Positioning question

# 1 24-10-2014 , 02:14 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2014

Posts: 8

Is there a way to rotate the grid that you can snap points to without moving a model? I have some models I'm making that have some objects that are not flush with some of the grid axis, so i can't use the snap to point feature to measure and cut things properly. The design i'm working on needs to be as dimensionally accurate as possible (Ie: using a fixed scale for positions and the like) so i'd prefer a way to make sure that the components are precise.

At the moment i've been cutting my angled polygons into pieces and using the "move to step" value to try and position things correctly but it's not too precise and quite fiddly. Is there a way to realign the grid a model's surface, much like how i can align the axis of the move tool to the face of a polygon?

Failing that, is there a way to get the rotational offset of a polygon and rotate the entire model appropriately so the angled surface becomes flat against the grid?

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# 2 24-10-2014 , 08:15 AM

The thin red line
Join Date: Aug 2009

Location: England

Posts: 4,472

I think this is what you need, with the move tool selected just click on the down direction of the manipulator witch should turn yellow, now with the x button held down middle mouse click any where on the grid...............dave

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# 3 27-10-2014 , 01:43 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2014

Posts: 8

sorry, that's not what i'm after.

i'll try to explain it simpler.

Say i have a plane. now, rotate this plane to 30.31 degrees offset from the existing axes, I need to do precision cutting and measurements on this plane while it's rotated, how can i rotate the grid so i can have it flush to the angle of the plane to do my precision cutting without tampering or rotating the object itself.

failing that, is there a simple way that would let me rotate the entire model (Presuming that it's many pieces), similar to a group, taht would let me move the object to line up nearly with the grid, modify it, then "unrotate" the entire object back to it's original position.

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# 4 27-10-2014 , 03:04 AM

Subscriber
Join Date: May 2006

Location: Williamson, WV

Posts: 121

Not sure if this is something you're interested in but you can change the pivot point of your plane by hitting the insert button, moving the pivot, and then hitting the insert button again (or on a mac, holding the "d" key). If you freeze transforms on this plane before you move it, then you can get it back to start by using the channel box. Other than that, I'm pretty sure the grid is fixed.

Sampson

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# 5 27-10-2014 , 04:07 PM

Lifetime Member
Join Date: Feb 2004

Location: Chicago

Posts: 1,712

To get the entire model on to the grid select the entire model hold down D on the keyboard and move the pivot of the model to the bottom of the geometry, let og of D and now snap the model to the grid using MMB on a grid point while hold down X.