3D Align to Free Axis
To align a 3D object to a free axis in 3D mode:
1. Create free axes. You will need at least two free axes to perform this alignment; one active (red) axis and one inactive (blue) axis. (See the topics under
3D Select Axis Tools for descriptions of the various ways to create a free axis.)
2. Select one or more 3D objects.
3. Click a free axis to make it active (red). You will align the red free axis for a 3D object to blue free axis.
4. On the
Edit menu, click
Align and then click
Free axis, or, click the 3D align
Free axis
button on the
3D Tools toolbar.
5. When the cursor becomes a
, click an inactive (blue) free axis. This is the free axis the 3D object(s) will be aligned to.
6. The selected 3D objects translate and/or rotate to align to the specified inactive (blue) free axis. Only the 3D objects move. The active (red) axis does not.
To align two 3D objects, such as a bolt to a nut:
1. Create one free axis along the center of the bolt shaft. Create another free axis through the center of the hole in the nut. To create these two axes:
a. Click the
3D Select axis (based on a path)
tool on the
3D Tools toolbar.
b. When the cursor becomes a
:
▪ Click the circular edge of the hole in the nut to create a free axis through the center of the hole.
▪ Click the circular edge on the end of the bolt shaft to create a free axis along the center of the shaft.
c. The free axis along the bolt shaft should be active (red). If not, select the bolt’s inactive (blue) axis to make it active (red). (To select the free axis, CTRL-click with the
cursor, or click the
Arrow tool, and then click the free axis with the
cursor.) Making the bolt’s free axis active enables the bolt to translate and/or rotate during alignment while the nut (with the inactive free axis) remains stationary.
2. Select the bolt object (only). (Do not select the nut object or it will move along with the bolt during alignment.)
3. Click the 3D align
Free axis button on the
3D Tools toolbar.
4. When the cursor becomes a
, click the inactive (blue) free axis through the hole in the nut. This specifies the free axis that the bolt shaft free axis will align to.
◦ The bolt translates and/or rotates to align its shaft coaxial with the free axis through the nut hole.
◦ Other selected 3D objects move with the bolt, keeping their same positions relative to the bolt.