# How to align sketches?

**URL:** <https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-to-align-sketches/37370>\
**Category:** Modeling Questions\
**Created:** [April 6, 2025, 2:47am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-to-align-sketches/37370 "2025-04-06T02:47:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gpan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/41988e/32.png) [@gpan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/gpan)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 2:47am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-to-align-sketches/37370/1 "2025-04-06T02:47:34Z")

</div>

Hi everyone,

I’m working on a layout and would really appreciate some help. Please refer to the attached image as an example.

I’d like to align the centers of all the circles so they are perfectly in line.

The internal spacing between sketches (as marked by the blue dot lines) needs to be exactly 5 mm.

The rectangle is 49 mm × 71 mm

Each circle has a diameter of 17 mm

The current layout was done manually, and I couldn’t locate the alignment tool or figure out the best way to achieve this accurately.

Could anyone kindly advise how to do this properly?

Thanks in advance!

 ![2025-04-05_213841](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/4/b/4b8b1e5c93a4ee9fb9cdc3e855584ae4042477f2.jpeg)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TheBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@TheBum](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/TheBum)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 4:10am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-to-align-sketches/37370/2 "2025-04-06T04:10:43Z")

</div>

Just define the spacing in the x and y directions as dimensions. You can use the edges of the rectangle or centers of the circles for reference.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JST](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/edb3f5/32.png) [@JST](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/JST)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 4:46am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-to-align-sketches/37370/3 "2025-04-06T04:46:48Z")

</div>

If you have already set up the first circle as described above, continue using the pattern tool.