# Intersections should respect Alignment Offset / actual object geometry

**URL:** <https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/intersections-should-respect-alignment-offset-actual-object-geometry/223256>\
**Category:** VisualARQ\
**Tags:** windows\
**Created:** [October 5, 2026, 6:41am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/intersections-should-respect-alignment-offset-actual-object-geometry/223256 "2026-10-05T06:41:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![GabrielB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/gabrielb/32/707255_2.png) [@GabrielB](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/GabrielB)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 6:41am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/intersections-should-respect-alignment-offset-actual-object-geometry/223256/1 "2026-10-05T06:41:34Z")

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Hi,

I think there is another issue related to Alignment Offset and intersections.

I may intentionally have two Beams sharing exactly the same path/endpoints, but use the Alignment Offset to place one above the other, so their **actual resulting geometry does not overlap**.

The reason for keeping the same reference position is useful: both objects can follow the same Level/reference and move together, without having to create additional Levels or Guides just to position each component.

However, VisualARQ still seems to solve an intersection between them because their underlying paths/endpoints coincide.

Shouldn’t the **actual geometry after applying the Alignment Offset** be what finally determines whether an intersection exists?

The reference path could still be used to find possible connections, but if the resulting solids don’t intersect, I don’t think a join should be solved.

This may be worth checking more generally for other VA objects using alignment offsets as well, not only Beams.

Otherwise the Alignment Offset cannot fully serve its purpose as a way of sharing reference geometry while producing independently positioned physical geometry.

![beam-alignment-offset](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/0/3/f/03fe09fa66cba13a2ddd1f79b8012211c7b2b0a8.gif)

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**Author:** ![fsalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/fsalla/32/548133_2.png) [@fsalla](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/fsalla)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2026, 11:14am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/intersections-should-respect-alignment-offset-actual-object-geometry/223256/2 "2026-10-08T11:14:18Z")

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Hi @GabrielB I managed to reproduce this issue in a new file. I’ll report it to the development team.