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Docking Tool

The Docking tool can be used to bring your objects closer together in your workspace, to allow for more efficient use of your space.

Each of the Docking buttons will tell your selected objects to move in that direction, until they hit something.

Docking one shape

Docking one shape

Docked one shape

By default, the Docking tool will move all selected objects, as far as they will go.

Docking two shapes

Docking one shape

Docked two shapes

If no other objects are hit, the edge of the workspace will be used.

Docking to edge

Docking one shape

Docked to edge

Grouped objects will move together, so if any of them stop, the whole group will stop.

Docking a group

Docking one shape

Docked a group

Additional options

The Docking tool comes with a few extra features to change how it works. These options can be found next to the Docking buttons:

Docking Options

Move as group

The Move as group setting treats separate objects as if they were grouped.

Move as group

This means that they will only move until one of the objects stops, and the rest of the selected objects will also stop.

Docking as group

Docking one shape

Docked as group

Lock inner objects

The Lock inner objects setting keeps objects inside other objects together.

When this setting is Off, the inner objects will continue to move, even when the outer object has stopped.

Lock inner option

Move as group

Docking one shape

Move as group

When turned on, the setting will keep the inner objects with the surrounding object.

Lock inner objects

Move as group

Docking one shape

Move as group

Note that this does not affect objects that are overlapping; in this case, the objects will each move independently, finding their own object to dock against (unless you use the Move as Group option above).

Padding

The Padding setting allows you to specify a distance that will be maintained between objects that are docked.

By default, this value is 0.0, which means that objects will dock right against each other.

Padding option

Padding selected

Docking left

Docked with 0 padding

By increasing this value, you can have objects leave some space when they meet.

Padding at 10

Padding selected

Docking left

Docked with 10 padding

Note that the Padding is only applied in the direction the objects are docking - it won't be enforced in the other directions.

Padding not applied

You can fix that extra padding by moving the objects away, then back:

Padding correct

Dock up

Padding up

Dock down

Padding corrected

The units for the Padding tool (in / mm) are the same as other tools, such as the Numeric Edits tool.

Numeric edit