Thank you for the all these new features, bug fixes, and scripting additions!

Thanks for the update Michael !

Marc

Hi,

I don't know if this has been suggested but I will post this anyway.

I use groups to separate different versions of the same set of parts. All the parts that make up version 1 of some assembly, in one group, all the parts for version 2 into another group, etc..

I would like to see a feature where a group (via the group header) could be assigned some information, such as a version number.

Then for each item within the group, when setting the name, you could use as tag like %V which would be replaced with the version number.

This would mean when creating a new version I would only have to copy the group and set an appropriate version number for the group and all of the parts in the group would display the new version number.

This would be a great help to me as now have to edit the name of each part in the group.

Frederick

Hi Frederick,

re:
> I would like to see a feature where a group (via the group header) could be
> assigned some information, such as a version number.

I think there are enough pieces in place to do this now.

The "assign some information" is done by selecting the top level group, push the "Details..." button, and in the Object properties dialog expand the "Object user text" section and add in a new entry, for the Key part put in "fcwilt_version" for the value part put in your version number.

So looks something like this:



For this part:
> Then for each item within the group, when setting the name, you could use as tag like %V which would be replaced with the version number.

On each child item inside the group you could assign a user text of fcwilt_name_template and give it a value with a %V in it, like: "The version is %V".

Then you need a script that when triggered will go through all top level groups and if it has a fcwilt_version data chunk in the top level group's object user text the script will go through the child objects of the group and any child that has a fcwilt_name_template it will evaluate the template replacing the %V and then set the object name to the resolved text.

If that sounds like it does what you need I can cook up the update script for you , it should not be very difficult.

That's what the Object user text is for, so scripts have a channel to store data that is for their own needs which gets saved and loaded. There is also document level user text you can find under File > Notes > Document user text.

- Michael

Hey Michael,

You never cease to amaze.

I would like to see such a script as it does sound like it may well do the job.

I don't quite fathom how a "tag" in the name will get replaced without losing the tag needed for a any subsequent version.

I was thinking that the tag would have to be kept in the entered name but any time the "complete" name was needed for display, export, etc. the replacement would happen behind the scenes

Thanks much.

Frederick

Hi Frederick,

re:
> I don't quite fathom how a "tag" in the name will get replaced without losing the tag
> needed for a any subsequent version

The "tag" would need to be stored separately from the name, in a user text slot.

But it looks like there is a bug with setting user text on groups, it looks like that will need to be cleared up first before this will work.

- Michael

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the feedback.

Frederick

If a tool is triggered via shortcut, some but not all of the parameters are reset to default values, which is different from triggering it in the UI. Affects may tools, but here's an example using the Text tool, once triggered via the UI, once via a shortcut: https://avm-cdn.com/images/moi5_shortcut.mp4

Hi summarity,

re:
> If a tool is triggered via shortcut, some but not all of the parameters are reset to
> default values, which is different from triggering it in the UI.

I should be able to fix that but you can solve it now if you put in "text" with all lowercase letters as the command name for the shortcut key.

Basically what happens right now is the UI says to run the "text" command, while the shortcut key says to run the "Text" command. They do both end up running the same actual command but the different upper/lower cases makes them have different storage for default values.

Thanks,
- Michael

Dear Michael,

I'm loving v5 beta. Having groups for example makes MoI3d superb to work with and is the answer I've been hoping for for years, finally knowing that there is an alternative to both SketchUp as well as Rhino. Full marks to that!

However, and I don't know if this is planned and I apologise if this isn't the correct place to raise this topic, but something I'd like to see in v5 of Moi3d is better window management.

Right now and in order to have several windows open at the same time results in many floating windows.

Would it not be better to have a tab-based system where there is one main window, but different models on different windows in tabs for easier desktop management?

For those who don't mind multiple windows- for eg multiple monitor setups- there could be the option for both? Or that tabs could simply be 'pulled out' like is possible in most major browsers and window management in Apple's Finder. Same I believe in Windows.

Keep up the great work!

Tom

Hi Tom, managing multiple top level windows is really a job that should be handled by the operating system rather than by each individual app.

For example on Windows the operating system does things like having separate entries in the taskbar when there is a small number of top level windows for the same app, and collapsing that to one entry in the taskbar when there are more.


> Would it not be better to have a tab-based system where there is one main window, but
> different models on different windows in tabs for easier desktop management?

Unfortunately the infrastructure on Mac to do this requires all the "document tabs" and the single main window to all be running inside of a single process.

The problem with that is if there is a crash it will take out everything instead of keeping the crash contained to just one window.

Currently on Mac each MOI window is in its own separate process so you get a big boost in stability where a crash in one window does not interfere with any other windows. Hopefully at some point Apple will make the operating system handle multiple app windows in separate processes better than it does currently.

- Michael

I don't know the Mac system but on Windows you can start several sessions in the same time! ;)

"I don't know the Mac system but on Windows you can start several sessions in the same time! ;)"

Yes, it's the same for the Mac version. I get all these lightbulb logos sitting in the dock! lol!

"The problem with that is if there is a crash it will take out everything instead of keeping the crash contained to just one window."

Fair point.

"Currently on Mac each MOI window is in its own separate process so you get a big boost in stability where a crash in one window does not interfere with any other windows. Hopefully at some point Apple will make the operating system handle multiple app windows in separate processes better than it does currently."

Apple have a reputation (as you're most probably aware ;) ) of doing everything their way. I'd use Linux if I could but many of the apps I prefer to use only work on Mac or Windows and although I've tried my hardest to try to with (to Windows) there is always something that will wind me up about Microsoft. TBH, they're all as bad as each other- in their 'own special way'! lol.

I'll keep working as is. It's a miracle the MoI exists at all. I mean that in a very sincere way as I love this software, and that it doesn't have the dreaded subscription model that so many others have now adopted.

- Tom