Four Techniques to Improve your Rhino Drawing Precision

Use the ‘Move’ and ‘Copy’ commands to move and copy geometry to a precise location.

Step 1 | Select the Object to be Copied

Step 2 | Type Move or Copy

Type move or copy in the command line and press Enter

Step 3 | Choose your start point

This can be a reference point or a point in open space

Step 4 | Pick your Target Point

Either type in a precise distance or snap the object to a reference point

OPTION | Move/Copy Vertically Only

Both the ‘Move’ and ‘Copy’ commands have an option to move the object in the vertical direction only in relation to the current construction plane. This option can be accessed from the Command-Line when the command is first entered.

TIP | You can also copy an object using the Alt key.

Drag an object. Whilst dragging, tap the Alt key. When released, it will make a copy.

Technique 2 Object Snaps

Object snaps constrain the cursor marker to an exact position on an object such as the Centre of a Circle of the End of a Line.

When the Rhino command asks you to choose a point and the Object Snaps are active, moving the cursor near a point on an object permits the marker to snap to that point e.g. the End object snap pulls the cursor to the endpoint of a curve.

TIP | Multiple Object Snaps can be active at one time

For more info on Object Snaps check out the McNeel Website.

Technique 3 One-Shot Object Snaps

One-shot object snaps are active for one ‘pick’ of a point only and override all current object snaps for that pick.

To set a one-shot object snap, press ‘Shift’ and click and object snap check box to select the Object Snap that you require only.

After the point is picked, the original object snaps selected will reactivate.

Technique 4 Advanced Selection Methods

Dragging from right to left creates a Crossing Box (Dashed Lines) that selects all objects hovered over, regardless if the entire object has been enclosed by the selection square or not.

Dragging from left to right creates a Window Box (Solid Lines) that only selects objects that are completely enclosed within the selection square.

Other Selection Methods include:

• Select Objects by Type (Edit Menu > Select Objects)
• Select Objects by Layer (Right click on the Layer and choose the option ‘Select Objects’)