The Measurement Tool lets you measure distances in your design. Measurement lines show on the design canvas but are not carved, so you can add as many as your design needs.
Adding a measurement
- Click the Measurement Tool (1) on the left toolbar.
- Click on the design canvas to place the first point. A line follows your cursor.
- Click again to place the second point.
The total length appears in the middle of the line (2). When you add or select a line, the Measure panel (3) shows its angle, horizontal and vertical length, and the coordinates of each endpoint. To adjust a line, select it and drag its endpoints. Lines can also be locked, copied or deleted like other objects.
Click the eye icon next to Measure Lines (4) to show or hide all measurement lines in your design.
Snapping to your design
- Vertices: measurement points snap to the corners and points of your shapes.
- Paths: a circle appears when your point is close to a shape's path, so you can place it right on the line.
- Boundary edges: a dotted line appears when your point is on the edge of a shape's bounding box.
Linked measurement lines
A linked measurement line measures the horizontal or vertical distance between the edges of two shapes, and updates automatically when you move or resize them.
- Place the first point on the boundary edge of one shape.
- Hold Shift and place the second point on the boundary edge of another shape.
A linked line is labeled linked (5). Linked measurements can't be edited by hand. They always show the current distance between the two shapes.
Offsetting linked measurement lines
Linked measurement lines can be offset from their original positions. This makes it easier to continue designing while keeping measurements visible but out of the way.
- Click the linked measurement line to select it.
- Drag it in the direction you want to offset it (6).
The measurement will stay linked to the same shapes while not getting in the way of your design.