You can use the Align tool to align 3D bodies.
Making selections
Selections for the Align tool include:
- Planar faces
- Spherical faces
- Conical faces
- Sketches
- Construction planes
- Construction axes
- Circular edges and sketches
- Linear sketches and edges
Using the Align tool
To use the Align tool:
-
Go to Transform > Align.
For other methods of accessing this tool, visit Accessing tools.
- Select the body or bodies that you want to align. This defines the bodies that will be moving in the modeling space.
Note: If you pre-select a body and select Align from the adaptive menu, this step is not necessary. - Click Next.
- Select a face or edge from the bodies you want to align. If the body has snap points, they are shown in purple.
- Select the target that you want to align with. This selection could be any of the valid selections mentioned in the table above. Alternatively, you can select the body’s snap point and drag it to a target body’s snap point.
- If necessary, adjust the alignment using the gizmo and the Flip badge
. For more information, see Adjusting alignment.
- Select Done.
Adjusting alignment
You can adjust the position of an aligned body using the gizmo and Flip badge. These on-screen tools can help you rotate, offset, and re-orient the body. Some examples of how you can use these tools to manipulate a body's alignment include:
- Rotating around the gizmo center
- Moving linearly along the gizmo axes
- Moving on a plane
- Flipping 180 degrees
Note: For more detailed information, visit Using the gizmo.
Snapping into alignment
When you adjust alignment using the gizmo, the body will snap into likely positions based on your selections and movements. Examples include:
- Aligned vertices
- Collinear edges
- Coplanar arcs
- Coplanar faces
- Parallel edges
History settings
To manage history settings for the Align action, find the step for your specific alignment and then view or modify the following:
-
Target – Click/tap Edit… or Select… to choose a different target and then select Done to finish.
Learn more by watching the video below: