Hi Michael,

Is V3 supposed to give error feedback when a command fails, for instance I tried to draw an arc tangent between two curves and received the dummy spit attached, I did realise that one of my curves wasn't planar because of it though, if I interpreted it right that is :S , if this is intentional could we have a simpler error like 'Curves non planar' that would be cool.




Cheers

Hi Danny, a script error like that is meant to give debugging information to the person developing the script, it's a bug when you see those in a finished script.

I'll fix that up for the next beta release, thanks for reporting it.

At some point I want to figure out a good place where things could give feedback on error situations like things being not all in the same plane like this case. I have not yet figured out a good place to stick error messages like that though, I kind of need some area of the UI where several lines of text messages can be streamed out.

- Michael

Yep. Wasn't sure if you already got to it.

Hi Michael,

Just wondering if it's possible to get a another modifier key combo for selection to do an inverse select?

Cheers

Hi Danny,

> Just wondering if it's possible to get a another modifier key
> combo for selection to do an inverse select?

Do you mean for selection using the scene browser, clicking on the selection indicator dot area?

How about Ctrl+A (for select all), and then just do a regular left click on the dot with no modifier key to deselect it, does that produce the result you're looking for?

I guess I could make right-click on the selection dot work like it does on the eye where if the item is already the only thing selected (already isolated) it would select everything.

If it was set up like that then you would do a right-click on it either once (if it was already the isolated selection) or twice (first click isolates it if it wasn't already isolated), and then a left click to deselect it.

- Michael

Michael, could you please recommend an htm editor wysiwyg? (For webkit/MoI3)
It seems like the new htm do not display in Internet explorer window, in Notepad++, or pagebreeze. ?

Also a javascript editor?
Also where to get javascript documentation, re webkit?
Thankyou

I had to copy lineweb scripts manually. (?)

Hi bemfarmer,

> Michael, could you please recommend an htm editor wysiwyg?
> (For webkit/MoI3)

You can't really use a standard html editor if you want to use the same stuff that MoI uses itself, because several of the MoI UI controls are built with custom elements that are not in regular html.

Your best bet is just a text editor like notepad++ or notepad2.

You could use a standard html editor though if you wanted to make your own kind of custom UI that didn't use the same controls that the regular MoI UI is made up of, and also other pieces of infrastructure like the templating mechanism.


> It seems like the new htm do not display in Internet explorer
> window, in Notepad++, or pagebreeze. ?

That's normal that they would not display in Internet explorer since IE does not implement the various custom tags that MoI makes available.

But they're just text files so you should be able to open them in Notepad++, are you having some problem just viewing the files as text in Notepad++ ?


> Also a javascript editor?

This is also done best with a text editor same as for the HTML files.


> Also where to get javascript documentation, re webkit?

There's a variety of stuff online, here is a good place to start:
http://www.w3schools.com/


> I had to copy lineweb scripts manually. (?)

Do you mean you used the script copier utility and it did not copy that particular one? The script copier utility is available here:
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=4438.32

- Michael

Thank you Michael. I'll keep using Notepad++.
I'm working on another curve script, for fun and learning.

Hi Michael,

> Do you mean for selection using the scene browser,
> clicking on the selection indicator dot area?

Yes, and any of your suggestions would work, if you didn't want to add the right click option the Ctrl+A and deselecting the required part will work, I didn't think of that :) Thanks.

Cheers

Hi Danny, also I guess just a shortcut for doing a regular invert would do the trick as well.

It's pretty handy to have that set up on the I key. To do that, go to Options > Shortcut keys and add in a new one.

For the key put in I and for the command part put in this:
script:moi.geometryDatabase.invertSelection();

After that you can invert the selection anytime by pushing the I key.

Then to use it with the scene browser, do one right-click on the selection dot for the item - that will make that item the isolated selection deselecting any other things. Then push I after that and you should get your inverted selection that you want.

The only thing to be aware of is that if you have sub-objects selected (faces or edges), it will invert the selection of the same kind of sub-objects within that same parent and not alter other things.

- Michael

Hi Danny, by the way have you been using the selection dot and the filters some?

How do those seem to be working aside from that filter bug you reported and having the name label running under the dot (both of which I will be tuning up).

Other than those things does it seem like that is going to work?

- Michael

Hi Michael,

> Other than those things does it
> seem like that is going to work?

Yeah, so far so good, I need a little more time to assess it fully, I'll be on it for a few hours when I get home tonight, I have a little project that I have to do, so be sure I'll have some feedback for you once I get more hours up using it.

Cheers

Hi Michael,

I might have missed it somewhere in the forum or refresh my memory, why did you go for the little square option for selection in the browser, have you got something planned for the rest of the area where the name sits, the reason I ask is because it felt more comfortable selecting the whole name of the object or type etc. as a matter of fact I still try to.

Cheers

Hi Danny,

> I might have missed it somewhere in the forum or refresh
> my memory, why did you go for the little square option for
> selection in the browser,

Well, actually it was partly from a discussion with you back a while ago asking to have a selection indicator. It seems to make sense to make the indicator also be the place to trigger the selection action as well - that makes it resemble how clicking on the eye works for showing and also toggling visibility. Then it also frees up clicking on the name for something else.


> have you got something planned for the rest of the area
> where the name sits,

Yeah I want to make a menu pop up with some additional stuff on it. Like for example things like "Delete" for styles, or "Assign selection to this name" for named objects can then go on that menu.


> the reason I ask is because it felt more comfortable selecting the
> whole name of the object or type etc. as a matter of fact I still try to.

That's probably due to the habit of how V2 was set up. Hopefully it won't take too much longer to adapt to the new method. Let me know if it still doesn't feel very good after a few more sessions of using it.

- Michael

Hi Michael,

I figured it was habit, I'm sure I'll shake it off soon need a few more hours I think. I thought you had something planned :)

Cheers

Hi Danny, here is that previous discussion thread where you can kind of follow the evolution of the selection indicator thingy:
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=3254.1

Basically the part that really makes sense is having it function similar to the eye icon for visibility. Since you click on the eye icon to toggle it, clicking on the selection indicator area to toggle it seems to make the most sense.

- Michael

It bothered me a bit at first too, but it wore off fairly quickly for me at least.

The additional feedback that you get with the dot right under your mouse turning on and off becomes pretty reinforcing after a while I think...

Then also being able to use the same area to tag items as selection filters is pretty cool, that allows the regular scene browser to be the filter UI mechanism instead of needing some big additional filter manager dialog or something like that.

- Michael

Hi Michael,

> here is the previous discussion thread.......

That explains everything, that was 21 Jan 2010, I can't even remember last week ;) but when reading it doesn't seem that long that we discussed it, is that date right?

Anyway it all makes sense now, it was good to see the ideas bouncing back and forth and evolve into something real, so cool.

Cheers
~Danny~

Michael,
The wish list thread had quite a few ideas you suggested might show up in V3, but it's hard to know (especially for someone relatively new to MoI) what's been updated or changed in V3 beta.

Any chance there could be a thread just for features/changes related to V3 betas so we can tell the difference between a bug and pilot error when using existing tools?

Also, one of the ideas had to do with something of a graphical scripts repository. As flexable as scripts are for those who enjoy adding to the software, tinkering around in the guts of the program isn't for everyone (like me!) and in some ways runs counter to your ethos of simplicity in design/UI. If there could be something like a single button (menu choice?) to pop up a window for selecting scripts (and for loading/deleting them) that would make life easier for those of us who can't recall all the scripts or where to find them.
Thanks.

Hi Danny,

> but when reading it doesn't seem that long that we
> discussed it, is that date right?

Yeah I think that date is correct - at the time it was something that I put on the back burner to look at later for v3.

Then at some point not too long ago I got the idea to use the same area to handle filtering as well - when that clicked it got higher in priority to implement it because basically when I see a good way to add multiple functions that reuse some existing part of the UI those kinds of things jump up high in my priority to work on.

- Michael