As much as I just 'love workarounds', and a sort of script does appear to exist, has this feature been forgotten?

This was back 2007. :'(

http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=986.2

I'd donate a kidney for a line divide tool in MoI3d!

Edit: I just tried the link workaround with a line, and the result was nothing short of terrible.
Does it have to be this hard? SketchUp dealt with line division perfectly. QCad really good too.
MoI3d should be just as good!

Actually I've just discovered another workaround that could I suppose be scripted (need to learn how to script!)

Draw a line, then draw another line 90º perpendicular to the first, select that and use the directional array tool, choose the amount of segments, then left-click again at the end of the original line. Then use the trim tool to break out into segments. What palaver! But it does work. A script to do all this, then clean up afterwards would be acceptable, but I'd rather have a script baked into an actual tool! ;0)

Tom

Hi Tom, I guess it may just not come up as often in MoI as in SketchUp because usually you're working with curves in MOI while SketchUp works on polygons and polylines.

Is there a particular kind of project where it's helpful to have this?

In SketchUp does it only do this on a single line, not a whole polyline?

Maybe I could incorporate this better into MOI as an option in the Trim command.

- Michael

Hi Tom,

What do you want to have as result ?

You have simple line and you want as result a PolyLine or you want a line with N points which will be an object typed curve ?

Could you post an example of what you want ?

I want a simple straight line cut into any amount of segments of equal lengths. No 'Object typed curves' etc needed here!

I've worked out how to do it, but it's a faff (see second post)

Needs a tool. Or a good script.

Hi Michael.

Yes, as an extra trim command option that could/would be extremely useful/welcome.

There will be a time when I use curves more but for now I'm very much on straight lines!

MoI of course is really powerful on curves, and surfacing using curves but it slightly lacks in the more boring (!) straight line department which is a bit of a shame.
I think I just hung on with SketchUp for too long, after (industrial engineering design) training using Solidworks/Pro-Engineer both of which weren't then as hot on surfacing. I don't know what either latter are like now as I haven't used either in so long.

But often when drawing or designing enclosures, bot small box-sized, or much bigger house-sized projects (I've done loft conversion projects for architects requiring modelled examples to show to clients etc), being able to split a line into equal sections is very useful.

I hope that makes sense.

Tom

Tom.

MoI almost has this feature under Construction Lines > Division snap. Maybe the feature you want could be added there.

Martin.

Hi Martin.

Yes, possibly. But wherever it is placed it shouldn't get in the way of the already elegant interface. Ease of use of course, being key.

Tom

Hi Tom,

Did you have tested the ReconstructCurve script ?

Two ways to use it, but I think you could use it by launch it, choose your line and the PolyLine method.
The result is a polyline with your choosen number of parts.

If you select your line and next launch ReconstructCurve, you will have a soft curve with your choosen number of parts.

To find This script, you can search in Ressources of the site.

Hi Tom.

Agreed, and as Michael has hinted, the Trim tool seems a more natural place as there's already an 'Add trim points' option there.

Martin.

Hi Martin.

Yes, it would be brilliant if it could be added there.

Like I said earlier, I did find a workaround using the array tool, then line trim, but it's slow and a little annoying to implement.

Tom

Array a Point along any curve then Trim ?

Pilou, now do a straight line. :)

So make the Inverse! :)

With any curve : UnvrapCurve https://moi3d.com/forum/messages.php?webtag=MOI&msg=5136.1

And make now the Point Array along the line and Trim it!

You will obtain your straight Line divided! :)

There is a DashCurve Command.

Dash size and Gap size.

You can leave the Gap size at zero and have a segmented curve result......

Hi Tom, here is a method you can use on a line that is pretty quick.

Draw another line at the end point. Select the line and click on the "length" line in the properties panel which will open the Edit size menu.

In the Length field type in /10 (or /5 for 5 pieces, etc)

your line is now 1/10 of its previous length, if you want to have 10 pieces use Transform > Array dir and set Item count to 10.

This way you only have one helper line to clean up. The helper line is there so that it will keep that end anchored in place when changing the size, otherwise it will scale it around the midpoint instead.

Looks like this:



- Michael

Using the Line tool, stretch a construction line over the line you want to divide. Use the Division snap option and enter your number of divisions (say 10). Go to division snap No1 and start your line. End it at the beginning of the original line. Delete the original line. This leaves you with a line one tenth the length of the original, which you can now Array.

I hope this makes sense. ;-)

Martin.

THe PointsOnAdaptiveCurve command has an option you can select to "Convert to polyline"

A smart fellow could probably copy that command then remove the "create points" part and just end up with a divided polyline with one command.