Snap reference circle problems
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
2019-12-04
02:03 PM
- last edited on
2023-05-23
04:07 PM
by
Rubia Torres
I've been working in Archicad for a year now, but still find it difficult getting used to the snap reference circle that appears when using a point as a snap reference.
Sometimes the snap reference circle (sometimes multiply circles) is so close to the point where you actually want to move a object to, making it difficult seeing what you're actually snapping to, unless you zoom in a lot.
Can you somehow deactivate the snap reference circle?
Solved! Go to Solution.
Accepted Solutions

- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
2021-09-20 03:30 AM
Watch how the cursor changes.
If it shows as a pen with a line on it, then you are snapping to a guide line or circle, but just a random point on that line or circle.
An empty pen means any point (not on the line or circle).
A solid black pen means snapping to a node.
An 'X' means snapping to the intersection of lines/circles.
Then there is perpendicular, parallel, tangent as well.
The cursor should guide you in what you are doing.
Don't forget to zoom in for more accuracy/clarity.
In the Work Environment, you can also set a cursor snap range in pixels.
No matter what the zoom, when you are within that pixel range, it will snap to what you are near.
The smaller the number the more accurate you have to be positioning your cursor.
The larger the number, it will snap easier to close by elements and guide lines, but you may have to zoom in more to differentiate between close elements/lines.
Barry.
Versions 6.5 to 27
i7-10700 @ 2.9Ghz, 32GB ram, GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB), Windows 10
Lenovo Thinkpad - i7-1270P 2.20 GHz, 32GB RAM, Nvidia T550, Windows 11

- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
2019-12-05 03:17 AM
D.BRANDT wrote:
Can you somehow deactivate the snap reference circle?
In the VIEW menu you can turn of the 'Snap Guides'.
If you have the 'Control Box' palette active, you will find some buttons there to turn them on/off as well.
Or in the Work Environment you can delay the time that the snap guides appear.
Set it to a higher value, then if you want a guide and don't want to wait, you hover over the point and activate the shortcut key for the snap guides (check your shortcut key settings in the Work Environment).
Barry.
Versions 6.5 to 27
i7-10700 @ 2.9Ghz, 32GB ram, GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB), Windows 10
Lenovo Thinkpad - i7-1270P 2.20 GHz, 32GB RAM, Nvidia T550, Windows 11
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
2019-12-05 02:39 PM
Actually it's not the snap reference itself there's a "problem" but rather the big circle that occurs at the end of the reference line: Sometimes it's difficult to see whether you snap to the circle or the reference line.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
2021-09-19 09:15 PM
I'm having this same issue. Did you figure out anything?

- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
2021-09-20 03:30 AM
Watch how the cursor changes.
If it shows as a pen with a line on it, then you are snapping to a guide line or circle, but just a random point on that line or circle.
An empty pen means any point (not on the line or circle).
A solid black pen means snapping to a node.
An 'X' means snapping to the intersection of lines/circles.
Then there is perpendicular, parallel, tangent as well.
The cursor should guide you in what you are doing.
Don't forget to zoom in for more accuracy/clarity.
In the Work Environment, you can also set a cursor snap range in pixels.
No matter what the zoom, when you are within that pixel range, it will snap to what you are near.
The smaller the number the more accurate you have to be positioning your cursor.
The larger the number, it will snap easier to close by elements and guide lines, but you may have to zoom in more to differentiate between close elements/lines.
Barry.
Versions 6.5 to 27
i7-10700 @ 2.9Ghz, 32GB ram, GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB), Windows 10
Lenovo Thinkpad - i7-1270P 2.20 GHz, 32GB RAM, Nvidia T550, Windows 11
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
2021-09-20 07:54 AM - edited 2021-09-20 07:55 AM
Hi jowig,
No, and I don't think it's possible to change.
The solution seems to be in the answer from Barry below 🙂
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
2021-09-20 11:06 AM
Personally I would like to see a an option to turn off the "Circle" snap creation. Too often they create intersections that are close to, but not at the desired location and the only solution is to zoom in to make sure you click the correct point.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
2021-09-20 12:36 PM
Couldn't agree more!
But maybe I feel that way because I come from AutoCAD where the circle doesn't exist, and it's a matter of getting used to the new workflow/interface?!
But to be able to turn the circle off would be great 🙂
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
2021-09-22 11:02 AM
Thank you for the response. These are good advice as of how to, as far as I can gather, circumvent a fixed setting that should be in the hands of the user. So I'm not so sure it should be marked as "solved" (I don't know who marks posts as such), as it will frustrate or confuse users struggling with the same problem more than it will inform them, because the core problem is not solvable as of now. I will post it as a wish in the correct forum.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
2021-09-22 11:06 AM
The question is, when is it ever useful? How often do you want to draw in a circle around your project origin? This should absolutely be a non-default option. I'm sure there is some sort of rationale behind the desicion, but I cannot understand what that rationale is,