# Centering an object on top of another

**URL:** <https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/centering-an-object-on-top-of-another/7194>\
**Category:** Modeling Questions\
**Created:** [April 13, 2020, 9:07pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/centering-an-object-on-top-of-another/7194 "2020-04-13T21:07:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ps23Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b5a626/32.png) [@ps23Rick](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/ps23Rick)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 9:07pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/centering-an-object-on-top-of-another/7194/1 "2020-04-13T21:07:07Z")

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Hi all… I’m working towards making a dovetail on an object and in this case I’m trying to center a smaller rectangle perpendiculaR to another larger rectangle. But I don’t know how to accomplish this… thoughts?

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/2X/4/4b33ceb3758594ce568d88fcd8b9568b4e0602b5.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![Victor\_Shapr3D](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/victor_shapr3d/32/3502_2.png) [@Victor\_Shapr3D](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Victor_Shapr3D)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 9:54pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/centering-an-object-on-top-of-another/7194/2 "2020-04-13T21:54:12Z")

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Hi, after you have drawn the large rectangle, the centre point is indicated and you can use this as a reference point when drawing the smaller perpendicular rectangle.

Draw a line accross the centre  
Draw lines parrelel lines for smaller rectangle 1mm away from the centre line on both sides  
Then delete the centre line and you will have a well centred pendicular rectangle with equal spaces at both sides

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**Author:** ![Gelphyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gelphyn](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Gelphyn)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 10:00pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/centering-an-object-on-top-of-another/7194/3 "2020-04-13T22:00:38Z")

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@ps23Rick  
Alternatively make it easy on yourself by Sketching the two Rectangles as shown square onto the Grid set, in this case, to 0.5mm.  
Make a Copy and Rotate to the Desired Angle and move it to the position required:

 ![IMG_1773](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/2X/b/bf3149abf1b562630eebdb1df7795f6e0099502a.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![Cratgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@Cratgo](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Cratgo)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 1:51am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/centering-an-object-on-top-of-another/7194/4 "2022-03-19T01:51:23Z")

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Literally cannot get anything to center on anything, all snap things on, great source of frustration

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**Author:** ![WORTHYimage](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/worthyimage/32/13024_2.png) [@WORTHYimage](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/WORTHYimage)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 2:58am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/centering-an-object-on-top-of-another/7194/5 "2022-03-19T02:58:15Z")

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Hi @Cratgo, welcome to the community!  
Try using align or translate.

[https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/2X/f/fde89eef687e4774e92c51e092de655263f1d152.MOV](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/2X/f/fde89eef687e4774e92c51e092de655263f1d152.MOV)

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**Author:** ![Cratgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@Cratgo](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Cratgo)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 9:52pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/centering-an-object-on-top-of-another/7194/6 "2022-03-19T21:52:42Z")

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Thank you, works fine on that kind of thing but won’t snap or align or transfer on anything else, had to create offset line as far as I could to get to snap properly or use calculator to manually figure measurements

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**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 8:32pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/centering-an-object-on-top-of-another/7194/7 "2022-03-20T20:32:13Z")

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Hi @Cratgo, the Align tool and the Translate tool are quite universal. Can you show an example where you got stuck?