Hi Will, there is not currently any way to do that. I have added it to the wishlist here:
http://moi3d.com/wiki/Wishlist

In the meantime a possible workaround is to draw in some lines that follow the grid, then if you have hidden line display enabled you should see the dashed hidden lines even if other solid objects are in front.

- Michael

I was wondering if there was any math to apply to the grid spacing options so I could just do an array of a line to match the existing grid. In a sense I could create a grid of lines pretty quickly.
For instance I just did an offset count of 301 to match my settings. Trial and error. what is the grid size vs. count ratio?

If there was a way to simply adjust the object opacity - even an INI file option, that would be helpful.

What I did was create a construction plane based on the front of the object so the lines would be in front of the object but I still couldn't see the grid, I had to depend on my snaps which I reduced to .5.


BTW, is there a post that explains the use of the construction plane a bit further?

I sorta understand it but sometimes my objects will end up facing backwards or flipped around in an unwanted fashion.

-Will

FYI.
I tried the "self made grid". The grid below my object "overrode" all "onsrf" snapping so I couldnt touch my object. It also provided a neat insight as I could see the "2 inch selection sphere" that surrounds the pick point! :) Interesting.

Hi Burr,

> Trial and error. what is the grid size vs. count ratio?

Try setting the "Grid sections" value down to a small value like 5 and it will be easier to see:



The "Grid sections" controls the number of cells from the origin to the positive x axis of the grid.

"Grid size" controls the size of each cell.

- Michael

> If there was a way to simply adjust the object opacity -
> even an INI file option, that would be helpful.

No, there's not currently anything for that. Transparency is not actually a completely easy thing to add, video hardware does not actually handle it automatically you have to render things in a particular way (ordered by depth always) to make it work.


> BTW, is there a post that explains the use of the
> construction plane a bit further?

No, not really. I was meaning to do it but it hasn't happened yet.


There's sort of 2 ways that you can do it - there is an automatic alignment that happens when you place the origin point on an object.

If that did not produce what you want, you an manually align it by grabbing and dragging axis lines individually. You can normally get an alignment by placing 2 axis lines. After you place the first axis line, when you pick the next line it will be constrained to rotate around the first axis line that you picked.

If you've got an example where it did not automatically get placed how you wanted, can you please post it? Maybe I can fix the automatic alignment to work better, or also it would be a good test case to show how to do the manual placement.

- Michael

Silly idea ;)
Why not another grids? Spheric, Hyperbolic, logarithmic etc...?
Can be useful!
I believe that I have not seen that anywhere, and seems to me that is not a big deal?
How works the snaping in general? does calculates are remade each time for a point of a grid screen's grid or there some points in memory?

Hi Pilou, it's a cool idea!

> and seems to me that is not a big deal?

No, unfortunately quite a big deal once you add together all the user interface work that would be required to set all the parameters for all these various kinds of grids...

It also could be problematic for the time involved in drawing all the very many curves that would be needed to display such grids. For example when you viewed it at a pretty slanted angle in the 3D view the display would have to draw quite a lot of curves just for the grid.


> How works the snaping in general? does calculates are remade
> each time for a point of a grid screen or there some points in memory?

For rectangular grid snap it is calculated each time but that is a very simple calculation, basically a rounding to the nearest grid value.

Hyperbolic/logarithmic would probably be a lot more difficult to calculate I suppose.

So quite a lot of difficulties actually!

- Michael

thx
so I put it in the wish list for distant future version :)

Here's a screenshot of the selectionsphere for the techies in the forum.



I suppose this is what changes with the snap settings!???

Hi Burr, yeah that's kind of interesting when you can see the radius visualized like that.

There is actually a separate radius for those markers in the moi.ini:

[Drawing Aids]
ObjectSnapShowMarkers=y
ObjectSnapMarkerOpacity=80
ObjectSnapMarkerDisplayRadius=100


In the options dialog when you set Options / Snap / Snap radius - that controls the screen distance that your mouse needs to be within for a snap point to actually activate.

Those "markers" are set to display at a larger radius than that to help you kind of see what snaps are available in that general area, to help you move closer to them to target them if you want.


The reason for this kind of 2-pronged system is that it tends to cause problems setting the actual "activate snap" radius to a larger value because you end up snapping to everything and can't place a point more freely in space very easily anymore.

- Michael

That makes sense, You look and see something, go in for the kill...It becomes available as A snap...."SNAP" you catch your target.

A perfectly stylized flow! ooops, one to many beers!
Good night.