3D Snap — Snapping in the 3D Editor
The 3D editor has its own snap system separate from 2D snapping. Four modes — Vertex, Surface, Edge, and Grid — let you align objects precisely to the geometry of other 3D meshes. Toggle modes in the snap toolbar in the status bar, or temporarily disable snap by holding the modifier key while dragging.
3D snapping is configured independently from 2D snapping. Changing the 2D grid resolution or snap mode does not affect 3D snap settings, and vice versa. This lets you have coarse 2D grid snapping for plan drawing while maintaining fine vertex snapping in the 3D editor.
Multiple snap modes can be active simultaneously — when more than one is enabled, the system selects the nearest snap target across all active modes.
Enable snap modes in the status bar toolbar
The 3D snap toolbar is located in the status bar at the bottom of the 3D editor view. Each snap mode has its own toggle button:
- Vertex Snap — snaps the dragged object to the exact vertex positions of other 3D meshes. Ideal for joining shapes corner-to-corner or aligning to mesh control points.
- Surface Snap — snaps the object's base to the surface of any 3D mesh it is dragged over. Essential for placing objects on terrain or on the top face of a raised structure.
- Edge Snap — snaps to the midpoint or nearest point on any mesh edge. Useful for centering objects along wall faces or aligning to the edge of a slab.
- Grid Snap — snaps to a 3D grid with its own resolution setting. The resolution is set in the 3D Snap settings panel (click the gear icon next to the toolbar).
Click any button to toggle that mode on or off. Active modes are highlighted.
Surface Snap is the most commonly useful mode — enable it whenever you want dragged objects to sit naturally on the terrain or on another object's surface.
Place objects with Surface Snap active
With Surface Snap enabled, drag a 3D object over any other mesh surface. As the cursor passes over the target surface:
1. The dragged object's base automatically elevates to match the surface height at the cursor position 2. The object tilts to match the surface normal (slope) if Align to Surface Normal is enabled in the snap settings 3. A snap indicator appears to confirm the snap target
Release to place the object at the snapped position.
This is the recommended way to place planters, furniture, sculptures, or any object that should rest on sloped terrain.
Toggle Align to Surface Normal off when placing objects that should remain upright on sloped terrain — for example, a vertical post on a slope.
Temporarily disable snap while dragging
To override all active snap modes for a single drag operation, hold Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) while dragging. The object moves freely without snapping for the duration of the drag.
Release the modifier key to re-enable snapping on the next drag.
This is useful when you need to fine-position an object very close to a snap target but slightly offset from it — snap can be prevented without switching it off entirely.
Snap to the workplane
If you have an active workplane set (visible as the faint grid overlay in the 3D editor), drag targets are also snapped to the workplane's origin and grid intersections. The workplane snap engages when no closer mesh or surface target is found. This is particularly useful when placing objects on a vertical wall surface or angled slope — set a workplane aligned to the wall face, then drag objects and they will snap to the workplane grid rather than falling through to the ground.
Temporarily disable snap for a single drag
Hold Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or Cmd (Mac) while dragging to suspend all snap for the duration of that drag. The object moves freely at your cursor position without locking to any target. Release the modifier key before the next drag to restore normal snapping. Use this when you need to position an object very close to a snap target but offset from it slightly — for example, floating an object just above a surface rather than resting on it.
Snap behavior in other workspaces
Each workspace uses a different subset of snap providers tuned to its context. In the Structure Editor, structure socket snapping is added to the active set so components click into their attachment points. In the Mesh Editor, sub-element snapping (vertices, edges, faces within the mesh) is enabled and 2D entity snapping is excluded. In the Terrain workspace, only entity-vertex snapping is active. You do not need to switch any setting when moving between workspaces — the correct snap profile is applied automatically.
3D snap settings are completely independent from 2D snap settings. Changing the 2D grid resolution, toggling object snap in the plan view, or switching 2D snap mode has no effect on 3D snap behavior and vice versa. You can safely use coarse 2D grid snapping for plan drawing while keeping precise 3D vertex snapping active at the same time.
Surface snap is always-on — there is no toggle to forget. Any time you drag over a valid surface in the 3D editor, snap will engage. If an object is landing in an unexpected position, check whether an underlying surface (such as a deck slab or terrain) is pulling the snap target away from where you expect.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is 3D snap different from 2D snap?
2D snap operates in the plan view and aligns to the 2D drawing grid, other shapes' edges, and annotation control points. 3D snap operates in the 3D view and aligns to real 3D geometry — mesh vertices, face surfaces, and edges. They are managed by the same underlying snap system but use completely separate provider sets, so changing one does not affect the other.
Can I snap to the terrain surface?
Yes. The terrain surface is treated as a standard 3D mesh for snapping purposes. Drag any object over the terrain and it follows the surface height as you move — no separate setting is needed. The snap indicator appears at the terrain hit point to confirm the target.
Why is my object snapping to the ground plane instead of the surface I want?
The snap system picks the target with the smallest screen-space distance. If another surface — such as the ground plane, a slab, or a flat entity — is closer to your cursor than the target you intend, it will win. Try moving the cursor more precisely over the intended surface, or zoom in to increase the relative screen distance between competing targets.
Can multiple snap sources be active at the same time?
Yes. The 3D editor always evaluates scene mesh, surface stack, entity 2D, and grid sources simultaneously on every drag. The single closest candidate across all active sources is returned. There is no setting to restrict which sources are checked — all context-appropriate sources are always on.
Does snap work when placing imported 3D models?
Yes. When dragging an imported model during placement, the snap system uses the placement context profile which includes scene mesh and surface stack snap. This means imported models will snap to terrain, existing meshes, and stacked surfaces exactly like any other 3D object. Structure socket and mesh sub-element snapping are excluded during placement.