Object snaps with 3D elements

[Bogbadbob658]

I can't get the snap's to work as I want them when trying to model in 3D. My main issue is with intersection and apparent intersection they don't seem to work with 3D objects. If you look at the attached file there are couple of 3D elements. The one has a yellow 'L', the other has a red 'L' just below it. What I want to do is to move the red 'L' vertically so that the top point of touches the the top of the 3D object i.e. as the yellow 'L' does. However it doesn't seem to matter what settings I use I can not get an intersection.

3D test file.zip

[ReMark]

Is there at ALIGN command in Arch DT 2008?

 

Can endpoint be substituted for intersection?

 

F.Y.I.: No, I did not open your drawing.

[Patrick Hughes]

Intersection and apparent intersection do not work with solid objects as you discovered. An alternative (but somewhat cumbersome) is to use point filters - they take some getting used to.

[Hoozin]

Working just in your left view I was able to create an intersection with a vertical xline and an xline following the top surface of your object.

 

Another option would be to move the L to the arrow head of the 3d solid and move it along the object using the endpoint of one side and an "extention" object snap tracker. Another option would be to align the ucs with that edge and move the L orthogonally along that axis til it's in place.

 

Above all, the easiest method would probably be to copy yellow L to the other object. Moving the Red L on top of the Yellow L, then deleting the yellow L.

 

Given the simplicity of the drawing, you could actually just copy the yellow L and turn it Red.

 

The answer here is that there a lot of ways to do this kind of thing with AutoCAD, so it's up to you how you want to do it. I've often found that a lot of the things I do require repeated geometry though, whether they be copies, arrays, or mirror images. Anyway, here's some pictures:

[Bogbadbob658]

ReMark -Yes their is an ALIGN command but the required result is not parrallel to the reference object. I can the red line into the correct postion but only by creating reference lines which is time consuming.

 

Patrick Hughes - I shall have a look at point filters. I've never used them.

 

Hoozin - the yellow 'L' was just to show what I was trying to achive. This is a very small section of a larger model. How would you do it if the yellow 'L' was not there?

[Hoozin]

Ahhh okay.

 

AutoCAD is finicky with the lines that make up a 3DSolid, as we've said. So I just made a new line (shown in red).

 

Using the Extension OSnap (not exactly necessary, i've just grown to love it), I moved the L up to the line I added.

 

The other option is to make a vertical XLine and an Xline along the edge it connects to. because the object starts on the same plane as that edge, they will actually intersect (this doesn't always work, but it does in this case).

 

That said, I just noticed your comment to ReMark about not wanting to use reference lines. To be honest, reference lines are easy. For one more answer, here's one that does require the Extension OSnap.

 

Edit: Forgot last image.

Edit2: Last image shows first method ... oops.

[Bogbadbob658]

Thank you all for your help.

[Patrick Hughes]

What method did you find to be suitable?

[Bogbadbob658]

I found using construction lines the easiest as you can align them to a sloping face. Point filters are interesting and I like the way you can move an object without effecting (or is it affecting. I can never remember) the z value but I can't see how you get them to work if you can't fix the x or y on angled objects. With my particular problem I can fix the x from the red 'L' but I can't fix the y as it has no actual known relationship to anything else in the drawing. I suppose I'm asking to much to be able to do it with one command. Thanks again for all your help