Hi Michael, I was not thinking of a polyline or freeform continuous curve etc, I was thinking more where 2 or 3 lines/curves are drawn based on snap points and how easy it is to snap to a far point rather than the end of the line/curve aimed for, which can then leave a constructed set of curves open when thought closed (even if all lines are planer), so then such as extrude will not cap (as simple example)


- manz

Hi Steve, the new "target top thing" will not really always guarantee that won't still happen.

Like for instance if you get an initial line that is at half the elevation of a box, and then switch to the top view and draw another line, you'll get the top of the box, and if you were wanting to have that connected with the other mid-elevation line you will end up with the situation that you describe.

To really avoid that can still require doing the first pick in the 3D view where you can more clearly differentiate between the different points and target the specific one you need.

But the new tune-up will make for a more consistent behavior, and that should help more experienced users be able to use stacked up points in the 2D views with better results when they know that the top-level elevation is what they want to hit.

- Michael

Hi Steve, some other great news for v2 point picking / snapping stuff.

I have been able to make the improvements to snapping to not snap on to hidden points (like end / mid points) when the hidden line display is turned off.

You had mentioned this previously back here.


Here's an example - here is a model that has a bunch of hidden edges in the current viewpoint:




In v1 you can turn off the hidden edge display under Options / View / Display hidden-line edges, but all the endpoints and midpoints of those hidden edges would still remain snappable in drawing commands, like this:




With the new osnap visibility determination in v2, you will get these snap targets instead:




The visibility determination gets applied automatically when you turn off the hidden-line display.

There is also a new checkbox for toggling hidden line display under the View palette on the side pane so you can switch it on or off without needing to go to the Options dialog.


I think this is going to go together nicely with the new on-surface drawing stuff, it will help prevent excessive snapping on to the back side of the object and stuff like that.


The new treatment applies to End, Mid, Cen, and Quad snaps - previously in v1 Perp, Tan, Int, and On type snaps would actually be suppressed on non-displayed edges already.


A quick survey of a couple of CAD apps seems to indicate that this might be a pretty unique ability for MoI - doing a quick test of SketchUp, Rhino, and ViaCAD it appeared that none of those do this kind of visibility determination on things like end/mid snaps.


- Michael

When!!!!!!!

hehe put a copyright on it ;)

Nice touch Michael !

jonah

Hi Michael,

>>some other great news for v2 point picking / snapping stuff.

Looking very good, it will certainly help the workflow greatly.


Regards,

- manz

Hi Brian,

> When!!!!!!!

It's getting there... :) Just a couple other tweaks and bug fixes for some snapping stuff, then I'll do the geometry library update, then it will be ready.

- Michael

Very clever - Thx Michael !!

Great stuff - looking forward to the first beta.

That's great! That was a pita in a recent project.
Lemo

Michael, YEW'S DA MANN! :-D


Between this and Silo's upcoming new topology tools and UV enhancements, I'ma be straight! (The wifey is going to be a computer widow (again)! :-P )

-Will

I've still been working on a few things for the new on-surface drawing, it affects quite a lot of stuff.

Almost have it finished though, I'm down to just a last few things.

I think what I will do is after this is wrapped up I will release the first beta with just what I've got so far, and push the geometry library update out to the next one.

- Michael