Michael,

I always been impressed by this very efficient equal(egual) subdivisions tool in Sketchup that allow you to choose the subdivision points (number of parts divided) you would like on a lines or a curve just with the mouse rolling !! Could we hope the same efficient tool or close in MOI ?? (Right click, tool "divide").

Thanks.

Pierre.

Hi Pierre, in MoI you can use a construction line to get equal divisions between any 2 points.

For example, if you want equal divisions between these 2 points:



Start by entering a drawing command that picks a point, such as the Line or Circle command. Then move your mouse to the first point:



Push the mouse button down, and hold it down (do not release it right away), and drag your mouse to the second point. Release the mouse when you have snapped over the second point. This dragging motion (as opposed to a press and release) will create a construction line like this:



Notice the little tag that appears above the mouse when you create a construction line - if you press the mouse button and keep it held down for a second on that tag, an option menu will pop up:



One of the options is "Division snap" - if you enter a value in there, new snapping points will be created along that line with your requested number of divisions.

For example, I entered 5 here, so now new snap points are created at 1/5, 2/5, 3/5, etc... Here for example is the snap at 1/5:



The nice thing about this is it is totally "non destructive", that is it allows you to obtain the point you want without modifying existing objects. The Divide option in SketchUp is not just a snap, it actually modifies the edge to be split up into smaller edge pieces. Also the other nice thing about MoI's construction line method is that it allows you to obtain the divisions between any 2 points even if there does not happen to already be a line in the model created between them currently.

Please let me know if you need any more information on how to get that division snap with construction lines to work.


For getting equally spaced points along a curve instead of a line, right now the method to do that is to create a point object, and then use Transform / Array / Curve to replicate that point along the curve in equal distance spacing. Then you can snap on to those replicated points. Let me know if you need more details on how this one works.

- Michael

This is awesome!

yes the helpers of Moi is one of the more ingenious of the 3D world :)

Some more information on some of those other construction line options here.

- Michael

Sorry if it is another Brian day but, after 50? tries, in various thinking patterns, I can not get this to work.

HELP please!
Brian

Hi Brian, which step are you having problems with?

Are you able to create the construction line by doing the "hold down and drag" method?

- Michael

Yes Michael.
And I click on the little thing and enter 5----but I don't get any end result?
(I am---- frustrated!)
Brian

Hi Brian, when you've entered a number, nothing will happen immediately.

What should happen is if you move your mouse back to that line, you should get some new snapping points on it (like 1/5, 2/5, etc...) .

Do you possibly have "Object Snap" turned off? I mean is it not highlighted in orange on the bottom toolbar?

The div snap is a type of Object Snap, if you have object snaps disabled (the button not highlighted in orange) the div snaps will also be disabled, is that possibly what you are running into?

- Michael

Michael.
1. Yes I have the Object snap on
2. "when you move your mouse back to the line???"---WHAT LINE????

It really is crazy--Is it my computer. Is it because I just reinstalled that (damn) Lightwave app?
I wish I had the ability to show you a movie of what funny things happen/dont happen.)

I dont want to take up more of your time but, could you try a different proceedure explanation just in case I am out of my mind please.
Brian

Other funny things happen but will these images help to explain the basic problem?
(I probably will down load the sequence back to front---take note!
(grumble---)
Brian

Hi Brian,

> 2. "when you move your mouse back to the line???"---WHAT LINE????

The construction line - the dashed line that you just created. In your screenshots this is the dashed line going across the screen at about a 30 degree angle or so.

Move your mouse to the point you started the construction line at, and then move it along the line towards the point you released on, and you should find those div snaps as you move along it.

In your screenshot, you wrote: "Start point does not display" - that is normal, those points are not explicitly displayed after you have finished drawing the construction line, but if you move the mouse nearby them you will find "end" snaps there.

Does that clear it up? Let me know if you need some more info.

- Michael

Hi Brian,

> Other funny things happen but will these images
> help to explain the basic problem?

It sure looks like you are doing everything correctly there.

Are you possibly closing the little pop-up number panel with the "X" in the upper-right corner instead of pushing OK?

- Michael

No!

Brian

Hi Brian, here is what it looks like over here:



Here you can see the "div snaps" when I move the mouse back over the construction line.

Does that help?

- Michael

Michael
With a bit of a struggle I got to get to see that---but what use is it?-------How do I retain that in the line?

Michael.
Is this the sort of end result I should be looking for?

NO WAY can I get this with the "tute".
Brian

> With a bit of a struggle I got to get to see that---but what use
> is it?-------How do I retain that in the line?

Hi Brian, it can be useful if you need to draw a new shape that has some of its points arranged at some of those increments.

For example here I used it to draw a second box along the edge of an existing one, that is 1/3 of the length:




Here is another example where I use it with the polyline command to draw a kind of patterned shape with even spacing quickly along the side of an existing shape:




If the shape that you are working on is aligned with and spaced evenly along the grid, then you don't need to use this and can use grid snap instead. It is good to do that when possible.

This div snap can be used when you want to use a drawing tool with a kind of grid type regularity but in a spot that is not aligned (either in direction or spacing) with the regular grid.

One quick note - you don't have to use Div snap if you just want the midpoint between 2 points, that is available as a "mid" snap on a construction line without having to enter any divisions for that one.

- Michael

Also one other thing that may be of interest are these scripts which will allow construction lines to persist for more than the end of the current command:

http://kyticka.webzdarma.cz/3d/moi/#KeepCLine

Those scripts allow you to set up some keyboard shortcuts that let you keep construction lines that you have created until some later time when you can use a different key to remove them. If you need to do a lot of custom-spaced "in place" drawing, those may be useful.

But if you want to make a single shape (like the rectangle or polyline that I showed previously) that uses that spacing, the regular construction lines will work for that.

- Michael

Hi Brian,

> Is this the sort of end result I should be looking for?

No, there it looks like you want to space one particular object (a point object) evenly along a curve. For that use the Transform / Array / Curve command instead - right now that is the easiest way of replicating one object along a curve to make multiple copies of it.

Div snap and construction lines in general are more intended to be used with drawing tools like Rectangle, polyline, etc..., where you just want to get one of the points of the shape that you are drawing snapped on to a particular precise spot right then.

- Michael