Applied Parameters: SnapType=CreateSnapVertex
Summary
This command is used to add Snap Points to vertices of a chosen 3D Body, when viewing the current board/footprint in 3D. Snap points are used as reference markers on 3D objects and can be useful when orienting or aligning the 3D Body with primitives, or other snap points on the PCB (or PCB 2D Footprint).
Snap points can be added to any 3D Body, irrespective of model type - extruded, cylinder, sphere, linked/embedded models (STEP, Parasolid, SOLIDWORKS), or a 3D Model Item referenced from an Altium Vault.
Access
This command is accessed from the PCB Editor, and PCB Library Editor - in 3D Layout Mode - by choosing the Tools » 3D Body Placement » Add Snap Points From Vertices command, from the main menus.
The current viewing mode for the PCB document can be changed using the corresponding commands from the main View menu. To switch to 3D Layout Mode, use the command of the same name, or use the 3 keyboard shortcut.
Use
First, ensure that you are viewing the board/footprint in 3D (use the 3 keyboard shortcut to quickly change to this mode, if not).
After launching the command, the cursor will change to a cross-hair and you will be prompted to select the 3D model to which you wish to add snap points. The procedure for adding snap points is as follows:
- Position the cursor over the 3D model of interest and click, or press Enter. The cursor will change to the 3D positional cursor (blue, six-pointed).
- Pick the vertex where a snap point will be added. Move the 3D cursor over the surface of the 3D model. When coming within close proximity of a local vertex, the 3D cursor will be magnetically pulled to that vertex. With the 3D cursor over a vertex, click, or press Enter, to place a snap point.
- Continue placing additional snap points as required, or right-click, or press Esc, to exit.
Press Spacebar to enter mid-point mode, which places a snap point at the mid-point between two selected vertices.
Tips
- The snap points added to the chosen model will appear listed in the Snap Points region of the associated 3D Body dialog.
- Generic model support includes STEP (
*.Stp
and *.Step
), Parasolid (*.x_t
and *.x_b
), and SolidWorks (*.SldPrt
) formatted models.
- The color of the snap points is based on the Selections system color. If you need to see them more clearly, change the color in the System Colors region, on the Board Layers and Colors tab of the View Configurations dialog (press L when viewing the board in 2D, to quickly access this tab). Bear in mind that any changes to system colors affect all PCB documents.