Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 20.66
The Close Sur-
face Or Solid
option connects
the end and the
beginning cross
sections.
Moving Objects in 3D Space
AutoCAD provides three menu bar options specifi cally designed for moving objects in 3D
space: 3D Align, 3D Move, and 3D Rotate. You can fi nd all three commands in the Modify
3D
Operations submenu on the menu bar. These options help you perform some of the most com-
mon moves associated with 3D editing.
Aligning Objects in 3D Space
In mechanical drawing, you often create the parts in 3D and then show an assembly of the parts.
The 3D Align command can greatly simplify the assembly process. The following steps show
how to use 3D Align to line up two objects at specifi c points:
1.
Open the Align.dwg file from the Chapter 20 sample files found at www.sybex.com/go/
masteringautocadmac.
2.
Click the 3D Align tool just below the middle of the Tool Sets palette. You can also choose
Modify
3D Operations
3D Align on the menu bar or type
3DALIGN
↵.
3.
At the Select objects: prompt, select the 3D wedge-shaped object and press ↵. (The
source object
is the object you want to move.)
4.
At the Specify base point or [Copy]: prompt, pick a point on the source object that is
the first point of an alignment axis, such as the center of a hole or the corner of a surface.
For the Align drawing, use the upper-left corner of the wedge.
5.
At the Specify second point or [Continue] <C>: prompt, pick a point on the source
object that is the second point of an alignment axis, such as another center point or other
corner of a surface. For this example, select the other top corner of the wedge.
6.
At the Specify third source point or [Continue] <C>: prompt, you can press ↵ if
two points are adequate to describe the alignment. Otherwise, pick a third point on the
source object that, along with the first two points, best describes the surface plane you
want aligned with the destination object. Pick the lower-right corner of the wedge shown
in Figure 20.67.
