Reshape Rectangles please

[bcd]

Please allow Rectangles to be reshaped via the Reshape Tool. I don't see that it should be necessary to first convert them to Polygons.

Edited September 25, 2023 by bcd

[Kevin Allen]

In theory that has been true for several versions, not in top/plan.

 

[Jesse Cogswell]

I played around with this a little bit, but I don't know what this would really gain.  The rectangle already has reshape handles built in for general resizing, and any of the other reshape options (adding/removing vertices, hiding edges, etc) would make the rectangle not a rectangle anymore.  What is interesting, is that if you use the Reshape tool and drag a marquee around part of the rectangle and resize from there, the rectangle will be automatically be converted into a polygon without a prompt.  This goes back to at least VW2019.

 

Initial Rectangle:

 

Reshape tool w/ Marquee around corner:

 

Result:

[bcd]

11 minutes ago, Jesse Cogswell said:

What is interesting, is that if you use the Reshape tool and drag a marquee around part of the rectangle and resize from there, the rectangle will be automatically be converted into a polygon without a prompt. 

Yes, this is exactly what I'm envisioning - without the need to drag the marquee. For example I want to Hide/Show one edge of the rectangle. Many steps could just be one.

[Tom W.]

You don't even need to drag a marquee, you can just reshape a corner vertex directly. But I agree with @bcd there are frequent occasions I want to hide an edge of a rectangular shape + it's a pain having to either draw it as a Polygon initially or convert a Rectangle to a Polygon after the fact in order to do it. Perhaps another approach would be for the Polygon Tool to have a constrained rectangular mode in the same way that there's a triangle mode. It's almost there with a 4-sided Regular Polygon... Then we're not compromising the integrity of the Rectangle Tool 🙂

[bcd]

7 hours ago, Tom W. said:

You don't even need to drag a marquee, you can just reshape a corner vertex directly.

Bah! - I had selected the wrong mode - yes, it's behaving exactly as I expected as all of you indicated thanks @Tom W. , @Jesse Cogswell @Kevin Allen

And in Top/Plan too.

However, Change Vertex, Add/Delete Vertex, Hide/Show edge don't yet work yet on rectangles.

 

And here's one I overlooked from prior versions - very interesting. I'm interested to see when that may become useful, maybe during schematic design.

 

 

[Pat Stanford]

I also would like Reshape to work on Rectangles.  

 

I think maybe the reason it doesn't is because it is changing the type of the object. If that is the "only" reason then a warning message "This action will convert a rectangle into a polygon.  Do you want to proceed?"  Yes/No with a Don't Ask again check box would be the best solution.

[Tom W.]

3 minutes ago, Pat Stanford said:

I also would like Reshape to work on Rectangles.  

you mean modes 4-7 presumably

[Pat Stanford]

In addition to modes 1 that already converts to Polygon and Modes 2/3 that resize while leaving the object a rectangle.

[Tom Klaber]

Is the simplest would be to retire the rectangle object entirely.  The rectangle tool should remain - but simply draw a 4 sided polygon. 

[E|FA]

2 hours ago, Tom Klaber said:

Is the simplest would be to retire the rectangle object entirely.  The rectangle tool should remain - but simply draw a 4 sided polygon. 

Agree completely.  Should be easy to implement (easy for me to say, at least).

 

Does anyone have a workflow that this suggestion would break?

[zoomer]

For me the Rectangle Object is one of the greatest VW features.

 

I think it is great that it tries to stay a Rectangle.

For me it is reasonable to need to convert it first to be able to destroy it.

(I think I have "Convert to Polygon" in my RMB "object mode" option menu)

 

I always get crazy when in DWG Apps, a Rectangle is just a mere Polyline

and so easily distorted accidentally.

And a VW Rectangle has so many unique and cool features.

(OIP Action Center radio buttons, length/width auto adjust, option to keep

aspect ratio when scaling, ....)

[line-weight]

Agree with @zoomer - I'd not want the rectangle retired.

 

Just make modes 2-7 (in addition to mode 1) of the reshape tool automatically create a polygon.

 

No need for mode 2 to preserve as a rectangle because if I want to do that transformation and preserve the rectangle I can do it with the regular selection tool.

 

Also have never noticed mode 3 before. But if this were to preserve as rectangle, wouldn't it be more consistent to include this in what the selection tool can do, rather than the reshape tool.

 

 

[Giacomo Devoto]

Totally agree with Tom.

Consolidating rectangles into polygons would simplify reports too.

In many cases I need to quickly calculate the surface using rectangles and polygons.

Also selecting with magic wand in some cases I forget to select either the poligons or the rectangles when I usually need to select both types...

[zoomer]

6 hours ago, Giacomo Devoto said:

Consolidating rectangles into polygons would simplify reports too.

 

Lines vs open Polygons too ?

 

(Just kidding)

 

 

If it helps for reports and calculations,

I would be OK with sorting VW Rectangles into a global (closed) Polyline scheme ....

as long as all "Rectangle-features" are somehow mimicked be Edit Tools or similar.

 

On the other hand,

I often used and want, to keep the ability to magic-wand-select only (true) Rectangles

vs other 2D geometry.

 

So I do think that in the reports case,

I would rather like to see that change/feature include into the features of Reports (?)

 

For the initial Rectangle to Polygon Conversion task,

I could live much easier with that, when Reshape Tool automatically destroys Rectangles,

when you grab a Vertex (as long as there is no better solution).

 

BTW,

AFAIR,

could even be that there is an old post somewhere in the Forum where I wished

exactly for the same thing, that it would be more consistent if Reshape Tool

does an Auto convert to Polyline.

But only if needed as a Vertex is grabbed in Vertex Mode ....

 

But that was surely before I learned to love VW Rectangles and their reliability ....