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Construction Lines (#1250)
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Tim Olson  
#1 Posted : Thursday, June 26, 2008 7:54:57 PM(UTC)
Tim Olson

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Today I fixed a problem with construction lines displaying on top of regular lines. It also got me thinking of maybe there is a better way to do construction lines, right clicking is a bit clumsy. Stroke is nice, but most folks are not aware of this feature.

Any ideas out there for a better way?

Tim
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jdi000  
#2 Posted : Thursday, June 26, 2008 8:19:31 PM(UTC)
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A construction line tool added to the line tools so you can create construction like regular lines ie draw them where you need them at odd angles apparent intersection point and from snap point to snap point if necessary.

Other suggestions:
1. Separate construction lines from the right click select all curves, have construction lines as own option including in the selection mask tool.

2. Have construction lines as a option like workplane turn all on or all off or delete all construction lines in the drop down menu "view" because you may use the construction layer for other object and turning construction on and off independent would be nice


Jason
Windows 11, 10
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ttrw  
#3 Posted : Friday, June 27, 2008 7:19:27 AM(UTC)
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Tim, I agree too with Jason.

A construction line tool should be in the tool palette. You should be able to draw a construction line where needed (and it should also be bold enough to be seen!), but the construction line should also be left in the drawing, and not have any other influence on the drawing apart from it being a reference to you or other entities within the drawing.
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Gary  
#4 Posted : Friday, June 27, 2008 8:20:25 AM(UTC)
Gary

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Tim:

great news about removing construction lines on top of geometry! My suggestions:

1. find a way to inform more users about the stroke induced construction lineit's speed and ease is hard to beat.

2. add preference to remove construction lines from ambiguity pop up construction lines are for construction, rarely do I want to select them. Each ambiguity pop up slows me down.

Thanks,

Gary
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ttrw  
#5 Posted : Friday, June 27, 2008 8:49:13 AM(UTC)
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They sound like good suggestions Gary. So how does one Stroke for the construction line? (howabout making this suggestion appear more frequently in the 'tip of the day' box? I don't think I've ever seen it in there! :confused: )
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Art  
#6 Posted : Friday, June 27, 2008 10:23:29 AM(UTC)
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Don't even think of getting rid of stroke, it is hardwired into me now.

I miss "command K" for angled construction lines.

Art

One of my old aggravations was that construction lines would cover lines so that you could not dimension. I am not even sure it is a problem now.

MacIntel shark fx 750
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jdi000  
#7 Posted : Friday, June 27, 2008 3:31:17 PM(UTC)
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Anyone

So how do you create construction lines with stroke per what Gary mentioned earlier in this thread?


Thanks
Jason
Windows 11, 10
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Tim Olson  
#8 Posted : Friday, June 27, 2008 3:59:17 PM(UTC)
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>>So how do you create construction lines with stroke per
>>what Gary mentioned earlier in this thread?

On Mac hold down the apply key.
On PC hold down the control + shift key.

Then press the left button and..
--move the cursor straight right to create a horiztonal construction line
--move the cursor straight up to create a vertical construction line
--move left to right to zoom up to the swept out box
--move right to left to zoom back to the previous zoom

Tim
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Art  
#9 Posted : Friday, June 27, 2008 4:20:11 PM(UTC)
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Tim Olson wrote:
>>
--move left to right to zoom up to the swept out box
--move right to left to zoom back to the previous zoom

Tim


Diagonally

Art
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Tim Olson  
#10 Posted : Friday, June 27, 2008 4:22:53 PM(UTC)
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Art wrote:
Diagonally

Art


Yes, good catch! FYI, the stroke feature is staying.

Tim
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tmay  
#11 Posted : Friday, June 27, 2008 4:53:15 PM(UTC)
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I haven't been using construction lines, but "stroke" might make me change that.

At any rate, I'm just throwing this out as a potential UI feature.

I'm aware that construction lines are created on the construction layer, but one UI feature for construction lines would be a temporal fade. The idea is that if you haven't used the existing visible construction lines for some period of time, seconds or minutes , the construction lines would fade to the construction layer, so it would mimic a sleep mode. Needles to say, you now would need some action to wake them up, but your screen would generally be less cluttered.

One idea that might be helpful, is meta data that would group construction lines together based on time of creation. Aperture, as an example, groups photos together based on some common time meta data.

This is the part where you laugh until you bust your gut...

tom
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ttrw  
#12 Posted : Saturday, June 28, 2008 3:55:35 AM(UTC)
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Tim Olson wrote:

On Mac hold down the apply key.


Tim, do you mean the (Apple) Command key? I don't think there is an 'apply' key :)
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Tim Olson  
#13 Posted : Saturday, June 28, 2008 11:34:55 AM(UTC)
Tim Olson

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ttrw wrote:
Tim, do you mean the (Apple) Command key? I don't think there is an 'apply' key :)


Yes Apple key sorry!

Tim
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Tim Olson  
#14 Posted : Tuesday, July 1, 2008 12:18:50 PM(UTC)
Tim Olson

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Thanks all for the feedback on construction lines. I'm definitely going to implement some of these ideas.

If we were to add a new tool icon in the line palette what are you thoughts about making it have a sub tool palette with two options. One for two point rubberbanding construction lines and one for Parallel construction lines. I find I make a fair amount of construction lines by dragging a reference off an existing line. How about others?


Tim

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Tim Olson
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jdi000  
#15 Posted : Tuesday, July 1, 2008 6:10:53 PM(UTC)
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Tim

Excellent idea to have the parallel construction line tool in addition to a point to point tool. I think having additional control over hiding/showing/and deleting construction lines would really be helpful as well.


Thanks
Jason
Windows 11, 10
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Tim Olson  
#16 Posted : Tuesday, July 1, 2008 6:20:24 PM(UTC)
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>>I think having additional control over hiding/showing/and deleting >>construction lines would really be helpful as well.

Yup, I also like the idea about making it an item in the Select Mask, turned off by default. This would solve the ambiguity& dimensioning problem.

Tim
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Gary  
#17 Posted : Tuesday, July 1, 2008 8:46:55 PM(UTC)
Gary

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Tim:

While I like the idea of construction lines in the selection mask I am not sure how this solves some of the described problems. If an item is deselected in the selection mask it is no longer selectable/snap-able to, hindering much of the value of construction lines.

Is it possible to have the ambiguity pop up disregard any entities on the construction layer?

Thanks,

Gary
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markb57  
#18 Posted : Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:05:18 PM(UTC)
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Tim,

I'm really enthusiastic about more construction line capabilities. I grew up (pre-CAD) days laying very light construction lines all over my vellum, and came to think of them as the "foundation" of my drawing.

I like the two options - non-parallel/vertical lines would be a big help, too (think cylinder centerlines on a 72degree V-6).

Anyway, with the communities feedback and your implementation I'm looking forward to it!

THanks,
Mark

admin wrote:
Thanks all for the feedback on construction lines. I'm definitely going to implement some of these ideas.
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Tim Olson  
#19 Posted : Tuesday, July 1, 2008 11:39:18 PM(UTC)
Tim Olson

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>>If an item is deselected in the selection mask it is no longer selectable/>>snap-able to, hindering much of the value of construction lines.

Yes you're right, just confirmed. That won't work.


>>Is it possible to have the ambiguity pop up disregard any entities on the >>construction layer?

Yes, will look into further.

Tim
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Tim Olson  
#20 Posted : Wednesday, July 2, 2008 12:09:18 AM(UTC)
Tim Olson

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markb57 wrote:
Tim,

I'm really enthusiastic about more construction line capabilities. I grew up (pre-CAD) days laying very light construction lines all over my vellum, and came to think of them as the "foundation" of my drawing.

I like the two options - non-parallel/vertical lines would be a big help, too (think cylinder centerlines on a 72degree V-6).

Anyway, with the communities feedback and your implementation I'm looking forward to it!

THanks,
Mark


Thanks for the feedback, I'm convinced there's room for improvement for construction lines and we're not that many programming hours away from getting it right.


Tim
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