Object snaps
 

Hi, here some questions from a newby.

Originally I'am an AutoCAD designer, and use to move objects with object snaps like endpoint, midpoint etc...

How can I move objects exactly, using object-snaps in MAYA like I did in autoCAD?

Is MAYA made for this kind of precise drawing-actions?

Thanks PR.

Don't know autoCAD, but there's a couple things that might work for you. When moving vertices, hold x to snap to grid, or v to snap to other vertices or c to snap to curves.

If you want to snap objects to each other, try selecting two objects and use the align tool (Modify > Align Tool). Then click the icons that appear around the bounding box that represent the type of alignment you want.

Hope that helps you out a bit.

also when you're using the x,c and v key, it snaps the pivot point to what you're snapping to.
hit insert to change the pivot point if you need to. you can also snap the pivot point to verts, grids, and curves

snapping also has different effects depending on whether you are in world or local mode.

I use AutoCAD as well. There is no snapping to center, end, etc like there is in AutoCAD but Maya does have the ability to make precise moves.

Mainly what everyone has already mentioned but sometimes you will also probably want to move your manipulator on your current object. You can do that by pressing the "Insert" button on your keyboard. That will allow you to relocate your manipulator.

For example, if you wanted to snap the corner of Cube A to corner of Cube B.

Step 1: Select Cube A, press insert, then snap the manipulator to the corner of the cube A. Press Insert again.

Step 2: Select Cube A and snap it to the vertex on the corner of Cube B.

There are also other ways to snap objects. You can create "Locators" and use those as snapping points. You can also create extra vertices on an object to snap to (but after snapping will probably want to delete the extra vertices).

Anyway, the Maya Help Files should have some more useful info about snapping.

Thanks for your help. All of you!
PR (the Netherlands)