"Align to same plane" command

[Christiaan]

Could be handy to have a command that lets you align selected objects to the same plane, perhaps with an option to choose which object to align the rest to.

[taoist]

Christiaan,

Are you talking about aligning objects to the working plane?

[Christiaan]

Just aligning a bunch of planar objects, doesn't need to be the working plane. Is there an 'align to working plane' command?

[taoist]

Yes there is.

Setting Objects to the Working Plane with Three Points

To align an object to the working plane with three points:

In a 3D view, set the working plane location as desired.

Select the object to align to the working plane.

Click the Align Plane tool from the 3D Modeling tool set.

Click a location on the object to align with the origin of the working plane.

Click a second point on the object to define the X axis.

The line between the first and second points defines the X axis position.

Click a third point on the object to define the Y axis.

The line between the second and third points defines the Y axis position.

The object aligns itself to the working plane as defined by these points. If the surface was mistakenly aligned to the wrong side of the working plane, use the Mirror tool to flip the object to the opposite side of the working plane.

Setting a Rendered Object?s Surface to the Working Plane

A rendered object can be aligned to the working plane.

To align a rendered object to the working plane:

Select a 3D view and a rendering mode for the drawing.

The drawing projection must be other than 2D Plan, with a rendering mode of Unshaded Polygon, Shaded Polygon, Shaded Polygon No Lines, or Final Shaded Polygon.

Click the Align Plane tool from the 3D Modeling tool set.

The cursor changes to a pointing hand when over the surface of a rendered object.

Click on the surface to align to the working plane.

The object?s selected surface is aligned to the working plane.

Working Plane Commands

The working plane commands can select and manipulate the working plane. Some commands have equivalents in the Working Planes palette or when editing the working plane directly.

To access the working plane commands:

Select Modify > Working Plane.

The same commands are available from the context menu of the working plane.

Command

Description

Select Working Plane

Selects the working plane (alternatively, click on the plane with the Selection tool or select Edit > Select Working Plane)

Look at Working Plane

Changes the view to be perpendicular to the working plane; similar to the Top view under the View menu, in that you are looking straight at the working plane. This command is also available from the View menu, the View bar, and the Working Planes palette.

Save Working Plane

Opens the Assign Name dialog box. Enter a name to save the working plane position. This command is also available by clicking Add from the Working Planes palette. Once a working plane position has been saved, it can be accessed through the Working Planes palette and the Active Planes list on the View bar.

Next Working Plane

Cycles through the next ten unsaved palette positions

Previous Working Plane

Cycles through the last ten unsaved palette positions

Set Working Plane

If selected while the automatic working plane is highlighted, sets the working plane to match the automatic working plane. Otherwise, sets the working plane to the next clicked planar face, similar to the Planar Face mode of the Set Working Plane tool (see Setting the Working Plane to a Planar Face)

Align Working Plane X Axis with Layer Plane

Rotates the working plane coordinates about the Z axis until the X axis is parallel to the active layer plane and the Y axis is pointing up. The working plane origin is unchanged.

Align Working Plane with Layer Plane

Aligns all working plane axes to the corresponding active layer plane axes. The working plane origin is unchanged.

Align Working Plane with Current View

Aligns the working plane Z axis toward the viewer; the X axis is aligned horizontally and the Y axis vertically, on the screen. The working plane origin is unchanged.

Rotate About X? Left 90?

Rotates the working plane to the left about its X axis by 90 degrees

Rotate About X? Right 90?

Rotates the working plane to the right about its X axis by 90 degrees

Rotate About Y? Left 90?

Rotates the working plane to the left about its Y axis by 90 degrees

Rotate About Y? Right 90?

Rotates the working plane to the right about its Y axis by 90 degrees

Rotate About Z? Left 90?

Rotates the working plane to the left about its Z axis by 90 degrees

Rotate About Z? Right 90?

Rotates the working plane to the right about its Z axis by 90 degrees

Flip X?

Flips the working plane about its X axis

Flip Y?

Flips the working plane about its Y axis

Flip Z?

Flips the working plane about its Z axis

The Active Planes ListOn the View bar, the Active Planes list displays the currently active plane, and also allows a plane to be selected.

Plane

Description

Automatic

The active working plane changes as the cursor moves over the drawing area in a 3D view. The automatic plane is a temporary working plane that does not need to be set; over suitable surfaces and with certain drawing tools, the automatic plane is planar to the surface. Otherwise, the automatic plane aligns to the layer plane.

Layer Plane

The active working plane is planar to the current plane of the active layer

Custom Plane

The active working plane is planar to a saved working plane position; selecting a working plane cancels the automatic working plane.

Screen Plane

The active working plane is aligned to the screen plane (planar to the computer screen)

Hope this helps?

[Christiaan]

None of that does what I'm after. Say you have a bunch of planar surfaces you want to extrude or add-surface but you can't because they not on the same plane. A "align to same plane" command would bring them all onto the same plane so you could extrude them or add-surface.

[Pat Stanford]

Christian,

Are you looking for a "Move to Same Plane" command or a "Project to Same Plane" command?

Both could be useful and I don't think either exists.

Are these names a better description than the "Align to Same Plane"?

[taoist]

Just an idea.

Do not know, have not tried it.

Can't one cut/copy an object from one plane to another plane?

Select plane > cut object

Select other plane > paste object

I would think it would help if you name the planes and save them as you are creating them so you can switch (open) them when you need them.

Edited July 6, 2012 by taoist

[Christiaan]

Move to same plane is what I'm after Pat.

[Benson Shaw]

Can you switch them all to screen plane in the OIP?

-B

[Christiaan]

Yeah you can, that's what I did, but then you've got a few steps to get back to where you want them, and at least one of my objects didn't end up where I was expecting it to.

[Benson Shaw]

Viewport>Convert to Lines?

[Christiaan]

Here's an example. Say you want to make a single extrude of these four objects while in Front view. You need to align them so they're all on the same plane first.

[bcd]

This will work

Select an object and lock it.

Use it to set the working plane

Select all objects of interest

Align 3d>z' by choosing the working plane alignment axis.

[bcd]

Here's an example. Say you want to make a single extrude of these four objects while in Front view. You need to align them so they're all on the same plane first.

In this case just Align or 3d Align them in Top Plan view

actually thinking about it you don't even need to change the view.

Select all

Align 3d - Y axis.

To set the plane lock one of the rectangles first

Edited July 6, 2012 by bcd

[bcd]

A rework of the Align tools is certainly in order though & this wish would fall naturally therein.

Here's what InDesign offers:

[Christiaan]

In this case just Align or 3d Align them in Top Plan view

actually thinking about it you don't even need to change the view.

Select all

Align 3d - Y axis.

To set the plane lock one of the rectangles first

That's what I was after. Interesting, when you never use a tool you become blind to it. I was trying to use the standard Align-Distribute commands.

Thanks.

[Benson Shaw]

The switch to screen plane works to extrude them all in one go if it's intended that the extruded shapes all rise from the same plane to the same height. These ones did not translate sideways or go out of frame when converted to screen plane. What was the positioning problem you encountered?

If each one has to extrude from plane of origin, then extrude individually: Select, then Cmd E It's really quick. Script to treat a selection?S

Or use PushPull. only one at a time, though.

Or convert to 3d polys and apply the Shell tool which makes the resulting bunch of "towers" into a a single object. But you still have to shiftclick each surface.

Too bad there is not an option for marquee select in the pushpull or shell tools.

-B