Hi Fabien,

re:
> Would it be possible to have the Leader annotation type take the <> placeholder
> and show the calculated curve length as a dimension for a given line? Ideally, this
> would remain as a live-connection, so it would update the curve length while
> editing the original curve.

I would like to make it possible to put some different kinds of formulas in the text value but I'm sorry that won't make it in for the V4 time frame.

- Michael

Hi Martin,

> In this video, is it a bug that I can't select a line that has peviously been dimensioned
> using the Angle tool unless I use the 3D view?

Yeah that looks like a bug, it seems that the dimension is blocking out the line from being selected. I'll investigate it, I'd think it should be possible to have curves go above dimensions so that doesn't happen.

Thanks for the bug report and video!

- Michael

Cheers, Michael.

Is there a modifier key combination that can be used to toggle overlapping curves for selection in cases like this?

Martin.

I am getting a graphic problem with the October beta in the 3d view only. It wants to make a cutting plane view when zooming in. This only occurred after playing with the new dimension features.

I updated my graphics driver and restarted, same issue. I tried to make a new document in beta4 but same issue. I then opened v3 and pasted only the solids in, success. Then I went back and got the curves not associated with dimensions and pasted those in, success. Now I have opened it in beta4 and the issue is gone.

Hi Martin,

re:
> Is there a modifier key combination that can be used to toggle overlapping curves for selection in cases like this?

Nope.

- Michael

Hi Grendel, re: cutting plane problem - that's probably some bug in MoI gathering up bounding box information for the dimensions. It's not too likely to be a graphic driver problem.

If you run into it again can you please save off the file and send it over for me to test at moi@moi3d.com ?

There is a bug with dimensions at the moment where ones that are not screen aligned will be distorted if your model has coordinates greater than 2500.0 in it, possibly it's a side effect of that. That one can be kind of mysterious when trying to reproduce it.

- Michael

Finally downloaded the new Beta, and I am really liking the dimensions and details implementation. This is going to be extremely useful. Particularly once the full export functionality for dimensions is implemented.

I did run into a strange issue when it came to changing the font for dimensions and setting annotation. It seemed to have issues with (and an inability to use) some other face variations within a font family.

For example, whenever I selected the "Extended #2" face in the "Eurostile" font family I have, it would simply default to the "regular" face of "Eurostile".

Likewise, selecting the "Demi" font weight face, it would switch to "bold", etc.

Another quirk is that it will often change the size of the font to something ridiculously large when selecting a new face within a font family even if it had already been set with a smaller size.

For example, a text annotation would be set with a 18pt "regular" font, and simply changing it to "condensed bold" (same font family) suddenly it would jump the size up to 176 pt (or some other huge pt size). Of course I could then simply reset it back to 18pt, but it was a strange quick/bug to have the size setting change simply by selecting a different font face.

EDIT: In playing around some more, it seems that the increasing font size issue is a bug wherein anytime you select a new face, it incrementally increases the font size automatically.

For example, adding a new text annotation, it defaults to the UI font. Click on the "details" then changing git to a new font, steps it up from the 12pt "Open Sans" font (the Ui default) to a 30pt font. Even if not chaining gate face itself. Simply clicking on the font selection within the "details" window again, jumps it from 30pt to 85pt. Clicking again goes from 85pt to 227pt, etc.

It would also be a real boon to be able to delete any customized font setting so that it goes back to the default UI font setting.

Will be fine to keep the last font used between 2 texts! :)

Seems the same for the dimensions themselves! Or maybe i miss something! :)

If you change the default font, the new one don't persist! :(

Hi Lestatdelc, thanks for the bug report!

> EDIT: In playing around some more, it seems that the increasing font size issue is a
> bug wherein anytime you select a new face, it incrementally increases the font size
> automatically.

I'm able to repeat this over here on the Mac version, are you seeing it on Mac or Windows over there? I'll investigate it.


> It would also be a real boon to be able to delete any customized font setting so that it goes back to the default UI font setting.

I'm not quite sure how to do this, I don't think there is anything set up in the font dialog to represent a "delete setting" choice.


Thanks, - Michael

Hi Pilou,

> Seems the same for the dimensions themselves! Or maybe i miss something! :)
>
> If you change the default font, the new one don't persist! :(

There isn't any way to set the default font or other annotation properties yet, that's some functionality that I will be working on adding in. It's the next area of work other than bug fixes.

- Michael

So...have happy coding! :)

> I'm able to repeat this over here on the Mac version, are you seeing it on Mac or Windows over there? I'll investigate it.

I am on the Mac version.


>I'm not quite sure how to do this, I don't think there is anything set up in the font dialog to represent a "delete setting" choice.

I was thinking if it had just had the ability to choose the "None (using UI font)..." option in the "Font:" clickable area under the annotation prop ties section of the Object properties dialog, that would work.



But I obviously don't know if that's feasible from an 'under-the-hood' perspective.

Hi Lestatdelc,

> I was thinking if it had just had the ability to choose the "None (using UI font)..." option in the
> "Font:" clickable area under the annotation prop ties section of the Object properties dialog,
> that would work.

You mean something like having an extra button shown there? That's kind of problematic from a usability standpoint because it gives a lot of weight to the "None" button.

Maybe instead of saying "None (using UI font)..." there I should just show the name of the UI font that's going to be used.

- Michael

Hi Michael,

thanks for the response. We use 3dsmax and Softimage, both at version 2015 using FBX version 7.4. I tried not exporting the materials but unfortunatly that didn't work. However, I did some further testing and the problem is special characters in object names.

If I change the name of an object inside MOI, removing all special characters (having only AaZz09), the exported fbx is just fine.
I know it's a new feature of MOI that object names are retained in the fbx export and it's a really nice feature to have. As well as the material export!

However, is there a way to get rid of special characters when exporting fbx files from moi?

Thank you,
Sven

Hey there!

1. So I was hearing (and waiting at the same time) for this Dimensions feature for a long time expecting it to work like any other "usual" CAD program (SolidWorks, Inventor etc.). But now when it's here I see it's basically just an annotation with current measurement between selected points. The way I see it- the only benefit is you don't have to click on the edge and watch at right upper corner for the measurements. Or am I missing something? Because I feel like I am, since so many people looks to be excited about this feature alot.

2. I am not fully getting 2nd biggest feature too (dimension details). What's the benefit of it? What people and for what exact reason are/will be using it?

No hate or anything, I'm just genuinely wondering.



Thanks

mantaskava

For me it's about documentation. What are you looking for?

Okay, and what are you gonna use that documentation for? I mean are you doing actual production/manufacturing or? Are these screenshots with measurements for the client that asked you to design the product/some kind of part? That's the only use case scenario I can think of at the moment.
Same about "Details" part- what's the actual use of that info? is it production/manufacturing or?

As you can see I'm probably most interested of what exact field/industry benefits from these new features. Because for me (archviz) I cannot think of where I could use these features. And I hope someone can enlighten me :)

And again, no hate from my side. Love MoI since a few years ago.

To answer your question- for starters, I would expect measurements to be live/connected to the model/spline. Meaning if I move model- measurements follow. If I scale model- measurements update automatically. If I double click on measurements- I can enter new values and the model updates accordingly. Basically how measurements work in parametric modeling apps like SW, Inventor, and Fusion 360 (I believe).

...and free Onshape, DesignSparkMechanical...

else in Moi3D...that is some cool also... ;)

MoI is not a parametric modeler like other MCAD programs