Initially Michael, I was agreeing with your concerns about "3d manipulators" not quite being the same in MOI as in other 3D "poly apps" but then I fired up XSI and drew some curves in the ortho views - the 3d manipulators (scale, rotate) etc., don't seem any more strange when working with 2d curves or full 3d objects?

For example, I can scale a curve from the top view either horizontally or vertically. If I go to the front view and try to scale the curve nothing happens (as expected) since all the points lie flat on a plane.

However if some points are above or below the majority, I'd imagine they'd just be scaled "up/down" to match the other points - just trying this now, yep, the higher points pull down equal to the other or if I keep going, they move below the other line of points.

Being that MOI curves are in 3D space, I don't feel MOI having a 3D manipulator is any harder than any other 3D app that supports curves (XSI, Amapi, Hexagon, Cinema 4D etc.)

Am I missing something unique to MOI? (Again, XSI has NURBS curves, so does Lightwave w/LWCAD installed)???

Most of the newer 3D widgets have the planar adjustments (as shown in Brian's screen cap - the squares just after the arrows) - I can see those being handy when working with curve points, having the freedom to move in 2 directions be still being planar on the 3rd.

I dunno, I remember this being discussed before, but again after working with curves in XSI and C4D, I'm not sure why having a 3D manipulator would be (conceptually?) difficult in MOI?

Being able to rotate curves or a set of points from the front / side views is something I do often, being able to do it immediately without a running a command would be a time saver IMO - granted, translation is already there sans the widget...

I feel it would be a nice additional feature unique to MOI.
-Will