Osnaps inconsistent

[rrenfrow]

While working in a drawing, dimensioning a shape with osnaps on the little symbol showing the point selected will highlight, then on the mouse click, it will select a different point near the point highlighted but not the point highlighted.

I've updated the mouse drivers, bumped-up the pickbox size and that hasn't helped.  Any ideas? 

[rkmcswain]

In the meantime, disable running object snaps and specify your desired individual object snap(s) as needed.

See this for more tips.

[pendean]

First, severely limit the number of active running osnaps to only the essential ones you need at the time helps a lot, or use the manual overrides to be more specific https://allaboutcad.com/temporarily-override-object-snap-settings/

Zooming in (mouse scroll wheel makes that so easy) is the second thing to do.

TAB aka "cycle' through your running osnaps if needed, it's a built-in feature https://autocadtips1.com/2011/08/17/tab-through-osnaps/

Lastly, your PICKBOX can be too big (if not too small), but also don't forget about APBOX too watch this video https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-architecture/learn-explore/caas/screencast/Main/Detai...

NOTE: there is no single single fix that suits everyone in AutoCAD sadly: you'll need to test and test some more to find the combo that works best for you alone.

HTH

[rrenfrow]

I only have five (endpoint, midpoint, center, quadrant, intersection) active.  I could understand it it was picking the wrong point, but it's picking random points in space where there's nothing. 

The Magnet part of the osnaps doesn't seem very magnetic.

[rkmcswain]

@rrenfrow wrote:

....but it's picking random points in space where there's nothing.

By default, if you have running object snaps enabled and you pick a point and the osnap does not acquire the desired point, the point the cursor picked is still returned. This is dangerous since you think you are acquiring an "end" or "int" or other snap, but you're not. 

Specifying object snaps manually eliminates this problem because if you "miss" the pick, AutoCAD will not return the picked point, but instead will say:

Specify first point: end of
No Endpoint found for specified point.
Invalid point.

You can make running object snaps behave like this too, by setting OSNAPOVERRIDE = 1, but this is a poor substitute since all non-object snap picks are rejected also.

[Kent1Cooper]

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@rrenfrow wrote:

I only have five (endpoint, midpoint, center, quadrant, intersection) active.  I could understand it it was picking the wrong point, but it's picking random points in space where there's nothing. 
....

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I don't think they're random, but rather the crosshairs location at the time of picking, instead of the Osnapped location intended.  I have this problem sometimes, too, and also with a small set of modes running [typically END, MID, INT, PER].  And I have been watching carefully, and yes, it does happen sometimes when a green Osnap icon is showing what it should  be Osnapping to.

This is one [but not the only] reason that I keep BLIPS turned on [.blipmode].  When doing something like drawing Lines or putting in Dimensions, you see what location it used anyway, but with something like a Move or Copy displacement, it's not always apparent that it got it wrong unless I have the blip marker to show what location it used.

[As an aside, I think having both  CENter and QUAdrant modes running is going to be pointless much of the time.  Except in curves that are small relative to the Osnap aperture size, the nearest QUAdrant point will always be closer to the crosshairs location and "win out" over the CENter point.  So it may make more sense to not include CENter in the mix, but call for it explicitly when needed.]

[RobDraw]

Pointless? They acquire points. Having them both off might be considered pointless. [Pun intended]

[RobDraw]

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@rrenfrow wrote:

it's picking random points in space where there's nothing. 

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This sounds like you may have OSnap Tracking turned on. The tracking can take priority with slight cursor movements.

[rlaycock]

None of this occurred in 2016 or prior.  What ACAD is now calling "Running Osnaps" isn't running osnaps. It's simply your choice of standard snaps.  "Running Osnaps" was originally something else entirely.  One of the keyboard overrides makes it work as it was created by isolating a particular snap or set of snaps for continuous use if required. 
What occurs now is extremely poor selection based on NOTHING the draftsman is doing. Every one of our pro engineers has the same trouble with 2019 and 2020. None of us have experienced such poor Osnap performance in our 10 to 30 years using ACAD.  I have 2018 as well but I can't recall if it has this issue or not as I'm pretty much all 2020 for the last year or two.  

Regardless this won't go away until AutoDesk fixes what they broke. 

[RobDraw]

The complaint department is down the hall and to the left. When you're done there and would like some pointers on how to use OSnaps productively, come back and ask for advice.

[nrz13]

@rlaycock 
I would suggest filing a ticket within your Autodesk Account.  This issue started after the 2018 version (2019 onward).  You can share this thread with Autodesk, as well as the thread here, which has videos and other examples:
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/going-crazy-versions-from-2019-and-on-has-problems-with...

This is definitely something Autodesk changed on their end and they would be the ones that have to fix it.  Maybe you'll be able to get high enough up the chain to get something done about it through your Autodesk Account.

[RobDraw]

This is most likely due to added functionality to cursor functionality by the OS and Autodesk thus needing more precise clicking. Making sure to stop all movement of the mouse will help. You could also try turning off everything cursor related and turning them back on one by one to see what's causing your problem.

Oh sorry, I forgot. You just want to complain and blame the program. Please ignore my attempt at helping. I'll leave it here so someone else might get something out of it.

[rkmcswain]

@RobDraw wrote:

This is most likely due to added functionality to cursor functionality by the OS and Autodesk thus needing more precise clicking. You could also try turning off everything cursor related and turning them back on one by one to see what's causing your problem.

This ^^^^^

As AutoCAD has grown, Autodesk has added more and more "goodies" (Selection Cycling, DUCS, 3DOSNAP, etc.), that when all enabled at the same time actual hinder productivity, not enhance it. I always start our users out with all of that disabled, and let them enable one or two things at a time. 

[nrz13]

I didn't use these extra functionalities such as selection cycling and DUCS in 2018 nor in any of the newer versions and the behavior change is still observable going from 2018 to 2019-2022.  My OSNAP settings are the same across all versions I've used (OSMODE 7359).  I'll concede that it could be a bug in certain configurations, and maybe that's why some of you aren't experiencing the problem first-hand, but enough people have here and in the thread I linked to.  In that thread I posted a video of OSNAP snapping to non-existent points, which it should not be doing.  The change has definitely made AutoCAD less reliable in terms of accuracy, which is the opposite of OSNAP's intended purpose.

[RobDraw]

Pay very close attention to cursor (mouse) movement as you click. Even the slightest drag can cause problems in newer versions making it appear that it is not snapping properly. Newer versions are much less forgiving in this aspect especially for those who flit around the screen like a mosquito on crack.

While you do that, post a screencast of your issues. If you cannot recreate the problem while being slow enough for us to see the issue, then you need to slow down until you can figure out what you are doing wrong.

[nrz13]

So you do recognize the issue and that newer versions have made OSNAP less reliable.  That's the issue at hand for the original posters and others commenting here.  That is why I told the OP and others to reach out to Autodesk, as they would be the only  ones able to address this change in AutoCAD's behavior.  As noted above, I already shared screencasts.

[RobDraw]

Less reliable, hardly. I don't know how you think I said anything resembling that. Where did you get that from?

[nrz13]

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@RobDraw wrote:

Less reliable, hardly. I don't know how you think I said anything resembling that. Where did you get that from?

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@RobDraw wrote:

Even the slightest drag can cause problems in newer versions

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[RobDraw]

You missed the point. (Pun intended.)

Click and drag is a different input. The user needs to pause while clicking. In the past clicking was more forgiving. Slight movements did not register. This is not a problem with the program. It's technology advancing with more functionality and inherently requiring more precise input from the user. Add to that what might be certain combinations of settings possibly causing hang ups trying to figure out what the user wants and you can get what appears to be a fault in the program.

So, less reliable? Hardly. OSnaps are a precise tool in the right hands but I think your issues are local, not programmatic.

Prove me wrong with a screencast that clearly shows the issue.