Sketch Snaps

Each Sketch Snap allows you to automatically snap to selected entities as you sketch. By default, all Sketch Snaps except Grid are enabled. You can control all Sketch Snaps through snap options.

Access Sketch Snaps through the Quick Snaps toolbar, the Quick Snaps Tool_Quick_Snaps_CommandManager_Sketch.gif flyout on the Sketch toolbar, or the shortcut menu.

Use Sketch Snaps with sketch entities, model edges in parts, assemblies, and drawings.

On sketches with multiple entities, only the current sketch entity displays snaps.

Sketch Snaps Tool Description
End points and sketch points Tool_Point_Snap_Quick_Snaps.gif Snaps to the end of the following sketch entities: lines, polygons, rectangles, parallelograms, fillets, arcs, parabolas, partial ellipses, splines, points, chamfers, and centerlines. Snaps to the center of arcs.
Center Points Tool_Center_Point_Snap_Quick_Snaps.gif Snaps to the center of the following sketch entities: circles, arcs, fillets, parabolas, and partial ellipses.
Midpoints Tool_Midpoint_Snap_Quick_Snaps.gif Snaps to the midpoints of lines, polygons, rectangles, parallelograms, fillets, arcs, parabolas, partial ellipses, splines, points, chamfers, and centerlines.
Quadrant Points Tool_Quadrant_Snap_Quick_Snaps.gif Snaps to the quadrants of circles, arcs, fillets, parabolas, ellipses, and partial ellipses.
Intersections Tool_Intersection_Snap_Quick_Snaps.gif Snaps to the intersections of entities that meet or entities that intersect.
Nearest Tool_Nearest_Snap_Quick_Snaps.gif Supports all entities. Clear Nearest Snap, to enable all snaps. Your pointer does not need to be in the immediate vicinity of another sketch entity to show inference or snap to that point. Select Nearest Snap, and snaps are enabled only when the pointer is in the vicinity of the snap point.
Tangent Snaps to tangents on circles, arcs, fillets, parabolas, ellipses, partial ellipses, and splines.
Perpendicular Tool_Perpendicular_Snap_Quick_Snaps.gif Snaps a line to another line.
Parallel Tool_Parallel_Snap_Quick_Snaps.gif Creates a parallel entity to lines.
Horizontal/vertical lines Tool_H_V_Snap_Quick_Snaps.gif Snaps a line vertically to an existing horizontal sketch line, and horizontally to an existing vertical sketch line.
Horizontal/vertical to points Tool_H_V_Point_Snap_Quick_Snaps.gif Snaps a line vertically or horizontally to an existing sketch point.
Length Tool_Length_Snap_Quick_Snaps.gif Snaps lines to the increments that are set by the grid, without requiring display of the grid.
To enable Length Snaps, press and hold Shift while sketching.
Grid Tool_Grid_Snap_Quick_Snaps.gif Snaps sketch entities to the grid’s vertical and horizontal divisions. This is the only sketch snap that is not active by default.
  • If Grid Snap is cleared, it never snaps to grid.
  • If Grid Snap is selected:
    • Only snaps to grid if Snap only when grid is displayed is selected.
    • Always snaps to grid (even if the grid is not displayed) if Snap only when grid is displayed is cleared.
Angle Tool_Angle_Snap_Quick_Snaps.gif Snaps to angles. To set the degrees, click Tools > Options > System Options > Sketch, select Relations/Snaps, and set a value for Snap angle.

Waking Up Sketch Snaps

To wake up Sketch Snaps:

  1. Create any sketch with multiple entities.
  2. With any sketch tool selected, hover the pointer over a sketched entity.
    • The sketch entity changes color.
    • The appropriate Quick Snaps appear on the sketch entity.
    • The pointer changes, adding the appropriate inference information.