Editing Preferences
The Editing tab of Project Settings provides four sub-sections: Snap, Display, Environment, and Layers. Snap controls all snapping behaviour including grid snap, object snap, and angle snap.
The Editing tab in Project Settings groups its sub-sections — Snap, Display, 3D & Lighting, Layers, and Semantic Classes — giving you control over editing behavior in your project. Use the Snap section to tune grid, angle, magnetic, and object snapping so placement is fast and consistent. The Layers and Semantic Classes sections let you organize drawing elements and apply consistent styling across your design. Changes take effect immediately on the canvas without needing to close the dialog. The Snap sub-section appears on plans that include snapping; on plans without it, Display is shown first instead.
Object snap types
Individual object snap types can be toggled: Endpoint (default on), Midpoint (default on), Center (default on), Intersection (default on), Quadrant (default off), Nearest (default off), Tangent (default off), Perpendicular (default off), Extension (default off), Parallel (default off).
Angle increment
When Angle Snap is enabled, all drawing and dragging operations snap to multiples of the angle increment. The default is 15°. Useful values are 5°, 10°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 90°.
Snap thresholds
OSNAP Radius — the screen pixel distance within which object snap activates (default 12 px). Magnetic Radius — the screen pixel distance within which magnetic snap attraction starts pulling (default 20 px).
Layers sub-section
The Layers sub-section in the Editing tab provides another way to add, reorder, toggle visibility, lock, and delete layers. This is the same data as the Layers panel in the Inspector — changes in one location are immediately reflected in the other.
Classes sub-section
The Classes sub-section in the Editing tab lets you manage drawing classes — add, rename, recolour, and remove classes. This is the same data as the Classes panel in the Inspector.
Choose which object snap types are active
Under the Object Snap toggle, enable the geometric point types you want to catch: Endpoint, Midpoint, Center, Intersection, Quadrant, Nearest, Tangent, Perpendicular, Extension, and Parallel. The most-used types — Endpoint, Midpoint, Center, and Intersection — appear at the top; less common types are grouped under Advanced. Enabling only the types you use keeps the cursor from jumping to unwanted candidates.
Keep your active object snap types to a focused set. Enabling all types at once can make the cursor feel erratic in dense drawings as it competes between many nearby candidate points.
Manage layers
Click Layers in the left sidebar to add, rename, reorder, show, hide, and lock layers for the project. Click the + Add Layer button to create a new layer, drag the grip handle to reorder, and use the eye and lock icons to toggle visibility and locking. All changes here are reflected immediately in the Layers panel in the inspector sidebar — the two views share the same project data.
Manage semantic classes
Click Semantic Classes in the left sidebar to configure how different surface types are styled across the project. Expand a class family to reach its members, override the fill color or material, and use the eye and lock icons to hide or lock a class family. Reset all clears your overrides. Class visibility and color overrides flow through to the 2D canvas, 3D view, and presentation styles, so a change here affects the whole design at once.
The Snapping Enabled master toggle overrides all individual snap modes below it. If snapping suddenly stops working during a drawing session, the master toggle is the first thing to check.
Grid Snap and the grid display are independent controls. You can snap to a hidden grid (useful for a clean canvas) or display a reference grid you don't snap to — configure each separately in the Snap and Display sub-sections.
Frequently Asked Questions
I enabled Angle Snap but lines still draw at any angle — why?
Angle Snap requires the Snapping Enabled master toggle to also be on. Check that the master toggle is active, then confirm the Angle Increment field has a non-zero value. Both conditions must be met for angle snapping to constrain drawing directions.
What is the difference between Object Snap and Magnetic Snap?
Object Snap locks the cursor exactly onto a defined geometric point (endpoint, midpoint, center, etc.) when the cursor comes within the Snap Radius. Magnetic Snap is a softer, non-locking attraction that nudges the cursor toward nearby snap candidates within the Magnetic Radius without fully locking it. Object Snap is precise; Magnetic Snap is a gentle assist.
Do layer changes in Editing Preferences affect the Layers panel in the inspector?
Yes — the Layers sub-section in Project Settings and the Layers panel in the inspector sidebar both edit the same project data. A layer you rename, hide, lock, recolor, or reorder in one place updates immediately in the other.
Can I snap to the grid without showing it on screen?
Yes. Grid Snap and grid visibility are controlled by separate toggles. Turn on Grid Snap in the Snap sub-section and turn off the grid display in the Display sub-section to snap to an invisible grid — useful for a cleaner drawing canvas.
Why do snap points feel hard to hit on my high-resolution display?
Snap and Magnetic radii are measured in screen pixels, so on a high-DPI or Retina display the default values (12 px snap, 10 px magnetic) cover a smaller physical area. Increase both Snap Radius and Magnetic Radius in the Snap sub-section to make targets easier to catch without moving the cursor as precisely.