Tools to Use: Manipulating Objects
on this page: starting out | simple transforms | snapping and alignment
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Check view
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Before manipulating a model, check
the view that you are in. Construction views constrain movement
and edits to a single plane.
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Select all or part of an object
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Click an object to select it or use Select Parent/Select Child
buttons on menu bar.
Parents and children are parts of group
hierarchies. You can also use the Outline Editor to select
within a group hierarchy.
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Group Objects
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Shift-click to select multiple objects. Choose Edit > Group to group objects. Use Edit > Add to Group to add a new object to an existing
group.
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Resize an object
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Interactively resize by dragging white cubes for a uniform
scale. Shift-drag to stretch in a single direction. Ctrl-drag
to uniformly scale about the opposite corner. Ctrl-Shift to
stretch about opposite corner.
Specify X,Y, Z coordinates--use the Precision Placement panel.
Choose Layout > Precision Placement.
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Move an object
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Interactively move by selecting and dragging transform box
face.
Nudge--use arrow keys or choose Layout > Nudge >
Left a Little, Right a Little, etc.
Specify X,Y, Z coordinates--use the Precision Placement panel.
Choose Layout > Precision Placement.
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Rotate an object
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Interactively rotate by selecting object and dragging green
knobs.
Specify X,Y, Z coordinates--use Precision Placement panel.
Choose Layout > Precision Placement.
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Snap two objects together
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Use Layout > Activate Snap Target or press its button
from the Layout palette:

Drag target to object. Select object to move, press Ctrl-m
to move selection to target, or choose Layout > Move
Selection to Snap Target.
Also use Ctrl-click middle to activate the Source snap
target.
Layout > Activate Scale Snapping --scale desired
features on a selected object (for example, a cylinder's
height) to the same measurement as that of an object on which the Snap
Target is placed.
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that of another object's edge; place the Snap Target on the
non-selected object's edge. to match size of target object. Good for
making even walls or boxes.
Layout > Edit Snapping Options--set tolerances
for how close to the snap target the manipulator must be before
snapping occurs. For example, adjust the rotation tolerance to a larger
number to make snapping occur when the rotation is further from a 90
degree rotation increment.
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Align to Grid
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Use Grid
or Angle
.
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