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Snapping in modo is the action where two elements, when coming in close proximity with one another, the moving element jumps to the fixed element making it possible to very accurately align geometry components in relation to one another, or in relation to 3D space. modo offers a variety of snapping options that can be set accordingly, based on user intent.

Snapping Menu

Snapping is a global state in modo, when it is enabled, all actions will obey to the current definition, as specified in the snapping options. Users can open the options panel one of two ways. In the tool properties viewport, there is a persistent 'Snapping' button, LMB+click to open, or simply press the 'F11' keyboard shortcut to open a viewport popover under the mouse pointer; move the mouse away from the form to dismiss it. Users can temporarily enable snapping by pressing and holding the 'X' key on the keyboard, or fix the state by tapping the 'X' key toggling it either enabled or disabled. When the Snapping state is enabled, the snapping button (illustrated above) will highlight orange.

One of the most important things to keep in mind regarding snapping in modo is that the snapping function snaps the tools handle, the widget (or gizmo if you prefer) that appears in the viewport when applying a transform. The position and orientation of said tool handle is controlled by the Action Center and Axis, so these settings are important. By default modo has no defined action center, which is similar to the automatic action center except no axis can be explicitly defined (see the 'Action Center' page of the documentation for more). What happens in this state is modo will move the tool handle to the intersection point of the Work Plane and the mouse cursor click. If the user tried to click over a specific component, they might be exact (unlikely), they might be close or they might not be close at all. Then when snapping the element, the result would be very inaccurate and it would appear as if snapping failed. It actually didn't, It just wasn't told the correct thing to do.

For example, to properly snap a single vertex to another single vertex, users would first need to set the snapping mode to 'Geometry' and choose Vertex as the type. Then set the action center to 'Selection Center Auto Axis'. Then selecting a single vertex, invoke the 'Move' tool (W) and then moving the vertex, hold down 'X' to enable snapping temporarily, the single vertex will then properly snap to whatever new vertex the mouse hovers over. Releasing the mouse button and then 'X' key will set the element at the snapped position. modo has lots of other snapping abilities but just understanding the basic concept of the function will go a long ways to getting it to work the way that is expected.

Setting Defaults

Snap Default State Set

Different users have different ways of working. Snapping in modo is designed to be as flexible as possible. However, with its various functions, most users will primarily use same options over and over. ArchVis users will preferring the grid options, precision modelers preferring the geometry snapping modes. Realizing this is the case, users can set defaults behaviors. eliminating the need to constantly set preferred values. The defaults can be set in the System preferences, or directly in the Snapping options popover using the 'Default Snap Tool' option. Within the Preferences (System > Preferences), under "Data > Tool Stacks", users can choose from several snapping modes, Grid, Geometry or Pivot. With 'None' selected, Snapping is disabled completely and 'Last Selected' keeps the most recent settings as the default.

With a specific mode defined as the default ('Grid', 'Geometry' or 'Pivot') whenever the users enables snapping, by pressing the "X' key, that particular mode is activated. Users can press the 'F11' key to open the snapping options popover and modify the default state. However, the new settings are transient. Once snapping is applied and the tool dropped. Subsequent snapping applications will revert to the default state (hence why it's called the default). If snapping is used a lot, users may also wish to assign default 'Action Center' and 'Axis' states. Tools that utilize specific snapping features will override any default values ensuring the tools act as expected. Dropping the tool will return modo to the default state.

 

Snapping Options

Snapping Options

The 'Snapping Options' menu offers options that allow users to choose from the various snapping modes. When a particular mode is selected, additional related options appear in the menu and within the tool properties panel as an adjunct to the tools attributes. Specific mode settings are covered below.

Snapping Mode--

None: Disables Snapping.

Grid: When Snapping is enabled, snapped elements will be compelled toward a user defined fixed grid.

Pivot: When Snapping is enabled, snapped elements will be compelled toward the Pivot position of each visible item layer.

Geometry: When Snapping is enabled, snapped elements will be compelled toward user defined geometry components.

Vertex: Same as 'Geometry Snap' set to Vertex as component type.

Edge: Same as 'Geometry Snap' set to Edge as component type.

Polygon: Same as 'Geometry Snap' set to Polygon as component type.

Constrain Mode--

None: Disables Constraints.

Guide: When selected, users can define custom guide lines to enhance snapping.

Background: When selected, users can constrain or compel vertices of a foreground object against those of the background geometry during a transform or translation event.

Primitive: When selected, users can constrain or compel vertices of a foreground object against those of a user defined primitive shape, during a transform or translation event..

Default Snap Tool: Determines the default tool to use when activating snapping.

Inner Range: Determines the range, in pixels, where a selected element will snap to the target element.

Outer Range: Determines the range, in pixels, where pre-highlighting will occur. When snap element and target element are within this proximity range, the target element will highlight.

 

Snapping Modes

Grid Snap Mode--
Snapping of selected element is fixed to a user defined grid. This setting can be helpful in keeping values to whole numbers (eliminating numbers with decimals) and can make the construction of geometry that conforms to a grid far easier and more precise to create.

Grad Snap Panel

Use Fixed Grid: When this toggle is enabled, users can define a fixed grid with the 'Grid Size' setting, which sets the snapping interval. When disabled, the grid snapping defaults to the dynamic grid displayed in the 3D viewports.

Grid Size: When the 'Use FIxed Grid' option is enabled, this value input filed defines the interval for the fixed grid, originating at the 0,0,0 world origin position.

Show Grid: The 'Show Grid' toggle displays the grid as a light magenta overlay in the viewport, which dynamically updates similar to the workplane, in the center of the viewport as a visual reference to the 'Grid Size' setting.

Distance: This option defines the snapping range, the distance when modo will snap to the closest grid position. When set at the default 100%, modo will always keep values fixed to the grid, reducing this value would require the cursor to be closer to the grid positions before snapping occurs.

2D Snap: The 2D snap function relates to the orthographic viewports (top, front, side etc.) that allow snapping on fixed planes parallel to the viewport window, this allows users to move points so they snap into position in the viewport, but they don't necessarily snap into a co-located position in 3D space.

 

Geometry Snap Mode--
Snapping to specific component elements. These snapping options allow users to very precisely position component elements in relation to one another.

Geometry Snapping Panel

Mode: Users can select which component elements to base the snapping on-
Auto-- modo snaps to the nearest plausible component element.
Auto Center-- modo snaps the center of the nearest plausible component.
Vertex-- modo snaps to the nearest vertex position.
Edge-- modo snaps to the nearest edge.
Edge Center-- modo snaps to the center of the nearest edge.
Polygon-- modo snaps to the nearest polygon.
Polygon Center-- modo snaps to the center of the nearest polygon (average of all the polygons vertices)

Layers: Instructs modo as to which layers it should consider for snapping, 'Background' only takes into account layers that are visible but not selected, 'Active' only takes into account selected visible layers (also known as foreground layers) and 'Both' which takes into account all visible geometry in the Item List.

2D Snap: The 2D snap function relates to the orthographic viewports (top, front, side etc.) and allow snapping on fixed planes parallel to the viewport window, thus allows users to move points so they snap into position in the viewport, but they don't necessarily snap into a co-located position in 3D space.

Fixed Snap: This toggle, when enabled forces modo to only position the moving element to snapping positions, normally moving elements would move, and then snap as they neared an element, but 'Fixed Snap' jumps the elements between snap-able positions.

 

Pivot Snap Mode--
Snaps selected element to items Pivot elements. This option can be helpful when several items need to pivot rotate from the same location.

Pivot Snap Panel

Snap Size: This values defines how close an element must be to snap to the pivot position. Larger values will more easily snap elements to the pivot position of an item layer.

 

Constrain Modes
Like snapping, the 'Constrain To' options helps to position component elements in a scene, but where Snapping collocates elements, altering their position, Constraints restricts the movement of vertices, using any of the available options.

Guide Snap--
modo allows the creation of Guides for snapping. You can create lines in 3D space and then use them as a snapping tool. To create Guide Snaps, choose the Guide Snap option form the Snap Options menu, and LMB+click in any 3D Model Viewport to create the Snap Guide at the intersection of the cursor and the Work Plane. Once created, use the blue handle to reposition the guide, and the blue circle to rotate it in 3D Space. When Guide Snaps are being used, the Tool Properties panel displays controls for the Guide. You can scroll through the various guides in the viewport using the Current Guide field. You can precisely control the position, plane, angle and distance of the guide using the numeric fields, as well as turn off the display of the guide, enable the guide and turn the snapping on and off.

Guide Constrain Panel

Current Guide: modo provides the option to create ten unique guides, each with independent settings. The 'Current Guide' option allows users to choose which guide to create or edit by choosing from one of the ten button options.

Enable Guide: This toggle determines if the current guide is enabled or disabled for snapping.

Show Guide: This toggle determines the visibility of the current guide.

Snap to Guide: This toggle determines

Lock Guide: Once users have set the appropriate guide options, it can be helpful to lock the guide with this toggle to avoid accidentally changing the guides path. When set, the main guide area will change from yellow to cyan.

Distance: Determines the length of the path.

Position: When using the 'Two Points' mode of the Guide function, the position option determines 'Start Point' of the guide. A straight line will be drawing between this value and the 'End' value the represents the guide line itself. When using the 'Planar Ray' option, the 'Position' value determines the home position for the guide.

Mode: Users can define guides in one of two ways, Planar Ray for only planar facing guides, or two points for guides of any angle-
Planar Ray-- Users can define a single point, a 'Plane' on which the line sits, and an angle to determine the guideline. Users can use the handle in the viewport to rotate the guideline.
Two Points-- Users can define two single points in 3D space and the guideline will be created through the intersection of those two points. Users can precisely position the line by dragging the two handles in the 3D viewport.

Plane: When choosing the 'Planar Ray' guide mode, the 'Plane' option sets which plane (of the 3 axial planes) that the ray rests upon.

Angle: When choosing the 'Planar Ray' guide mode, the 'Guide' option determines the rotation of the guide around the 'Position' point.

End: When choosing the 'Two Point' guide mode, the 'End' option determines the position of the second point.

 

Constrain to Background--
Geometry can be constrained to background layer polygons during transform/translation events. Constrain to background will constrain the movement or creation of objects from passing through a mesh sitting in a background layer. Constraints can be activated under the 'Snapping' menu using the Constraint popup of the modo Modes toolbar. Any Item layer that is visible, but not selected (highlighted) for editing is considered a background layer. Layer visibility can be easily toggled by clicking the eye icons in the left column of the items list. When active, the following properties appear under the active tool with a selection of options.

Constrain to B G panel

Offset: The 'Offset' value allows the user to define a distance away from a surface for constraint. This allows something like a tube being draw over a background object to rest on the surface. If the tube has a diameter of 10 cm, applying a 5cm offset will rest the tube right on the surface as the tube is generated outward from its center.

Handle Constraint: For tools where a curve of some type is drawn, such as the tube tool, curves, bezier, or the pen tool, the 'Handles' of these tools can be constrained as well, by enabling the 'Handle Constraints' setting, otherwise, only polygonal geometry will be constrained.

Double Sided: When enabled, this setting treats background polygons as double sided, so geometry can be constrained regardless of the constraining surfaces normal facing direction.

Geometry Constraint: Several options are available to define how modo searches for the background geometry to constrain against.
Off- This setting disables the constraint.
Screen Axis- 'Screen Axis' will simply find the geometry by searching in a perpendicular direction to the current view position, stopping once it hits any geometry.
Vector- 'Vector' uses a direction set by the active tool. If the user has the 'Move' tool active and starts dragging the handle on X axis, the constraint will "look" to that direction to see what background elements it hits and then stop. If performing a bend, vertices will move in many directions, as each vertex will have its own "vector", which is effectively the direction the vertex is currently moving.
Point- 'Point' constrains each individual vertex against the background geometry ensuring it is always resting on its surface.

 

Constrain to Primitive--
The 'Constrain to Primitive' modifier creates a virtual primitive shape onto which tool handles can be snapped. Similar in concept to 'Constrain to Background', however, no physical geometry need to be present for 'Constrain to Primitive'. Once activated, the following properties will appear below the selected tool.

Constrain to Primitive

Shape: Users can choose from the various primitive shapes available for constraint- Plane, Ellipsoid, Cone, Cylinder and Cube.

Plane   Sphere   Cone   Cylinder   Cube

Center: Defines the center position of the virtual constraint element, based on the center of the bounding box.

Size: Defines the bounding box, which sets the size of the virtual constraint element.

Rotation: Defines the rotation amount for the virtual constraint element.

 

comment balloon Comments (7) RSS Icon

Dominiek De Ridder April 8, 2012 at 12:38 AM

Grid Snap tutorial on LuxTV (modo301):

http://www.luxology.com/tv/training/view.aspx?id=2

Dominiek De Ridder April 8, 2012 at 1:51 AM

Grid Snap extra info :

http://youtu.be/uGDSnChEmgE?hd=1

CharlieLapp April 15, 2012 at 9:49 AM

Snapping basics from Richard Yot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqJVTJSomh0

CharlieLapp April 15, 2012 at 9:50 AM

Edge snapping from Richard Yot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNL7qjdvgUM

Dino Zanco April 17, 2012 at 7:15 AM

http://www.luxology.com/training/video.aspx?id=170
http://www.luxology.com/training/video.aspx?id=98
http://www.luxology.com/training/video.aspx?id=427
http://www.luxology.com/training/video.aspx?id=340

Dino Zanco April 17, 2012 at 8:42 AM

"3 part series of videos on snapping":
http://forums.luxology.com/discussion/post.aspx?id=405380

Harue April 23, 2012 at 4:20 AM

Not 'Constrain Mode--', but 'Constraint Mode--'.

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