Advanced Snap

Advanced Snap is a command that you can use in order to snap to the extra points of the objects except the nodes. When the button is pressed the advanced snap is active, otherwise it is inactive. Moreover, when the button is not pressed, if you hold down the Ctrl key, you activate advanced snap.

Advanced Snap button.

The node-advanced node relationships of some objects are shown in the above figure. When Advanced Snap is not active, you can only snap to the nodes of the objects. If it is active, you can also snap to the points shown in small blue boxes in the figure.

It is recommended to work with advanced snap active after you get high control on the program. There are some important points that someone should take care when using advanced snap.

Important points when using advanced snap in column object:

It is used to snap to the corner points of the column except the node. If advanced snap is inactive you can only catch the node of the column when objects like wall, beam etc. are drawn to the column. If advanced snap is active, the cursor snaps to every corner of the column and so objects from various directions can be connected to the column.

Let the advanced snap be inactive. Three columns are seen in the figure. We will draw a wall in 1-2 axis (it can be beam, panel, foundation etc. too.) This wall can be drawn with only if the snap is active. Now, we will draw a wall in the 3-4 axis. We can catch the point 4 with only the snap active. However, we cannot catch the point 3. The advanced snap should be activated for catching the point 3.(Holding down the Ctrl key when being on the point 3 will provide an ease.) At the end of the process the drawing will be as shown below.

Important points when using advanced snap in structural objects like beam, panel, foundation beam etc.:

You can use the advanced snap in column-beam connections as described above. In case the beams are connected to each other from their endpoints, you must use only the nodes.

You cannot draw a beam catching point 3 with the advanced snap and connecting it to point 4. You must use points 2 and 4. If you use point 3, the end of the beam will not be connected to the column. You can use beam advanced node only in structurally unimportant objects like line, arc, circle etc.

Important points when using advanced snap in wall object:

In case walls are connected to each other from their endpoints you can use advanced snap. But in this case you cannot define zone. Moreover, the intersections are not cleared.

You can draw a wall from point 1 to point 2. However, you cannot define a zone in the closed area formed.

In the left case the wall has been drawn between points 1 and 2. However, in the right case points 1 and 3 have been used.