Home
Get Started
New to Inspire? Learn the basics here.
Move and Snap
Translate, rotate, and align parts and other objects using the Move tool and snaps.
Translate Objects
Translate objects along an axis or line, within a plane, or in 3D space.

Welcome
What's New
Discover new features and enhancements.
Get Started
New to Inspire? Learn the basics here.
- What is Altair Inspire?
  Inspire is a concept design tool, which you can use to run structural optimization, finite element analysis, motion analysis, and additive manufacturing analysis.
- Videos: Getting Started with Inspire
  A series of videos introducing the view controls, 3D modeling, structural analysis, topology optimization, and PolyNURBS.
- Licensing Features
  Some ribbon tabs are associated with license features. Depending upon the tab you have invoked, additional units may be drawn. These features will be checked out for the duration of the session.
- Workspace and Tool Belts
  Learn how to customize the workspace and tool belts.
- Find and Search for Tools
  Quickly find and open the tools that are available on the ribbons.
- File Import and Export
  Learn how to import geometry and export results.
- Select and Edit
  Review techniques for selecting and editing objects.
- Adjust the View
  Change the view in the modeling window using the mouse or view controls.
- Move and Snap
  Translate, rotate, and align parts and other objects using the Move tool and snaps.
  - Move Tool
    Use the Move tool to translate, rotate, and align parts and other objects.
  - Free Mode
    In Free movement mode, you can use the graphic manipulators to translate and rotate objects, reposition the Move tool, align the tool to a feature, and align parts to features.
  - Translate Objects
    Translate objects along an axis or line, within a plane, or in 3D space.
  - Rotate Objects
    Rotate objects around an axis.
  - Snap Objects to Points
    Align objects to snap points when translating or rotating parts, pushing and pulling faces, or sketching curves.
- Screen Capture
  Record a video or take a snapshot of the screen.
- Units and Measurement
  Change the default unit system, create custom units, and measure geometry features.
- Browse and Organize
  Browse and organize all of the entities in your model.
- Run a Simulation
  Use the Analyze icons that appear on various ribbons to run and view the results of a simulation.
- Help and User Assistance
  Learn about the forms of help and user assistance available from the product.
- Preferences
  Modify the workspace display, default keyboard shortcuts, and other settings.
- System Requirements
  A list of supported operating systems and minimum requirements for hardware and memory.
- Keyboard Shortcuts and Mouse Controls
  Learn keyboard shortcuts and mouse controls for common operations.
Tutorials
Start using Inspire with our interactive tutorials.
Parametric Modeling
Create parametric sketches, geometry, and PolyNURBS with construction history and variables.
Implicit Modeling
Create implicit models with primitives, lattices, point clouds, fields, offsetting, Booleans, inverting, smoothing, morphing, and filleting.
Structures
Set up your model and run a structural analysis or optimization.
Motion
Set up and run a motion analysis, plot the results, and export the results.
Fluids
Prepare and run a computational fluid dynamics simulation.
Design Explorer
Evaluate designs by using geometric variables and applying a design-of-experiments (DOE) or optimization method. We recommend fully constraining your sketch when sketch variables are used in the design exploration.
Manufacture
Set up and run a basic porosity or thinning analysis.
Print 3D
Prepare and run an additive manufacturing simulation, and export a file for 3D printing.
Rendering
Adjust the materials and environment of objects in the scene to create a photorealistic image.
Inspire Python API
Learn how to access the Inspire Python API including online help, quick start demos, and the Extension Manager.
Reference
View the glossary, frequently asked questions, and errors and alerts.
Keyboard Shortcuts and Mouse Controls
Learn keyboard shortcuts and mouse controls for common operations.

Translate Objects

Translate objects along an axis or line, within a plane, or in 3D space.

Translate Objects along the X-, Y-, and Z-Axes

Translate objects along the x-, y-, and z-axes with the ability to use variables.

Select the Move tool, or press T or M.
In the guide panel, select the Translate tab.

Tip: To find and open a tool, press Ctrl+F. For more information, see Find and Search for Tools.
Next to Part, the Select button is active. Select one or more objects.
From the Direction dropdown, select Components.
To define the translation distance, enter values, the drag the sliders, or assign variables for Translate X, Translate Y, and Translate Z.
Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.

Tip: When you move parts, they are allowed to pass through each other by default. To prevent this, turn on collision detection in the Preferences window.

Translate Objects along a Line

Translate objects along a reference line with the ability to use a variable.

Select the Move tool, or press T or M.

Tip: To find and open a tool, press Ctrl+F. For more information, see Find and Search for Tools.
In the guide panel, select the Translate tab.
Next to Part, the Select button is active. Select one or more objects.
From the Direction dropdown, select Along line.
Next to Line, the Select button is active. Select a line, axis, or cylinder.

Note: When a cylinder is selected, objects move along the center line of the cylinder.
Define the translation distance:
- Enter a Magnitude, drag the slider, or assign a variable.
- Drag the manipulator.
Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.

Tip: When you move parts, they are allowed to pass through each other by default. To prevent this, turn on collision detection in the Preferences window.