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Snap

What is it?

The Snap tool provides precise object positioning by grabbing an object at a specific point (face, edge, or vertex) and placing it at another point with full rotation control. It's perfect for precise alignment tasks, object placement, and complex scene assembly. The tool offers interactive previews, snap points, and fine rotation adjustments.

Access and Shortcuts

  • Pie Menu: Manipulation > Snap
  • Operator: damtools.snap
  • Modal keys:
  • Phase 1 (Source Selection):
    • 1/2/3 → Toggle between Face/Edge/Vertex modes
    • Q → Cycle through snap modes
    • S → Toggle snap points (Face mode only)
    • Click/Space → Select source point
    • D → Create duplicates instead of moving originals
    • ESC/Right Click → Cancel
  • Phase 2 (Destination Placement):
    • 1/2/3 → Toggle between Face/Edge/Vertex modes
    • Q → Cycle through snap modes
    • S → Toggle snap points (Face mode only)
    • C → Toggle wireframe/solid view
    • Alt + Mouse Wheel → Rotate around X axis
    • Alt + Ctrl + Mouse Wheel → Rotate around Y axis
    • Alt + Shift + Mouse Wheel → Rotate around Z axis
    • D → Create duplicates instead of moving originals
    • Click/Enter → Confirm placement
    • ESC/Right Click → Cancel

Workflow

Basic Steps

  1. Select object(s) to move
  2. Activate Snap tool
  3. Choose snap mode (Face/Edge/Vertex)
  4. Click on a point on the object to grab it
  5. Move cursor to destination
  6. Adjust rotation if needed
  7. Click to confirm placement

Snap Modes

  1. Face Mode (1): Snap to face centers or special points on faces
  2. Toggle S to show snap points (vertices, edge midpoints, face center)
  3. Edge Mode (2): Snap to edges with tangent alignment
  4. Vertex Mode (3): Snap to vertices

Rotation Control

  1. After selecting destination, use rotation controls:
  2. Alt + Wheel → Rotate around X axis
  3. Alt + Ctrl + Wheel → Rotate around Y axis
  4. Alt + Shift + Wheel → Rotate around Z axis
  5. Toggle C to switch between wireframe and solid view

Parameters

  • Snap Mode: Type of geometry element to snap to
  • Face (1): Snap to faces
  • Edge (2): Snap to edges
  • Vertex (3): Snap to vertices
  • Snap Points: Special points on faces for precise placement
  • Vertices
  • Edge midpoints
  • Face center
  • Intermediate points
  • Rotation: Fine control of object orientation
  • X, Y, Z axis rotation
  • 5° increments by default
  • Display Mode: Visual feedback options
  • Wireframe or solid view during placement
  • Normal indicators
  • Snap point highlights

Tips

  • Use Face mode with snap points (S) for most precise positioning
  • Edge mode automatically aligns object's tangent with the edge direction
  • Create duplicates with D instead of moving original objects
  • Use wireframe mode (C) for better visibility during placement
  • Selected objects move together while maintaining their relative positions
  • Rotation is around the destination point's coordinate system
  • Snap to face centers for symmetrical alignment
  • Use vertex mode for precise point-to-point placement

Known Limitations

  • Only works in object mode
  • Requires mesh objects
  • May have issues with very dense meshes
  • Rotation is relative to destination surface, not global axes
  • Maximum raycast distance is limited
  • Cannot snap to non-mesh objects
  • Backface culling may affect selection in some cases

See Also