Hi Micha - that can work well if the focus of the software is exclusively for pretty simple mechanical parts.
I have tried to make MoI be somewhat more flexible than that, to handle a few different kinds of designs rather than only things made up of sparse lines and circles.
One thing that helps to do that is to be more fully general with the tools such as having one trim tool that is flexible enough to do a lot of different kinds of tasks, like split the output up into pieces, trim solids or surfaces as well as curves, etc...
MoI's current Trim tool performs those kinds of tasks but one that works like you describe there would not, so I would really think of that kind of trim tool as being actually "less advanced" since there are fewer functions that it is able to accomplish.
Please refer to this previous post for some similar discussion on this:
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=2474.6
A tool like you describe there would not really provide anything that you cannot do with MoI's current trim tool, you would just avoid some extra clicks.
That can be good to reduce clicks, but in this case that would come along with some problems as well - many of the functions of the current tool would be lost, and additionally such a tool would now function in an unusual way instead of fitting into the normal pattern of "select objects you wish to modify" as the first thing you do when working with the command. Having special tools that work completely opposite to the regular flow that most things adhere to tends to be a problematic type of thing since it is not easy for beginning or casual users to remember that "this tool is special" and does not fit into the regular usage pattern.
One thing that I've made an effort to do in MoI is to try and treat things in a more consistent manner - that is one thing that has generally helped with making it easier to use.
- Michael |
