Access and use object snaps

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Object snaps or O

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snaps as they are commonly referred to are an essential tool.

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Not only to be able to draw with accuracy in AUTOCAD,

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but for editing with accuracy as well,

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we will touch on a few of the more commonly used O

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snaps. During the first section of this lesson,

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O snaps can be turned on

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by clicking on the O

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snap, toggle

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down here in the status bar.

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When O

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snaps are turned on in this method, this is referred to as running object snaps

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on this button, there's also a drop down which allows you to select which O

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snaps you want to be running.

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So when O

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snaps are running,

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they can be used in coordinating with commands such as the line or Polyline command

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to accurately place your cursor.

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So if you wanted to draw a line from the end of a building, for example,

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you could type in the line command

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and with running object snaps on,

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you can see how I'm grabbing

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the endpoint

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O snap.

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Other O

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snaps include

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quadrants. So if you wanted to draw a line from the quadrant of a circle, notice how

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I can hover over each quadrant of the circle

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and the O

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snap marker

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marks it.

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But this also works for arcs.

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In

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this example, I have an arc in the parking lot.

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And right now it's actually getting

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the midpoint of that arc.

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But if I were to use the line command

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and then

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control right click and choose quadrant.

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Now I'm snapping to the quadrant

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of that arc.

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So certain

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O

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snaps can be used for particular geometry

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such as

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geometric center

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center

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and quadrant

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would not be used for all kinds of geometry.

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Center can be used for circles.

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Geometric center

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can be used for objects such as rectangle.

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Let's say for example,

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if I wanted to draw a line

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from the geometric center

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of this building,

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what I can do

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is instead of using

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running O

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snaps,

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I can access my O

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snaps by

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holding the control or shift key down

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and then right clicking.

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And from here I can choose geometric center

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and notice

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it gives me a marker that shows me the geometric center of that particular geometry.

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And the endpoint of my line started at

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that geometric center.

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A similar command is called mid two point or M two P.

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If I wanted to draw a line that was calculated between two specific points,

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what I can do is start the line command then type in M two P

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enter

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and I'll grab the first

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point and then the second point.

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And you'll see that that line starts

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at the calculated midpoint between the two selected points that I chose

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a third way to access O

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snaps.

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You can start, for example, a line command and then press enter

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and then I could type in

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the O

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snap that I want to use.

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For example, if I type in end

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and press enter,

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now I'm accessing the end point of that particular line.