Working with 3D entity snaps

In addition to the 2D entity snaps, a series of 3D entity snap modes apply to points on 3D entities such as solids, surfaces, splines and meshes.

The current 3D entity snap modes are saved through the 3DOSMODE system variable as the sum of the bitcodes of the selected snap modes.

Table 1. General
Name Icon Marker Description
Center Snaps to the center of 3D faces.
Intersection Snaps to the intersections of linear entities, edges, and polar or entity snap tracking lines with faces.
Knot Snaps to knots (fit points) on splines.
Midpoint Snaps to the midpoint of a face edge.
Nearest Snaps to a point on the face of a 3D entity that is nearest to the cursor.
None Disables all 3D snap modes.
Perpendicular Snaps to a point perpendicular to a face on a 3D entity.
Vertex Snaps to the closest vertex of a 3D entity and the control vertices of splines.
Table 2. Point Clouds
Name Command Icon Marker Description
Nearest Point PCNEAREST Snaps point to nearest point of a point cloud.
Corner PCCORNER Snaps point to point cloud corner.
Nearest to Edge PCEDGE Snaps point to nearest point cloud edge.
Nearest to Plane PCNEARPLANE Snaps to nearest point cloud plane.
Perpendicular to Edge PCPERPEDGE Snaps line end to be perpendicular to point cloud edge.
Perpendicular to Plane PCPERPPLANE Snaps line end to be perpendicular to point cloud plane.

Setting the 3D Entity Snap modes

  • Click the buttons on the 3D Entity Snaps toolbar.

    The buttons of the currently active entity snap modes are pressed.

  • When no command is running, clicking a tool button turns the snap mode on or off.
  • When executing a command, clicking a tool button sets the snap mode for the next point, temporarily disabling all other selected snap modes.
  • Run the 3DOSNAP or -3DOSNAP commands.
  • Shift + Right click, hover over 3d Entity Snap in the context menu and click the desired option.