Drawing and measurements

Position items precisely

Use snapping, wall clearances and fine nudging to make a practical layout.

5 minute readUpdated 3 September 2026
Open the planner

Snap into position

As an item approaches a wall or neighbouring object, the planner aligns it to useful edges, and a square item dragged into a corner settles against both walls. Keep Snap on for most layout work, then hold Alt or turn Snap off when you need free movement. Snap also governs wall joins and room corners: see What Snap does in Draw and measure a room.

Set exact clearances

  1. 1

    Select the item

    Open the clearance controls to see its distance from surrounding walls.

  2. 2

    Enter a distance

    Type the required clearance on the relevant side. This is useful for walkways, appliance gaps, door swings and furniture spacing.

  3. 3

    Check the whole layout

    Review clearances around doors, drawers and circulation routes rather than treating each item in isolation.

Make small adjustments

  • Use the nudge controls or arrow-key movement for 1cm adjustments.
  • Hold Shift while nudging for 1mm adjustments.
  • Zoom in before making very small changes.
  • Use measurement labels to confirm the final position instead of judging it only by eye.

Questions about this guide

Common questions

How do I stop walls or furniture snapping?

Turn Snap off from the toolbar, or hold Alt while dragging to override it for one move. With Snap off, walls, room corners and items go exactly where you let go and the corner readout shows the true angle. Turn it back on for clean wall joins, true 90° corners and tidy alignment.

Read Position items precisely
Can I set an exact gap between furniture and a wall?

Yes. Select the item and use its wall-clearance controls to enter the required distance on the relevant side.

Read Position items precisely
How do I move something by only a few millimetres?

Use the nudge controls for 1cm steps. Hold Shift while nudging for 1mm adjustments.

Read Position items precisely
Why are two items overlapping?

The planner allows flexible placement, so review the plan at a closer zoom and use snapping, clearances or nudging to separate them accurately.

Read Position items precisely
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