snaps to the nearest points on objects, e.g. any point on part edges or lines.

Lines

Snaps to grid lines, reference lines, and the edges of existing objects.

Dimensions and mark lines, drawing layout items and drawing frames

Snaps to annotation geometries, drawing layout items and drawing frames.

Available only in drawings.

 

Override the current snap switch

You can temporarily override the current snap switch settings.

  1. Run a command that asks you to pick a point.

    For example, start creating a beam.

  2. To override the current snap switches, do one of the following:
    • Right-click to bring up a list of snap options, and then select one of the options.
    • Click File > Settings , and in the list of toolbars select Snap override toolbar.

      A new toolbar appears. Click a button to override the current snap switch.

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