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Question about snapping to a Null using "Axis Snap"


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Does anyone know why axis snap works fine for an empty Null object in the Perspective and Parallel/Orthographic Views, but not in any of the six Primary Views (i.e., Top, Bottom, Front, Back, Left, and Right).

 

You can try it for yourself:

- Create a Null object (you may want to set its shape to "Locator" to make the position of its Axis point easier to see)

- Turn on the "Axis Snap" snap option (and turn on Snap itself, of course)

- Then take an editable point object and try to snap one of its points to the axis of the Null

  - Try this in Perspective Mode or Parallel Mode, and it works fine

  - This this in a Primary Mode like Front or Top, and you can't snap the point to the Null's axis

 

I wonder why this is. It seems like a bug to me, unless this was done intentionally for some reason that escapes me.

 

 

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(R25)

Interesting, I think I understand what the issue is and it's not View related.

 

While using the Move Tool, if you hide the Move Axis via Alt-D and grab a point and attempt to move it by dragging it to another location, trying to position it over the axis of the Null or the axis of any other object, the point you are moving via dragging using the Move Tool refuses to snap. If you move the point while the Move Tool's Axis is in the visible state, either by clicking on one of the triangular wedges of the Axis to constrain motion along 2 axes or one of the axis arrows to constrain motion to a single axis, or by clicking off of the Move Tool Axis altogether to cause it to jump to the clicked position and move from there while being constrained via the normal X/Y/Z constraints (if set) on the toolbar, then the point snaps to any Object Axes just fine, because in any of these cases the Move Tool Axis is in a visible state.

 

So, the issue is one of: Snap to Object Axis does not seem to work while the Move Tool Axis  is hidden (e.g., via Alt-D on Windows or Opt-D on the MAC). Other types of snaps seem to continue to work just fine while the Move Tool Axis is hidden - they are not affected.

 

A workaround I have found is to create a zero length Line Segment Guide and place it as a child of the Null positioned in the same location as the Null modeling axis itself by resetting all transforms of the Guide object after making it a child of the Null, (in case the Null already contains other children). Then, with "Snap to Guides" enabled, you can logically snap to the Null's Axis (by actually snapping to the degenerate 0-length Line Segment Guide [or physically, the two coincident points that form said guide which are located right at the Null's axis]), regardless of whether the Move Tool's Axis is visible or hidden.

 

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15 minutes ago, SharpEars said:

So, the issue is one of: Snap to Object Axis does not seem to work while the (Move) Axis Tripod is in the hidden state. Other types of snaps seem to continue to work fine in this state.

I agree that is the case, but don't see why that is ever a problem or something that needs a workaround - why can 't you just 'not' hide the axis ?!

 

CBR

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26 minutes ago, Cerbera said:

I agree that is the case, but don't see why that is ever a problem or something that needs a workaround - why can 't you just 'not' hide the axis ?!

 

CBR

Primarily, because when moving a single selected point via dragging, you can't "grab" said point while the Move Tool Axis is visible - it is in the way. You have to click and hold the left mouse button down, away from the Axis, causing the point to jump and start movement at the clicked mouse cursor position rather than its initial position which you immediately lose track off (there is no breadcrumb displayed indicating where the point started the move, which would have been a nice feature). This especially matters if you are using the initial point location as a reference for the direction of movement or to help decide the final placement of said point.

 

Also, sometimes the Move Tool Axis obscures an important part of the scene that happens to be behind one of its many accoutrements (i.e., arrows, axis lines, triangular wedges, etc.). I guess this is the primary reason that Maxon added the Show/Hide Axis command in the first place.

 

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If it is the only point selected, then why are you trying to grab it directly - surely you should then use the Axis controls centred on it to precisely place it where you need ? I think there is also a key you can hold to select through the axis gizmo, but I never remember what that is, and damned if I can find it now 🙂

 

CBR

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On 1/23/2022 at 2:05 PM, SharpEars said:

Also, sometimes the Move Tool Axis obscures an important part of the scene

 

I don't use snaps in the way you are trying to do (I never hide the axes), so I can't answer to that specifically. 

 

However, it sounds maybe the axes are getting in the way and you are wanting to work with them off? Well, you can change the size of the axes. From Attributes panel --> Mode --> View Settings

 

You can even make all vertices, or just selected vertices, to display a little larger via 'Point Handle Size' and 'Select Point Size' respectively.

 

Hope it helps!

 

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