Using dynamic guides

You can display dynamic guides to help you move, align, and draw objects in precise relation to other objects. Dynamic guides are temporary guidelines that you can display from the following snap points in objects: center, node, quadrant, and text-baseline end nodes. For more information about snap points and snapping modes, see Using gravity snapping.

You can also display dynamic guides that are tangent, perpendicular, or parallel to objects, as well as dynamic guides that are extensions of line segments.

Left to right: The 2-point rectangle tool is used to display dynamic guides from a center snap point, a quadrant snap point, and a tangent snap point.

Perpendicular dynamic guide (left) and parallel dynamic guide (right)

As you drag an object along a dynamic guide, you can view the distance between the object and the snap point that was used to create the dynamic guide. You can then position the object precisely. Dynamic guides can also help you draw parallel lines and draw objects in relation to other objects. In addition, you can display intersecting dynamic guides and place an object at the intersection point.

A dynamic guide was displayed from a node in the bolt on the left. The screen tip next to the node displays the angle of the dynamic guide(0º) and the distance between the node and the pointer (1.5 inches). The bolt on the right was dragged along the dynamic guide and positioned precisely 1.5 inches away from the node that was used to generate the dynamic guide.

Dynamic guides contain invisible divisions, called ticks, to which your pointer gravitates. Ticks let you move objects along a dynamic guide with precision. You can adjust tick spacing to suit your needs, and you can disable snapping to ticks. You can set other options for dynamic guides. For example, you can choose to display dynamic guides at one or more preset angles or at custom angles that you specify. You can preview the angle settings. You can also customize the color and line style of dynamic guides. When you no longer need a dynamic guide at a certain angle, you can delete the angle settings. You can also display dynamic guides that are extensions of line segments.

This dynamic guide is an extension of a line segment.

You can turn off dynamic guides at any time.

To enable or disable dynamic guides

1 .	Click Tools Alignment and dynamic guides, and click the Dynamic guides button .

You can toggle dynamic guides on and off by pressing Shift + Alt +D.

To display dynamic guides

You can also	Do the following
Display a dynamic guide that is a tangent to the edge of an object	Move the pointer over the edge of an object. When an edge snap point becomes highlighted, press H. Then, display the dynamic guide by moving the pointer off the snap point as if to draw a tangent.
Display a dynamic guide that is perpendicular to an object	Move the pointer over the edge of an object. When a snap point becomes highlighted, press U. Then, display the dynamic guide by moving the pointer off the snap point as if to draw a perpendicular line.
Display a dynamic guide that is parallel to a line segment	Click Tools Alignment and dynamic guides, click the Dynamic guides button, and ensure that the Generate parallel guides button is enabled. Start to draw a straight line, and then move the pointer over the edge of an existing line segment to register the angle. Then, display the dynamic guide by moving the pointer back as if to draw a line parallel to the line segment you just pointed to. You can use the 2-point line tool , Multi-point line tool , or 3-point rectangle tool to display parallel dynamic guides.
Display a dynamic guide that is an extension of a line segment	Click Tools Alignment and dynamic guides, click the Dynamic guides button, and click the Extend along segment button. Move the pointer over an end node in the line segment until the snap point becomes highlighted. Then, display the dynamic guide by moving the pointer as if to extend the line segment.

The node, center, quadrant, and text-baseline snap points appear only when the corresponding gravity modes are activated. For more information about snap points and gravity modes, see Using gravity snapping.

You can avoid displaying too many dynamic guides by clicking in the drawing window or by pressing Esc. Either of these actions clears the queue of points.

You can use the snap points you registered to display intersecting dynamic guides. First, display a dynamic guide, and then move the pointer along it to where an intersecting dynamic guide would be displayed from a registered snap point.

To position an object in relation to another object

The node, center, quadrant, and text-baseline snap points are displayed only when the corresponding gravity modes are activated. For more information about snap points and gravity modes, see Using gravity snapping.

To draw an object in relation to another object

To draw parallel lines

1 .	Click Tools Alignment and dynamic guides, and click the Dynamic guides button .

4 .	Using the 2-point line tool or Multi-point line tool , start to draw another straight line, and then move the pointer over the edge of an existing straight line segment.

To draw a parallel line, start drawing a straight line (left). Next, move the pointer over the edge of a straight line segment (middle). Finally, move the pointer back until a parallel dynamic guide appears, and drag along the guide until the parallel line is the length you want (right).

With the help of parallel dynamic guides, you can use the 3-point rectangle tool to draw rectangles that are parallel to straight line segments.

To position an object at the intersection of dynamic guides

To set options for dynamic guides

1 .	Click Tools Alignment and dynamic guides.

2 .	In the Alignment and dynamic guides docker, click the Dynamic guides button .

To	Do the following
Change the line style of dynamic guides	Open the Line style picker, and choose a line style.
Change the color of dynamic guides	Open the Line color picker, and choose a color.
Display or hide the angle of dynamic guides and the distance from the snap point that was used to create the dynamic guide	Click the Display screen tips button .
Snap to specified invisible divisions along the dynamic guide	Click the Snap to tick spacing button , and type a value in the Tick spacing box.
Choose the angles at which to display the dynamic guides	Enable or disable the angle check boxes. When you enable an angle check box, a preview of the dynamic guide appears in the Guides preview window.
Add a custom dynamic guide angle	Type a value in the Custom angle box, and click the Add custom angle button .
Delete a custom dynamic guide angle	Select a dynamic guide in the list, and click the Delete custom angle button .
Display dynamic guides at all available angles	Click the Select all button .
Disable dynamic guides at all available angles	Click the Deselect all button .

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