# Why does the Align tool move in multiple axis?

**URL:** <https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/why-does-the-align-tool-move-in-multiple-axis/29297>\
**Category:** Modeling Questions\
**Created:** [December 11, 2023, 1:19pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/why-does-the-align-tool-move-in-multiple-axis/29297 "2023-12-11T13:19:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jcclow](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/jcclow/32/23888_2.png) [@jcclow](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/jcclow)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 1:19pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/why-does-the-align-tool-move-in-multiple-axis/29297/1 "2023-12-11T13:19:34Z")

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Why does the **Align** tool move the selected body in multiple axis? This is completely unintuitive and makes the **Align** tool basically useless.

In the example below, I have aligned the coffin lock to the vertical face it needs to attach to. Now I want to align it to the top face of the base plate. When I select the bottom face of the coffin lock and the top face of the base plate, than select OK, it snaps to the top of the baseplate, but has completely ruined the previous alignment. Why does it do this? Why doesn’t it just move the coffin lock down, from its original position, to touch the top face of the base plate?

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**Author:** ![Laci\_K](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/laci_k/32/8196_2.png) [@Laci\_K](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Laci_K)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 1:30pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/why-does-the-align-tool-move-in-multiple-axis/29297/2 "2023-12-11T13:30:14Z")

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Hi,

While it could indeed feel unintuitive, for this use case, the translate tool would work better. You just need to select a point in the part and a point on the target body.

See this short video for example:

[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/3/f/3fe244118c1363d9851ddaac8ed822c62b89e5a2.jpeg "Shapr3D Pro Tip: Where Align Fails, Translate Sails.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WgzGJR5z24)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jcclow](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/jcclow/32/23888_2.png) [@jcclow](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/jcclow)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 2:50pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/why-does-the-align-tool-move-in-multiple-axis/29297/3 "2023-12-11T14:50:43Z")

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I’m sorry, but this is an epic fail. The Align tool is only useful for aligning edges. For faces, it is useless. Here is yet another example.

Even using Translate, I would have to add a bunch of geometry to make this work.

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**Author:** ![H\_Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7993a0/32.png) [@H\_Daniel](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/H_Daniel)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 3:05pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/why-does-the-align-tool-move-in-multiple-axis/29297/4 "2023-12-11T15:05:39Z")

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Hey @jcclow,  
There are other options in Align tool which needs to be discovered 😉

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jcclow](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/jcclow/32/23888_2.png) [@jcclow](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/jcclow)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 3:41pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/why-does-the-align-tool-move-in-multiple-axis/29297/5 "2023-12-11T15:41:48Z")

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Hey Daniel…those look much more useful and I’ll try them later today. I have to get this project ready for a presentation with the client.

My concern is the coffin locks are Solidworks parts and I don’t know if they’ll have the points to snap to. I think the other issue is that the opening for the coffin locks to fit into are not the same size as the coffin locks. Regardless, I will play with it after my meeting.

It would be great to see an option for align to be able to work on just one axis that is aligned with the object to be aligned, like when you drag the gizmo onto an edge of the object…if that makes sense.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![H\_Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7993a0/32.png) [@H\_Daniel](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/H_Daniel)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/why-does-the-align-tool-move-in-multiple-axis/29297/6 "2023-12-11T16:00:17Z")

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I understand the pain.  
Solidworks parts (if not mesh bodies) should have snapping points as well.  
For this case as Laci mentioned, Translate tool is the best option we can grant at the moment.