Should VW be finding me a 45 degree line here?

[line-weight]

The video below shows me firstly doing what I want to achieve, which is draw a 45 degree line to find a point on another line, then reposition an edge of a polyline to line up with that point. This works ok - the snap/smart edge system lets me draw the 45 degree line and find that point.

 

However, the second part shows me trying to achieve the same result with fewer steps. I want to grab the handle on the polyline edge, then go to the reference corner, then get a "smart edge" or snap line or whatever it is properly called, to project out from the that corner along a 45 degree line, then let me find the intersection with the other line and complete the process.

 

Should that in theory be possible or am I asking too much of it? It will find me two 90 degree lines on the X and Y axes, but it won't find me that 45 degree line that it did when I was just drawing a line starting from that corner.

 

I never feel like I am entirely in control of these kinds of operations - it feels like it's just good luck if it happens to offer me the line I want.

 

 

 

[Pat Stanford]

Hopefully someone else can give us a better answer, but I was not able to get the snap points to show at 45°.

 

But for the specific case you show where the right angle poly is aligned to the axis, I was able to do what you want pretty easily.

 

1. Double Click the poly to select the Reshape Tool.

2. Make sure you have it in the second mode Move Edges Parallel.

3. Grab the corner point and drag it to the corner of the extrude and hit the G key to set a datum point.

4. Drag the corner point so has moved along the edge of the poly. 

5. Hit the tab key until you show the X' and Y' fields and are in the X' Field.

6. Copy the value. 

7. Tab into the Y' field and Paste the value.  You might need to add or remove a minus sign depending on which way along the Y axis you want to move.

 

Once you have done it a couple of times it is probably quicker than drawing a construction line.

 

But you might want to post the video of what you want to do to the Wishlist forum as a potential enhancement.

 

HTH

[Tom W.]

Or you could do it using Smart Points:

 

 

Easier done in Top/Plan than 3D which probably isn't what you're looking for.

 

 

[line-weight]

4 hours ago, Tom W. said:

Or you could do it using Smart Points:

 

 

Easier done in Top/Plan than 3D which probably isn't what you're looking for.

 

 

Your video doesn't work for me unfortunately

 

 

 

[Tom W.]

Oh weird ok here is orig version see if that's any better

 

 

[line-weight]

11 hours ago, Pat Stanford said:

Hopefully someone else can give us a better answer, but I was not able to get the snap points to show at 45°.

 

But for the specific case you show where the right angle poly is aligned to the axis, I was able to do what you want pretty easily.

 

1. Double Click the poly to select the Reshape Tool.

2. Make sure you have it in the second mode Move Edges Parallel.

3. Grab the corner point and drag it to the corner of the extrude and hit the G key to set a datum point.

4. Drag the corner point so has moved along the edge of the poly. 

5. Hit the tab key until you show the X' and Y' fields and are in the X' Field.

6. Copy the value. 

7. Tab into the Y' field and Paste the value.  You might need to add or remove a minus sign depending on which way along the Y axis you want to move.

 

Once you have done it a couple of times it is probably quicker than drawing a construction line.

 

But you might want to post the video of what you want to do to the Wishlist forum as a potential enhancement.

 

HTH

 

Thanks, yes this works!

 

It does need a bit of fiddling about with + and - but this is certainly a useful method to bear in mind.

 

The ability to use G to make a datum point is a new one to me - and I will start using this.

[line-weight]

16 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

Oh weird ok here is orig version see if that's any better

 

 

I can't get it to do that even in top plan - it doesn't offer me the "bisector" line that it offers you. Perhaps there is some obscure snap setting I need to change?

[Tom W.]

Check if 'Snap to bisector' enabled in Smart Edge Snap Settings

[line-weight]

5 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

Check if 'Snap to bisector' enabled in Smart Edge Snap Settings

 

Thanks. It wasn't enabled.

 

With it enabled, I was able to do it.

 

However, I had to do it slightly differently from your video. I have to grab the reshape handle to move first, then find the lines & bisector.

 

If I try finding the lines (and I have to use "T" to get it to remember them) prior to grabbing the handle, as you do in your version, the lines disappear once I grab the handle to do the reshape.

 

 

 

 

 

[line-weight]

& unfortunately what's possible in top/plan doesn't seem to be in a 3d view.

[Tom W.]

Works in 3D view for me. I even tried in Perspective! But I'm also very happy using datum (G key) or even Guides depending on the situation. It can be a pain with smart edges sometimes with them constantly activating/deactivating. But that's probably because I have it set so they activate automatically after 0.5 secs...

[Elite Exhibits]

3 hours ago, line-weight said:

unfortunately what's possible in top/plan doesn't seem to be in a 3d view.

 

¿ Why have Layer Plane 2D if you switch to Screen Plane 2D to have the tools function correctly ...?

 

Peter

[line-weight]

1 minute ago, Elite Exhibits said:

 

¿ Why have Layer Plane 2D if you switch to Screen Plane 2D to have the tools function correctly ...?

 

Peter

I don't think I understand your question.

[Elite Exhibits]

FYI

 

After you have the Snap to Bisector preference set (Thats the key to the 45 degree) - increase the time in the Acquire Edge  to keep VW from jumping to the next line. (Long time will prevent this jumping - while you use the G key ...)

 

It is quite awkward to do it this way as VW appears to jump to the next point / edge if there is simple movement.

   (... Hint: Don't use these settings to edit Layer Plane go to Top/Plan and edit in 2D

 

Peter

[Elite Exhibits]

@line-weight it is a rhetorical question. 

 

as was noted  - some items work well in Screen Plane, yet fail in Layer Plane

     Why I almost never draw Layer Plane Objects -

 

Many ways too work in VW

 

See the attached - Clip Surface vs Move Point to accomplish a similar (¿ easier ?) outcome.

 

Peter

[line-weight]

Unfortunately it's often not possible to switch to top/plan view - either because I'm working on a non horizontal working plane, or because there is so much other geometry above/below the area I want to work on, top/plan is just a jumble of lines.

[line-weight]

What I have noticed messing around with this a bit more, is that the presence of some 3d geometry seems to hinder it in "acquiring" edges. Here I can't get it to acquire the edges I want (unless I can find a bit of the edge that's not shared with the cube) - until I get rid of the cube and then it's fine.

 

 

 

[Elite Exhibits]

1 hour ago, line-weight said:

3d geometry seems to hinder it in "acquiring" edges.

@line-weight  with the Cube rendered - Press the "B" key ...

 

Peter

[zoomer]

Before I think too much, my keep it simple stupid approach would be

 

- Rectangle Tool

- first point at building corner

- holding SHIFT to force a square rectangle

- snap to known side/desired distance

- Reshape Tool/parallel mode

- snap to rectangle

- delete rectangle

 

Maybe a Circle would be faster but I would need to first search for the circle Icon

in my custom palette. (I never need Circles)

 

I do it all the time that way ...

like placing a helper cube to get an auto plane for location and orientation of the

rotate tool or such things.

[Tom W.]

2 minutes ago, zoomer said:

(I never need Circles)

🤣

 

2 minutes ago, zoomer said:

 

I do it all the time that way ...

like placing a helper cube to get an auto plane for location and orientation of the

rotate tool or such things.

 

I do too, but generally convert them into Guides (I have it added to my right-click object context menu) because then easier to delete later (i.e. you can delete multiple Guides at once + no danger of forgetting any).

[zoomer]

58 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

I do too, but generally convert them into Guides

 

Found it .....

Interesting, I have never noticed this before.

 

But for me it just "locks" my rectangle.

(OIP does not show a "Guide" type either)

And can't delete it manually, before un-locking it.

 

Together with "delete all Guides" it gets quite handy again.

(I hope it will only delete Guides and not all locked Items !?)

 

But nearly a bit to complicated for my stupid brain again .....

 

OK, maybe I should not use Rectangles as guides, just Lines.

As I do 3D only, Lines (or basically all 2D) can appear only as guides,

so deleting all Lines (*) from time to time should work for me without risks.

 

(*)

setting all visible, all editable - draw a new Line - Magic Wand Selection - delete

Edited November 21, 2023 by zoomer

[line-weight]

2 hours ago, Elite Exhibits said:

@line-weight  with the Cube rendered - Press the "B" key ...

 

Peter

 

Doesn't seem to make any difference for me, unfortunately.

[line-weight]

2 hours ago, Tom W. said:

Guides

 

Well.... there's another thing I've never noticed existed, in 20+ years of using VW.

[Tom W.]

14 minutes ago, line-weight said:

 

Well.... there's another thing I've never noticed existed, in 20+ years of using VW.

 

I think I'm the only person who uses them! It's because for many years all I knew what to do was draw 2D Lines + convert some of them into Guides... 😆

 

[zoomer]

I always thought Guides (or Guide Lines) were a special feature of the german VW localization only.

But AFAIK it is and they have some special features.

[Pat Stanford]

Guides are an ancient feature.  They were part of MiniCad 3+ that I started with in 1991.