Inspiring

Question

Is it possible to snap guides to objects & paths that don't have a centre point?

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
February 6, 2020
7 replies
1257 views

I have always known it to be this way, but wondering if I'm doing something wrong?

You can snap a guide to the centre of a square or circle shape, something with a centre point. But, is it possible to snap to the mid point of objects without a centre point, or paths? Illustrator shows the handles for anything in the middle, am I able to snap a guide to the position of these handles? If I try it never snaps to these. Picture attached.

Draw and design

This topic has been closed for replies.

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

To illustrate what Jacob mentioned:

Left, the Center of the Bounding box, right (in red) the Centroid (which is according to Wikipedia: "Informally, it is the point at which a cutout of the shape could be perfectly balanced on the tip of a pin")

Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

mediwing,

"the mid point of objects"

could also refer to the centroid, which is different from the centre of the Bounding Box in most cases, such as the one shown by Grant.

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

All objects have a center point, but not all of them show it.

Window > Attributes > Show All > Click Show Center

It will show the center of the bounding box.

meganchi

Legend

With your guides set to "unlocked", you can draw a vertical and/or horizontal guide randomly, then select the guides and the object, and you can use the align panel to center them horizontally and/or vertically.

mediwing68524287Author

Inspiring

Thanks meganchi, yes that is a work around that I'm sure would work, but would take way too long when trying to work quickly.

Grant H

Community Expert

the eg you gave is somewhat misleading as you will/should drag the the centre but an eg like this (the glob) you will need to align the guide whereas the rectangle the guide can snap to the path.

mediwing68524287Author

Inspiring

Thanks for your reply Grant but I don't quite understand what you mean. You're saying I need to align to the centre, but how do I do this? When you have an uneven shape like that glob one you made, there is no "x" centre point marked. Yes, you have the 8 points of the bounding box, but I am unable to snap to them.

Grant H

Community Expert

and you do know that you can align guides to the centre of aby object (well it will be to the centre of the bounding box of the object but you know what i mean)

mediwing68524287Author

Inspiring

How?

Grant H

Community Expert

hi, habe you got "snap to point" selected in your view menu?

mediwing68524287Author

Inspiring

Yes I do.

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