I searched the manual (and Answers forum) for "snap to grid" and found the explanation of when moving objects around they will snap to the underlying grid, in the 3D view. This works quite nicely and is very handy for visual alignment of objects, particularly in an orthographic (no perspective) top view.
However, if I create an AGV path, with "Snap To Grid" enabled, the function serves to gently "click" the path's angle into one of the 4 orthogonal positions (North, South, East, West), parallel to either X or Y axis, when you get near one of those compass positions. I.e., this is a "snap to angle", not a "snap to grid". This "angle snap" feature is quite nice for guaranteeing that the paths you create are perfectly horizontal or vertical (and works the same for conveyors). Of course you can keep moving the start or end point around and the AGV path will freely float between angles, allowing any arbitrary angle, until you get close to an orthogonal position where it will gently "click" into place as if there are detents at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions.
My question though, is that the endpoints on AGV paths do not actually snap to grid, which is really what I want (in addition to the nice angle-snap at 0, 90, 180, and 270 deg). Given that "angular snap" and "snap to grid" are two different things (and in some cases, mutually exclusive), perhaps they should be two different settings - with "angular snap" specific to anything with endpoints (conveyors, AGV paths). And "Snap To Grid" applicable as it is currently, but also have it apply to conveyor and AGV path endpoints (which it doesn't seem to do).
To attain exact grid placement of AGV path endpoints, I try to get it close - the best I can do when zoomed way in with the mouse, is something like 9.99 or 10.01 when attempting to nail the endpoint right at 10.00 units. Then I go back and tidy up the XY endpoint coordinates in Properties for each individual AGV path. Or better yet, I quickly and easily create an AGV path Object Property Table "AGV Straight PathProperties1" and edit the StartLocation and EndLocation arrays, which makes it a one-stop-shop and is quite awesome).
Still, I'd like to be able to have true endpoint "Snap To Grid" for AGV paths and Conveyor endpoints. Perhaps, keep the optional "Snap To Grid" but make it apply to any 3D endpoint placements (AGV paths, Conveyors). Then, there would be a new optional check box "Snap To Angle" (which is what paths currently do with "Snap To Grid"). With the default angle snap being the existing 0/90/180/270 degree snaps, but also configurable (Edit > Model Settings?) to snap in 45 degree increments (for layouts that might have 45 deg angles), or 30 degree increments (so you can lock things at 30 and 60 degrees as well, for layouts that are hexagonal or have "triangular pitch"). Or, whatever angle-of-snap one desires.
For standard objects, the new "Snap To Angle" feature would give the ability to rotate an object and have it soft-click into the desired angular positions too. That is, via the usual right-click on any of the three colored axial cones. This might also serve to help tame the sometimes unexpectedly rapid rotations that sometimes happen when you right click on those 3D axis cones.
Interestingly, the Walls visual "Snap To Grid" works as it should - the wall endpoints (and corners) all snap quite nicely to either a single gridline or an intersection (although there is no "angle snap", like there is for AGV and Conveyors).
So having the ability to specify either mode (or a mix of both) "Snap To Grid" and "Snap To Angle" under Properties' View Settings - for anything having endpoints, I think would be useful.
If I've missed something in the manual (entirely possible), please let me know.
Thank you,
Mike
