Snap to background

Started by Cindrich, May 26, 2022, 07:30:32 PM

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Cindrich

Hi all, I'm working on a D-Tools drawing set that will use the same background layer (floor plan) on several foreground layers.  How can I snap my device placement shapes to lines in the background layer?

Only workaround I can find right now is to use a bunch of guides that are nudged into visual alignment and snap things to those.  Can this be done?

Paul Herber

You can only glue to shapes on the same page.
However, if you have an item on the background page then you can have an item on a foreground page with its coordinates locked to the background shape.
Just set the PinX and PinY to be a guarded formula that refers to the shape on the background page.
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wapperdude

Gluing behaves as Paul indicates.

WRT to snapping, the guidline technique is the most straight forward.  You can goto the background page, setup the guidelines there.  That way, they'll be more precise.  Then, go back to drawing page.  As  you drag shapes, they will snap to the guideline (assuming snap to guideline is enabled.)
Visio 2019 Pro

Surrogate

#3
Quote from: Paul Herber on May 28, 2022, 03:52:08 PM
You can only glue to shapes on the same page.
I make this gif-demo for show difference.

Cindrich

Quote from: wapperdude on May 28, 2022, 04:57:44 PM
Gluing behaves as Paul indicates.

WRT to snapping, the guidline technique is the most straight forward.  You can goto the background page, setup the guidelines there.  That way, they'll be more precise.  Then, go back to drawing page.  As  you drag shapes, they will snap to the guideline (assuming snap to guideline is enabled.)

This is the secret I needed.  It seems like I can snap to geometry of shapes on the background page but it's intermittent.  Some shapes work, some don't.  I wasn't aware that guides in background pages would be visible on the foreground pages.  That seems to be the trick. 

Note, I'm not trying to glue anything.  Only snapping for alignment.

Thanks all!