ALIGN

What it does

ALIGN moves and rotates the selected objects so that two source points land on two destination points. For example, you can fit a part flush against a slanted edge.

Where to find it

• Ribbon: Draw › Modify › Trim ▾ › Align
• Command line: ALIGN (alias AL)

Steps

1. Select the objects.
2. Type AL and press Enter.
3. Click source point 1 → destination point 1 → source point 2 → destination point 2. The prompt bar guides you through each step, for example ALIGN: click the 2nd DESTINATION point.

Try it: Acrylic phone stand with a phone lip

A side panel for a phone stand cut from 5 mm acrylic. The phone leans on the sloped face, and a small lip at the bottom stops it from sliding off. You draw the lip lying flat anywhere, and ALIGN stands it up square to the slope in one go.

1. Side panel: type PL and press Enter, then type these points, pressing Enter after each: 0,0 @100,0 @0,10 40,90 25,90 0,0. Press Enter to finish.
2. Charging-cable hole: C, Enter, 32,75, Enter, 4, Enter, then Esc.
3. The lip, drawn flat away from the panel: REC, Enter, 150,0, Enter, @4,14, Enter, then Esc.
4. Click the lip to select it, type AL and press Enter.
5. Type the four points, pressing Enter after each: 154,0 (source 1, the lip's bottom-right corner) → 94,18 (destination 1, 10 mm up the slope) → 150,0 (source 2, the bottom-left corner) → 40,90 (destination 2, the top of the slope). The status bar shows Aligned 1 object(s).

The lip now sticks out 14 mm, exactly square to the sloped face, ready to catch the phone.

Challenge: For a phone in a thick case, draw the lip as @6,14 instead and align it again using the source points 156,0 and 150,0.

See also

• ROTATE
• MOVE