Hi Rich, also one additional note on Trim as it works currently - when you go to pick the pieces to discard or keep (depending on what the Mode option is set to in the Trim command), you can use window selection at that point as well as single click type selection.

Window selection can help in a lot of situations, like for instance here wanting to trim off the ends of all these lines:



When you run the Trim command and select the horizontal line as the cutting object, instead of clicking on all the little individual fragments you can do a window select to grab them all in one step like this:





- Michael

Michael,

Thank you for pointing out the conflict in such a multipurpose tool. Obviously trying to make such a tool solve every problem would lead to the kind of bloat that you find in many other softwares. One of the joys of MOI3d, for me, is its clarity and uncluttered workspace. My suggestion would assist the drafting stage of process but perhaps not benefit the overall purpose of the software.

Thanks also for the examples and suggestions you make in regard to different approaches to the problem. Understanding the permutations of what can be done with a software helps broaden the users perspective and the users mind.

An alternate "Quicktrim" command or the possibility to assign a hotkey for such an action would be welcome by me, but not at the expense of diminishing the fluidity and and effectiveness of MOI3d.

Richard

Hi Richard,

> An alternate "Quicktrim" command or the possibility to
> assign a hotkey for such an action would be welcome by
> me, but not at the expense of diminishing the fluidity
> and and effectiveness of MOI3d.

Yeah, having it as a separate command would be useful and should not have any negative side effects as far as adding complexity to MoI's default UI, because it would probably be delivered as an optional plugin component that you could have as a shortcut key assignment if you wish.

In the future I want to make it easier to access plug-ins, like have some kind of plug-in browser where you could go over some lists of various optional commands and install any that you'd find useful for specific situations.

I'm not quite sure exactly when those various pieces (like an actual QuickTrim command or the plug-in browser) will all come together yet though, but I think I'll be making a try during the v3 timeframe.

I do have a general goal of improving MoI in the 2D drafting area over time in various other ways as well...

- Michael

Just a thought as I am reading this: Would it be possible to extend the lifetime of construction lines?

Sometimes I use the same construction lines a couple of times, in which case I draw regular lines that are deleted later. But maybe this concept of construction lines could be extended: They are a new Type 'construction' of straight lines and remain on the screen until thrown away. The ephemeral character is what makes them useful: They could be discarded without trimming and deleting.

Hi Ditto, there are a couple of plug-ins that you can add in to get some construction lines that last for longer than the current command, check them out here:
http://kyticka.webzdarma.cz/3d/moi/#KeepCLine

If you set up the script there labeled "Keep construction line", on a shortcut key, that will then cause any construction lines created inside of the current command to stick around after the command is ended instead of going away automatically like they normally do.

Also see here for a custom command that you can set up that is just for setting up clines that stick around:
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=1029.1


It would be nice in the future to add in some more methods for manipulating construction lines, but it can be hard to figure out a good UI for managing them that is not too obtrusive.

- Michael

Hi Michael, thanks for the pointers. These look actually to be what I was looking for. Great stuff. And I should have known that there is a way in MoI: This software is just brilliant (a small reflection of it's inventor, certainly ;)

Cheers,
Ditto

Thanks Ditto! :)

- Michael

And make lines or curves in a special color say "pinky" don't make the same work like construction 's lines?
You can use them like a special grid of construction, no ?
And hide them as you want ;)

You could also use your regular lines as you were, name them something like 'construct' and lock them, in that way object snap still works with them without worrying about moving or deleting them accidentally.

Cheers
~Danny~