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

Hi Greg,

> 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?

I think that I'm going to make a page in the wiki to collect all the v3 beta release notes in one place.


> 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.

In a different sense it actually helps to maintain simplicity since in many cases if someone needs a special case function to help them out for their particular kind of work, I can add that in as a plug-in that helps them get that particular function handled but without adding complexity to the big majority of other users that don't need it.

But yes it would definitely be good to have a better overall mechanism for deploying plug-ins and installing them.

The tricky part about that is that it will involve quite a bit of work to make a more refined mechanism for that, and the payoff is not really quite as big functionally as compared to a new modeling tool like the new Flow command for example.

That's why that area has not really been a high priority for overhauling yet. I do expect to get to it at some point.


> 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.

Yeah the main idea for it would be to have an additional "Plug-ins" button on the bottom toolbar that would pop up a menu with them all listed on it so you could launch them from there.

How many plug-ins do you have installed currently that you are having trouble keeping track of them? Do you often use all the ones that you have installed, or are you just kind of collecting them?

- Michael

Well, I really am not going crazy!
When I add a shortcut key in MoI3Beta, the same shortcut key appears in Moi2.
And vice versa.
(Just wondering)

Hi Brian,

> When I add a shortcut key in MoI3Beta, the same shortcut key
> appears in Moi2.
> And vice versa.

Yup, that's correct - the shortcuts are stored in the moi.ini file and by default the moi.ini file is stored in a central location that is used by all versions of MoI.

It is possible to set things up so that each version has its own separate moi.ini file if you want them to have different settings between them, let me know if you want to know how to set that up.

- Michael

Michael,

>How many plug-ins do you have installed currently that you are having trouble keeping track of them? Do you often use all the ones that you have installed, or are you just kind of collecting them?

So far I've only experimented with a few of the ones I found on Petr's page that sounded as if they might be useful in the future. (Annoyingly, the "cyber nanny" at work blocks Petr's page as well as the page that shows the names of the scripts with small pictures to illustrate them. And for some reason, my home computer won't load those images so I've never been able to use that "cheat sheet"! (Grumble grumble)). My modeling techniques (mostly because of my Solidworks background) tend to lean heavily on basic tools, extrudes, revolves, sweeps etc. Even a super-cool tool like flow would rarely find use in my projects. (BTW, not a critique of flow which I like, even if I don't know when I'd use it.)

I guess my issue is with knowing what IS available as I work. You know, the right tool for the right job. I've read through the list, but quickly forget what is there (so much to choose from). Perhaps all I really want (now that I think of it) is a pdf "manual" (with lots of pictures!) of the scripts with examples of their implementation. Currently I can't create such a thing myself. Nothing worse than spending hours working around something there's a script for. (For example, I do A LOT of product concepts in Illustrator and only just discovered a script called "round any corner" which in now saving me HOURS of work, but to find that script (by accident) spending hours reading through forums, which I typically don't have much spare time for.)

Anyway, still love this product and plan to eventually incorporate it into my professional work flow.

The documentation on Triple Squid can be turned into a 33 page PDF, with PDFCreator.

The other thing, while still in the development process is you can just ask here and get a link in just a few minutes!

Hi Greg,

> I guess my issue is with knowing what IS available as I work.

Well, for the most part those plug-ins are to help with pretty specific special case type work.


> My modeling techniques (mostly because of my Solidworks
> background) tend to lean heavily on basic tools, extrudes,
> revolves, sweeps etc.

There is a pretty good chance that really none of the plug-ins would particularly help you with this kind of work though.

Can you give an example of say one particular plug-in that you have already found useful or that you think you will need to use in the future?

In general if something has a widely applicable use, I try to incorporate those into the standard tools instead of only as a plug-in.


> Nothing worse than spending hours working around something
> there's a script for.

If you run into something where it looks like a special tool would help you save several hours of work, I'd recommend posting a question about it here in the forum. That way you can get an answer that will direct you to the right tool if there is one that matches what you need, or it may give me some idea on how to make a new plugin or even how to improve the standard toolset to help with what you are trying to do.


> but to find that script (by accident) spending hours reading
> through forums, which I typically don't have much spare time for.)

You can start your own new thread for your question so you can just look at it for a reply instead of searching through the whole forum.

- Michael

Michael, (as always) thanks for the thoughtful reply.

I'll wade back through the plug-ins when I get a few minutes to spare (how can I be so busy all the time?!!) and let you know what I've tried and think I'd find useful to have one hand and more visible.

One thing I've noticed as I've read through many of the threads (changing subject here) is how often people get messed up by lines which they thought met at a common endpoint, but when you zoom in are off by a tiny amount. Along with keeping tangency between lines (something I think I remember you discussing) would it also be possible to "weld" endpoints together (as apposed to joining both entire lines)such that you can't accidentally move a line's endpoint off it's fellow while editing it?