MakerSolid Documentation Version 1.5.2

Modeling tool

Position

Place or copy one or more exact CAD bodies at coordinates or relative to linked geometric references.

Purpose

Place or copy one or more exact CAD bodies at coordinates or relative to linked geometric references.

Where to find it

In Model choose Modify → Position. Open Details for Moving Bodies, reference pickers, and numeric controls.

Selection

  • Preselected CAD bodies become Moving Bodies. Use Moving Bodies or Pick Moving Bodies to add or remove bodies.
  • Source anchors must belong to Moving Bodies. Destination and Second Reference must belong to stationary bodies; Between Bodies requires distinct references.
  • Point anchors support body/selection centers, planar-face area centers, circular-edge centers, straight-edge midpoints, and destination Origin. Align Faces accepts only planar OpenCascade faces.
  • Choose the Point to Point Anchor type before picking. Eligible faces or edges are highlighted; unsupported geometry and bodies outside the source/destination scope cannot become references. Face and edge rows show the selected body name instead of numbered topology menus.

Steps

  1. Select Moving Bodies, then choose Coordinates, Point to Point, Align Centers, Between Bodies, or Align Faces from the command bar.
  2. For Coordinates set X/Y/Z. For Align Centers or Between Bodies choose named stationary body centers from the reference menu or Pick Reference. Between Bodies also needs Second Reference.
  3. For Point to Point choose each Anchor type. Body Center offers named bodies; Planar Face Center, Circle Center, and Edge Midpoint start guided viewport picking. For Align Faces choose Source Face on Moving Bodies, then Destination Face on a stationary body. Tap highlighted geometry; Done Picking exits without changing the current reference.
  4. Choose Copy Originals if originals should remain. Review axes or face orientation controls and the preview.
  5. Choose Apply to commit one linked Position feature. Choose Cancel to discard.

Options

Method

Coordinates sets the selection center to absolute world XYZ. Point to Point translates anchors together. Align Centers matches a reference body center. Between Bodies uses the midpoint of two body centers, rather than equal surface gaps. Align Faces mates trimmed face centroids and rotates outward normals to oppose.

CoordinatesPoint to PointAlign CentersBetween BodiesAlign Faces
Coordinates starts at the current selection center and provides the Origin action.
Between Bodies uses two stationary centers and independent axis toggles.
Point to Point provides explicit Anchor types, World Offset, and Copy Originals.
Align Faces shows the chosen face references and Flip, Offset, and Rotation.
The moving body is positioned at the stationary reference center after Apply.

Moving Bodies

One or more exact CAD bodies, moved as a rigid group. Selection Center uses the combined world-aligned bounds. Pick Moving Bodies toggles bodies in the viewport.

Copy Originals

Off moves the originals. On leaves originals and adds positioned copies. Default off.

Source

Point to Point defaults to Selection Center. Choose Anchor to use Body Center, Planar Face Center, Circle Center, or Edge Midpoint on Moving Bodies. Align Faces uses Source Face, selected directly in the viewport. The chosen reference stays highlighted.

Destination

Choose a stationary body center for center alignment. Point to Point chooses an Anchor type, including Origin. Align Faces uses Destination Face on a stationary body. Body centers have named menus; topology references are picked directly from highlighted geometry.

Destination Face picking highlights planar faces on stationary bodies.

Second Reference

Between Bodies only: a second stationary body distinct from Destination.

X / Y / Z

Coordinates: absolute world position, initially the current selection center. Point to Point: signed World Offset distances, initially zero. Values use document units; physical values survive unit changes.

ƒ Accepts variables and expressions

Origin

Coordinates fills XYZ with zero. Point to Point can choose the world origin as Destination.

Axes

Align Centers and Between Bodies expose independent X/Y/Z toggles, initially all on. Disabled axes preserve their current coordinate. At least one must be on.

Flip

Align Faces only. Off mates opposing outward normals; On aligns them in the same direction. Default off.

Offset

Align Faces only: signed distance along the destination outward normal. Positive values move outward. Default zero.

ƒ Accepts variables and expressions

Rotation

Align Faces only: rotation in degrees about the destination outward normal after normal alignment. Default zero.

ƒ Accepts variables and expressions

Anchor

Point to Point only. Source offers Selection Center and body/face/edge anchors on Moving Bodies. Destination offers Origin and stationary body/face/edge anchors. Changing type clears the incompatible reference and starts picking when needed.

Selection CenterBody CenterPlanar Face CenterCircle CenterEdge MidpointOrigin
Edge Midpoint source picking emphasizes eligible straight edges on Moving Bodies.

Pick Reference

Starts guided viewport selection. The pane explains the eligible geometry and scope. Eligible faces are highlighted and eligible edges are emphasized. Edge picking accepts nearby screen taps. Tap a supported reference to finish; rotating the view exposes hidden faces or edges.

Done Picking

Ends the current viewport pick and removes eligibility highlighting. Existing references remain selected. A required reference still needs to be chosen before Apply.

Result

Apply commits one linked Position feature and one undo entry. Stationary references keep their placement. Copy outputs have stable identities. Position preview and exact replay use the same geometry rules.

Editing

Choose Edit on the Position History entry. The same controls reopen against geometry before this feature; upstream source and destination edits recompute positioning. Changing method resets incompatible references and numeric controls. Position projects require format 22.

Troubleshooting

Apply is disabled.

Choose available Moving Bodies and valid references, enable at least one alignment axis, and request a placement that changes the bodies. Correct invalid expressions.

A reference is missing, ambiguous, or no longer planar.

Edit Position and reselect its Source, Destination, or Second Reference. Suppress or delete Position to restore the preceding placement. Captured coordinates are never substituted.

Bodies overlap after aligning centers.

Align only the required axes. For side-by-side bodies, preserve their separation axis. Align Centers matches centers rather than mating surfaces.

The wrong face orientation or separation appears.

Review Flip, signed Offset, and Rotation. Face centers are trimmed-face area centroids, which can lie outside a holed or concave boundary.

The face or edge I want cannot be picked.

Check Moving Bodies and Anchor type. Source must be on Moving Bodies; Destination must be on stationary bodies. Planar Face Center and Align Faces accept planar faces only. Circle Center needs a circular edge; Edge Midpoint needs a straight edge. Rotate the view to expose the highlighted geometry.

Broader reference

Model toolsReference for every visible solid creation, modification, construction, pattern, and inspection tool.
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