AutoCAD Snap “From”

by Jeff Weber
(Vincennes, Indiana, USA)

AutoCAD Snap “From”

AutoCAD snap “FROM” is another one of those snap options that I just love and use often. The FROM snap option allows you to move an object a specific distance “from” a specified point.

For instance if I was modifying a floor plan where I had a window that was in the center of the room and now the client wants that window exactly 2’-3½” from the wall.

Now I could do the math and figure out just how far I need to stretch the wall to get it to be exactly this distance but since I have this computer at my disposal why not let it do the calculations.

There are several ways to attack this problem.

I could use move or even copy but these commands would require me to do additional trimming.

So for this example I am going to use the STRETCH command.

First I initiate the STRETCH command (enter S on the command line, locate the icon on the modify toolbar or select STRETCH from the modify pull down).

Use a crossing window to select the window that you want to move.

Now AutoCAD prompts you for a base point.

I am going to select a point on the right frame to use as my base point.

Now AutoCAD wants to know where I want to move the window to.

Before I select the next point I hold down the SHIFT key and then right click.

A short cut menu appears with all of the snap options.

I click the FROM snap option, it is the second one from the top.

At this point I select the endpoint of the line that represents the corner of the room.

This is the point that AutoCAD will now measure “FROM”.

In essence AutoCAD moves the window to this point and wants to know where to go from there.

So now I can input the distance I want the window for the wall, which was 2’-3½”.

Once I input this dimension and hit enter AutoCAD moves the window 2’-3½” FROM the corner.