Understand the alignment tool
- Gisela Roberts
- Andy Roberts (Deactivated)
- Ben Stanley
For information on the options for using the alignment tool and on understanding how the alignment process works, see the following topics.
Alignment tool options
The alignment tool enables you to use different targets and target types to align your object's local coordinate system. The target type dictates the options available for the target, so you must select the target type first.
These options apply to both primary and secondary axes.
| Option | Description | Target options |
|---|---|---|
| Axis |
Enables you to select an existing axis – either an axis from the current local coordinate system or the global axis. This is useful if you want to rotate the local coordinate system about a specific axis. |
Local X/Y/Z |
| Marker |
Enables you to select a marker – either an unlabeled marker or any labeled marker – to specify the direction of the chosen axis with its axis origin at the current origin of the object. The marker's name is displayed next to Target in the panel. |
Labeled Marker |
| Center |
Enables you to select multiple markers and use the center point to specify the direction of the chosen axis with its axis origin at the current origin of the object. To view the markers chosen, hover over the tag. |
Labeled Marker |
Tips
- To draw a box around the markers you want to select, hold down the Alt key and drag.
- To select two or more markers, select one marker and Ctrl+click to select the other(s).
Alignment process
When you are selecting the primary axis, this axis is locked in and is aligned exactly to the axis or point as specified.
The secondary axis helps to align the remaining two axes by first creating a plane with the primary axis. The normal to this plane, calculated by taking the cross-product of the primary and secondary axes, creates the third (unspecified) axis. Using the primary axis and this newly calculated axis, the axis specified within the secondary axis can be aligned properly (that is, orthogonal to the primary and third axes).
This is an example of the use of the alignment tool:
In this example, the primary axis of the object is aligned with the global X-axis. The secondary axis is a vector originating at the object origin and in the direction of the BasicObject14 marker. The cross-product of the primary and secondary axes calculates the (unspecified) Z-axis. Using the primary (X) and Z-axis, the Y-axis is then aligned.
