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Get Started
New to Inspire? Learn the basics here.
Preferences
Modify the workspace display, default keyboard shortcuts, and other settings.
Preferences: Snapping
Define preferences for snaps.

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.
- 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.
  - Open the Preferences
    Open the Preferences window, where you can search for and customize application settings.
  - Search the Preferences
    Search for a setting to show the closest match in the Preferences window. Or use the API to display selectable search results in a dropdown list.
  - Preferences: Workspace
    Define preferences for the user interface, including the display and language.
  - Preferences: Keyboard Shortcuts
    Define preferences for keyboard shortcuts.
  - Preferences: Sketching
    Define preferences for sketching.
  - Preferences: Screen Capture
    Define preferences for video and screen captures.
  - Preferences: Snapping
    Define preferences for snaps.
  - Preferences: Design Explorer
    Define preferences for the Design Explorer.
  - Preferences: Report
    Define preferences for the Report tool.
  - Preferences: Inspire
    Define preferences for mouse controls and options related to how information is calculated and displayed.
  - Preferences: Inspire Motion
    Define preferences for Motion.
  - Preferences: Print 3D
    Define preferences for 3D printing.
  - Preferences: Porosity
    Define preferences for Porosity analysis.
  - Preferences: Thinning
    Define preferences for Thinning analysis.
- 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.

Preferences: Snapping

Define preferences for snaps.

Snapping


Option	Description	Note
Snap to Visible	Only snap to visible geometry.	This helps prevent snapping to objects that are behind other objects.
Grid	Snap to the closest point on the grid when sketching or translating.	Grid spacing can be changed in the Preferences window under Drawing.
End	Snap to end points.
Middle	Snap to midpoints.
Center	Snap to center points.
Center Arc	Snap to center arc points.
Intersection	Snap to intersection points.
Quadrant	Snap to quad points.
On	Snap to any point on a sketch curve with the mouse cursor.	Only available in sketching mode.