Entity Snaps

Commands: 2DINTERSECTION, 3DINTERSECTION, NEAREST, CENTER, ENDPOINT, EXTENSION, FROM, INSERTION, INTERSECTION, MIDPOINT, MTP, NONE, PARALLEL, PERPENDICULAR, POINT, QUADRANT, TANGENT

Entity snaps enable you to quickly select exact geometric points on existing entities without having to know the exact coordinates of those points. With entity snaps, you can select the end point of a line or arc, the center point of a circle, the intersection of any two entities, or any other geometrically significant position. You can also use entity snaps to draw entities that are tangent or perpendicular to an existing entity. You can use entity snaps any time you need to specify a point.

You can work with entity snaps in one of two ways

Enable a running entity snap that remains in effect until you turn it off by choosing an entity snap when no other command is active.
Enable a one-time entity snap for a single selection by choosing an entity snap when another command is active. You can also use a one-time entity snap to override a running entity snap.

When using entity snaps, the program recognizes only visible entities or visible portions of entities. You cannot snap to entities on layers that have been turned off or to the blank portions of dashed lines.

If the APBOX system variable is on, the entity Snap Aperture Box is added to the crosshairs when one or more entity snaps are active.

When you move the cross hairs, the program snaps to the snap point closest to the center of the Snap Aperture Box. The Snap Marker indicates the current snap point.

NOTE	Press the TAB key, without moving the mouse, to cycle through all possible entity snaps. If the DYNMODE variable has a positive value (Dynamic Dimensions switched ON) entity snap cycling is not possible. Click the DYNMODE field in de Status Bar to toggle the display of dynamic dimensions.

To define the Entity Snap settings

Open the Settings dialog.
In the Settings dialog, expand the Program Options settings class.
Under Program Options expand the Display settings group, then scroll down to the Entity Snap settings.

Under Drawing expand the Drafting settings group then go to Coordinate Input > Entity Snaps.

Define the Entity Snap settings.

User Preference	Title	Description
SnapMarkerSize	Snap marker size	Sets the size of the snap marker. (default size is 6)
SnapMarkerThickness	Snap marker thickness	Sets the thickness of the snap marker. (default thickness is 2)
SnapMarkerColor	Snap marker color	Sets the color of the snap marker. (default color = 20)
DisplaySnapMarkerInAllViews	Snap marker in all views	If multiple viewports are open, enables the display of the snap marker in all viewports.
DisplayTooltips	Snap tooltips (3)	Enables the display of the Entity Snap tooltips.
System Variable	Title	Description
OSMODE	Entity snap mode	Sets the entity snap modes and toggles entity snap on/off.
APBOX	Entity snap aperture box	Toggles the display of the aperture box (2).
APERTURE	Entity snap aperture	Sets the size of the Autosnap aperture box. (default size is 10)
PDFOSNAP	Pdf entity snap	Enables snapping to the geometry in pdf underlay files.

NOTE	You can toggle the Entity Snaps on/off by clicking the ESNAP field in the Status Bar.

To set the Entity Snaps

Do one of the following:

Click the buttons on the Entity Snaps toolbar.
The buttons of the currently active entity snap modes are pressed.
Press and hold the Shift key, then right click and select the Entity Snap mode in the context menu.
The icons of the currently active Entity Snap modes are outlined.

When no command is active, the above procedures toggle the Entity Snap modes on/off.

When a command is active, the above procedures set a 'one shot' override of the current Entity Snap modes.

Entity Snap Modes

Name	Icon	Marker	Description
NEAREST			Snaps to the nearest point on an entity.
ENDPOINT			Snaps to the nearest endpoint of an entity or polyline segment.
MIDPOINT			Snaps to the midpoint of an entity or polyline segment.
CENTER			Snaps to the center point of an arc, circle, polygon, ellipse or elliptical arc. Snaps to the center of gravity of a closed polyline.
PERPENDICULAR			Snaps to the perpendicular point of another entity. You can snap to an arc, circle, ellipse, line, polyline, infinite line, ray, spline or edge of a plane to form a perpendicular alignment with that entity or with an extension of that entity.
PARALLEL			Displays a tracking line parallel to the selected entity.
TANGENT			Snaps to the point on an arc, ellipse, spline or circle that, when connected to the previous point, forms a line tangent to that entity.
QUADRANT			Snaps to the closest quadrant of an arc, circle, ellipse, or elliptical arc.
INSERTION			Snaps to the insertion point of an attribute, block or text entity.
POINT			Snaps to a point entity.
INTERSECTION			Snaps to the intersection of any combination of entities.
APPARENT INTERSECTION			Snaps to the apparent intersection in the current view of two entities that do not intersect in three-dimensional space.
EXTENSION			Snaps to the extension of an entity or to the intersection of the extension of two entities.
NONE			Turns off all entity snap modes.
FROM			Prompts for a base point. Use relative coordinates to define the offset from the base point.
MTP			Snaps to a point in the middle between two points.

Working with multiple Entity Snap modes

Move the cursor to the entity you want to snap.
One of the active Entity Snap modes markers display.
Do not move the mouse; press the TAB key.
The entity the snap point is on highlights.
Do one of the following:
Click to accept the snap point.
Press the TAB key.
The next possible Entity Snap mode marker displays.
The entity the snap point is on highlights.

(option) Repeat step 3 until the right snap point is found.

NOTES

Do not move the mouse while pressing the TAB key.
Entity snap cycling is not possible when Dynamic Dimensions are active. Click the DYNMODE field in the Status Bar to toggle Dynamic Dimensions on/off.

To snap to the extension of two entities

If not already on, turn on the Extension Entity Snap mode ().
Launch a drawing tool, e.g. Draw Line.
Move the cursor over the endpoint of the first entity (1).
A small cross () indicates the entity is marked for extension.
Move the cursor over the endpoint of the second entity (2).
A small cross () indicates the entity is marked for extension.
Move the cursor near the intersection of the extensions of the two entities.
An X indicates the intersection (3).

Click to accept the snap point.

NOTE	You can snap to the extension of lines, polylines, arcs and elliptical arcs

Using the From option

The From entity snap option allows to define an offset from an entity snap point.

When executing a drawing or modifying command, do one of the following:

Click the From tool () button on the Entity Snaps toolbar.
Type from in the command bar, then press Enter.
Press Shift, then right click and choose From in the context menu.

The command bar reads: Base point:

Identify the base point.
The command bar reads: Base point: offset or regular point:
Type the offset, from the base point as relative coordinates: @x,y,(z).

NOTE	Use polar tracking to type the distance from the base point (see: Direct distance entry).

Using the Parallel entity snap

Launch an entity create command to create a linear entity (e.g. Line).
Specify the first point of the entity.
The line displays dynamically.
Do one of the following:

Press and hold the Shift key, then right click and choose Snap to parallel in the context menu.
Click the Snap to parallel toolbutton () in the Entity Snaps toolbar.

Hover the cursor over the entity you want to draw parallel to.
The Parallel Entity Snap marker () displays on the selected entity.
Wait until a small cross (+) indicates the entity is recognized.
Move the cursor in order to place the dynamics of the line more or less parallel to the selected entity.
A tracking line displays from the start point of the line.
Do one of the following to specify the second point while the tracking line displays:
Click a point.
Enter the desired length and press Enter.
Use a second entity snap tracking point, then move the cursor to the intersection of the parallel tracking line and the second entity snap tracking line.

Using Midpoint snap

When prompted to specify a point, do one of the following:
Type mtp or m2p in the command bar, then press Enter.
Press and hold the Shift key, then right click and choose Snap to middle of 2 points in the context menu.

The command bar reads: First point of mid:

Specify the first point
The command bar reads: Second point of mid:

Specify the second point.
The point in the middle of the two points is snapped.