Other Positioning Constraints

Grid Snaps

Another really easy requirement to superimpose on the coordinate calculations is called a "roundoff snap" or "Grid Snap". A grid snap constrains the cursor to positions on a user-specified grid. Using a snap grid the user can quickly create geometry with precise dimensions.

Ortho Locks

Ortho Locks constrain the cursor to positions such that the position of the next point entered is perfectly horizontal or vertical from the last. An Ortho Lock is an indespensible aid to drawing most floor plans. Extensions of this idea lock the curor to positions along a 45-degree angle, etc.

Inference

The SketchUp application resolves many of the difficulties of pointing through use of a sophisticated bit of (nearly) artificial intelligence. It guesses, or infers, where you want to point using information gathered from where the cursor is (proximity) as well as certain gesture/pointing actions the user can provide to guide it. While not always accurate, it right often enough to make pointing with a mouse much easier than it might otherwise be.

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