Object snap target box always on - BUG, GLITCH?

[mpa-la]

I searched the forum and only found one unanswered question on this subject.  Sometimes my object snap target box gets "stuck" on.  I'll be in a command and think my snaps are on because the box shows up, but when I hit F3 the box stays visible whether the snap is on or off, or it opens the osnap dialog if snaps were off and I don't have any snap modes selected (super annoying after about the 20th time in 5 minutes). 

I have noticed that if I change my pickbox setting from 5 to something else, then back to 5, it will work correctly for a while, but within the day, it's back to always on.

Known bug?  If so, I hope the pickbox workaround helps someone else out.

[stevetamplen]

Can you please post a Screencast of the behavior you are experiencing?

Does this happen in all drawings, including new ones?

Has this always happened in your version of AutoCAD, or did you just notice it recently?

Does this happen if you log into another Windows user profile and try it there?

Have you tried resetting AutoCAD to defaults?

If you have another computer with AutoCAD on it, does this happen on that system too?

Also, please tell the Community what OS and AutoCAD version you are using, along with video card brand, model, and driver version you have.

If you have multiple versions of AutoCAD, does it happen in all of them?

This information is needed so we can check similar systems for the errant behavior, as well as eliminating any possible issues that might be occurring on your system.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> Object snap target box always on

Are you sure that it's not the APBOX (>>>details<<<)?

- alfred -

[mpa-la]

Sorry, not setup for screencast, and it's working at the moment anyway, but here's a picture side by side of it working correctly.  Snap off on the left, on on the right.

If it were glitching, the image on the left would have the same light yellow square at the crosshair intersection, but the snap wouldn't be on, hence no bright yellow square at the endpoint snap.

[mpa-la]

Oh, ACAD 2016 vanilla.

[stevetamplen]

I believe Alfred has it right.

Please try changing the APBOX variable to zero and see if that alleviates your issue.

If not, please post back answers to my previous questions and we will try to determine where the problem is.

[mpa-la]

I want to see the apbox when the snap is on, and not see it when snap is off (which is the way it's worked for the 19 years I've used autocad).  So, turning it off completely with the APBOX variable is not the answer.

Can you please post a Screencast of the behavior you are experiencing?

~Not setup for screencast, refer to picture.

Does this happen in all drawings, including new ones?

~Happens daily, but don't know how to initialize the glitch, so not sure if it happens in new drawings.  I rarely work with new drawings.

Has this always happened in your version of AutoCAD, or did you just notice it recently?

~Just since I installed and started using 2016

Does this happen if you log into another Windows user profile and try it there?

~It's not happening to the other user in the office.  Not tried another profile on my computer.  No time to muck around for hours in an alternate profile to wait for it to start, so that test is unlikely to happen.

Have you tried resetting AutoCAD to defaults?

~No time to do this for such a minor issue.

If you have another computer with AutoCAD on it, does this happen on that system too?

~No

Also, please tell the Community what OS and AutoCAD version you are using, along with video card brand, model, and driver version you have.

~Windows 10, ACAD 2016, AMD FirePro V4900 (FireGL V), Advanced Micro Devices, Driver 11/4/2015 15.201.2401.0

If you have multiple versions of AutoCAD, does it happen in all of them?

Only 2016 (had 2015 on this computer and it didn't happen to it)

[stevetamplen]

Well, it certainly shouldn't be on when snap is off (mine works OK in 2016, SP1), so something is not working correctly.

If you have not already done so, please install SP1, that shouldn't take long, and you can start the install when you leave for the day.

AutoCAD 2016 Service Pack 1

It sounds like you may have gotten a corrupt install of AutoCAD, but if you do not have time to do any troubleshooting, it will be difficult to solve the problem.

Let us know when you get some time to nail this down.

[mpa-la]

Already have SP1.  Never occured to me it might be a corrupt installation.  Maybe I should do a repair install?

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> I want to see the apbox when the snap is on, and not see it when snap is off

>> (which is the way it's worked for the 19 years I've used autocad)

Well, I have tested this now and got this result

APBOX 1 means the thin square at the cursor is shown whenever AutoCAD is asking for a point and object snap is on.

APBOX 0 means no thin square while AutoCAD asks for a point

The difference now is (compared to previous releases) that

• AutoCAD 2010/2012/2014 only show the APBOX when object snap is active, it does not show when object snap is off (while AutoCAD is asking for a point)
• AutoCAD 2015/2016 show the thin square always, independent of object snap active or not. And indeed, it does not make sense to see the APBOX when osnap is not active.

What makes me wondering is that OP stated "Happens daily, but don't know how to initialize the glitch", so I'm not sure if APBOX and the above differences shown are what was looked for.

- alfred -

[mpa-la]

Alfred, it sounds like you're seeing the same thing I am, except I don't think this is a new feature for 2016.  I can stop mine from doing it by turning the pickbox on and off as described above.  Then it goes back to normal, light yellow square on when snap is on, off when snap is off.  Try changing pickbox to 0, then to 5 and see how your light yellow square acts.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> I can stop mine from doing it by turning the pickbox on and off

PICKBOX is another thing, that is for object selection, not for object snap.

And this can't be switched on or off, it's a value for a size (whereas size 0 does not make sense as you can't select objects anymore with a single click).

Maybe we are just struggling with wording? 😉

- alfred -

[mpa-la]

No, pickbox is what I mean.  While trying to find a solution to this, I was trying lots of related settings/commands, and noticed that if I set pickbox to 0 (which essentially turns it off becuase its size is 0), then putting it back to 5, which is where I normally have it, for some reason, it makes the problem with the target box resolve itself.  Another person said turning all the snaps on and back off again fixed it for them, but it did not for me.

[stevetamplen]

In my system, in AutoCAD 2016, when I turn snap off, the APBOX does not come on during a command, when snap is on, the APBOX comes on during a command. This is correct behavior.

The way I understand it, even when snap is off, the APBOX still comes on during a command, is that correct?

Then the temporary way to reset the aberrant behavior is to decrease the PICKBOX to zero, then back to 5, and the bad behavior stops, at least temporarily.

Do I have that right?

In answer to your previous question, a repair install might fix the problem, or it could take uninstall/reinstall with A/V and firewall off, with Admin privileges, to get a good install.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> The way I understand it, even when snap is off, the APBOX still comes on during a command, is that correct?

Not just "during command" ... only when a command is asking for a point like within the line command "Next point"

- alfred -

[stevetamplen]

Sorry, poor choice of words on my part, but yes, during, let's say the LINE command, if I have snap turned off, there is no APBOX visible, unless/until snap is turned on.

Alfred, is this happening in your system too?

[mpa-la]

Steve, your description is exactly correct.  Thanks for the re-install tips.  I'll try that.

[mpa-la]

Ok, update, the pickbox thing may have been a red herring.  It just happened, and the pickbox trick didn't work to fix it.  Closing and reopening cad did.

[pendean]

2016's new SYSVARMONITOR is there to help you set preferred variables and get alerted the instant they change.

It might be time for you to set your favorite variables settings in there and find out exactly when this one odd ball changes (during whatever process you are in). It should help narrow down what the trigger is.

[mpa-la]

That's a great suggestion Dean, implementing immediately!