Update Smart Option Display to be more process inclusive.

[hollister design Studio]

I love the Smart Options Display - I have it mapped to the "1" key and use it often.

 

I have it set to tool options, previous tools, views and snapping.

• I always use 'tool options'
• I love using 'snapping' to quickly suspend and reset snapping.
• I never use 'views' because the number keys are too convenient - but could see this being helpful on a macbook...
• but 'previous tools' is almost useless as the definition of 'tool' is so limited.

 

 

One "tool" I use often is the Align/Distribute tool - unfortunately it doesn't show up on my Smart Options Display under "previous tools"

 

I understand this isn't officially a tool -but Align/Distribute also doesn't show up under right click "previous commands".

Neither does 'send to surface' or 'clip surface'.

Nor any of the scripts that wonderful people on this forum have created and that make my life so much easier - I would love to have them right at hand!

 

 

 

Maybe a quick fix to add things like clip surface would be to make "previous command" an option for one corner of the SOD

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mark Aceto]

23 hours ago, Tom W. said:

 

I love my SpaceMouse but I find it so temperamental. It's working fine on VW2022 but I rely on being able to use the 'Switch Navigation' command to set it to:

 

 

(I have 'Switch Navigation' mapped to the MMB on my CadMouse Pro).

 

And in VW2023 this isn't working: for some reason the MMB is giving me 'Fit to Objects' instead. So I checked what driver I was on + I was two versions behind so I updated to the most recent version + things were even worse: none of my macros were working either. So back to the old driver + no 'Switch Navigation' in VW2023 which basically means I can't use the SpaceMouse for navigation in the way I'm used to because I have no way of setting the target object (the point of origin is permanently set to the Internal Origin).

 

 

Yup. Been like that for years. The fix status is “someday / maybe”. Until that magical day comes, it sits in the drawer.

[hollister design Studio]

On 12/10/2022 at 6:43 PM, Mark Aceto said:

How many of us have a 3DC Spacemouse sitting in a drawer, waiting for the magical day it will be useful to us

Me for sure.

 

The thing that really kills me about navigating in 3D with VW, is that after you placed an "interactive origin point" Vectorworks erases it if the point strays even a tiny bit off screen!

How does that make sense at all!?!

I obviously set that point for a reason.

And Vectorworks thinks it knows better than me and will reset my interactive origin point to "active player plane origin" for no reason other than I tumbled a bit off screen?

 

 

Here is a wish list I started for an interactive-origin-mode -lock-button last year that never went anywhere...

Here is @trashcan's  wish list better-3d-move-and-3d-rotate-tools

 

[Elite Exhibits]

On 12/8/2022 at 2:21 AM, Peter Neufeld. said:

are you aware that the Align/Distribute commands are already there in the right click contextual menu?

@Peter Neufeld.

 

Question: ¿ Where in the HELP does it explains the different results when the Menus - Align/Distribute Objects is used vs the Contextual Align/Distribute  >?

     (Assuming that there should be no difference... ?)

I am getting different results between the two. Including some strange results with the Contextual Align/Distribute >

     It also appears that the Contextual Align/Distribute > is not directly available in the Workspace Editor  ? 

 

As always, any advice and answers are aptly appreciated.

 

Peter

[Peter Neufeld.]

Hello,

Not sure what is happening to the turquoise rounded rectangle as that has different selection handle colours than the other two. It looks locked, but it all works ok for me.

 

Either way you are right in that for now I also can't find anything in the excellent Help about differences between the main menu Align/Distribute command versus the contextual menu Align/Distribute options. I will ask about this.

 

There are two main differences. Loci are treated as normal objects, and whatever is right clicked on becomes the object for the operation.

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Peter

[Elite Exhibits]

Peter

 

Interesting ...

 

Have long used the Locus or locked object trick to force items to a specific location.

Example: The Top and Bottom of a horizontal locked line are the same.

 

Thanks

 

Peter

[Elite Exhibits]

On 5/19/2023 at 11:58 PM, Peter Neufeld. said:

There are two main differences. Loci are treated as normal objects, and whatever is right clicked on becomes the object for the operation.

 

 

Peter

 

Thanks again to @Peter Neufeld. - I did find the information on the Context Menu>Align in the HELP 

     (FYI - Where it is placed is ... Between  Select Command  & Dialog Box Opens  ...might make one initially think it is part of the standard  Modify>Align menu vs the Context Menu + that hidden Flyout / greater than symbol ...)

 

          ...as one who has decades of pressing Command Equals (⌘=) in Vectorworks, the keyboard shortcut is first, with the Context Menu a secondary solution. This is especially true as I have many Object Menu commands (Including the standard Modify>Align menu ...) in the Document Context Menu. This allows for faster (ie:safer...) Touch Free  operation.

 

 

Question: As there are Context Menu items that do NOT show up in the Workspace Editor,  and they may require very specific circumstances to "discover"  ...

          ¿ Is there a specific list of these program set Context Menu some where ? 

                                                      ...akin to the Vectorworks keyboard shortcuts PDF ?

 

I am able to find them spread out within the Comparison of commands and tools...PDF  (Link to the 2020 version -  https://app-help.vectorworks.net/2020/eng/Commands_Tools2020.pdf), though this does not necessarily facilitate / indicate their use / location in the Vectorwoks application.

 

As always, any applicable answers and appropriate advice are aptly appreciated.

 

Peter

Align:Distribute in HELP 2023.pdf