Align grouped objects?

mvmaastricht · January 5, 2021, 4:27am

Hello,
I’m new to Shapr3d and I love it!
However, I run into a problem I cannot find a solution to: I’ve imported this full extension drawer slide which consist of different parts that need to stay aligned in relation to each other.
Now I want to align this drawer slide to the drawer precisely using the Align tool. But that will only align one part of the drawer slide, disconnecting that part from the rest of the drawer slide parts…

How can I align this drawer slide precisely?

Thanks in advance for helping!!

NathanD · January 5, 2021, 5:35am

@mvmaastricht
I’ve brought this up as a hopeful addition to the align tool in my other thread Using ALIGN with multiple bodies

For now you can possibly use the TRANSLATE tool to get the slider in place.
I want to say there is an older tutorial video- importing drawer sliders from McMaster, then using the TRANSLATE tool to position the slider assembly. This was sometime last year maybe (before the ALIGN tool was added) and I think it’s on YouTube.

I’m pretty sure the tutorial was specifically about McMaster file imports to Shapr.

NathanD · January 5, 2021, 5:35am

@mvmaastricht
Found it! I can’t believe I remembered this older video…

Work with imported 3D files

At about 19:30 is when the TRANSLATE tool is used to move the slider into place. Hope this helps.

mvmaastricht · January 5, 2021, 10:31am

Thank you so much for your quick answer! I remember having watched this video previously, but in another context. So I missed this part.

The problem of the Translation tool is however that it needs reference points or edges. The type of slide I’ve imported needs to be aligned in the centre of the drawer, and ‘centre’ is not a reference the Translation tool understands.

I’d be nice if the Shapr3d developers would read this, and add the possibility of ‘locking’ parts in a group to each other in 3D space (hope you Shapr-folks read this!).

That being said, @NathanD thanks again! I’ll fiddle around with your advice until then!

Istvan_CEO_Shapr3D · January 5, 2021, 11:24am

We always do.

JST · January 5, 2021, 1:17pm

I used the translate tool with self made reference points. Double click on the face and draw a circle, then use the tool, and the dots will snap where you like it before ( centre of the circle)