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Drawing with numerical input


zoomer

Question

I think drawing with the Tab Key, the red bubble and 2x Enter

is a bit tedious.

I wish it could go like this :

F.e. drawing a Line.

- click/snap the start point

- move the cursor in the (semi locked angle) direction

- Length Field is automatically activated

(so no Tab Key needed)

- Type in the delta (!) value

(No negative values needed)

- Either click (!) LMB or press Enter to finish

Because :

You just showed VW in which direction you want to draw by your

cursor movement and you just showed VW which delta length

by your numerical input.

This is the normal drawing behavior for 95 % of my drawing.

Another reason is that I would like to set VW to accept numerical

input on Num Block without the Tab Key but will not give up

the Num Block for view changes.

(As there is currently no better alternative)

I could live with View Tabs at the bottom of the View where we

could have the not needed scroll bars.

But I think it is not needed.

If a Tool is active and waiting for an numerical input, Num Block

input goes to the tool, if nothing active and no rubber band cursor,

Num Block numbers change the View Orientation.

If you need View changes it in between a Tool, press an additional

Short Key + Num Block or use the Icon.

If you need to draw in more than one Axis, just Type X Value - Tab - Y Value,

Enter or Click to finish.

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The program already does this. Start drawing a line and then start entering numbers. These will automatically go into the L field of the floating data bar. No enter is required just click to finish drawing the element.

Correction: Enter is required followed by a mouse click to complete the drawing operation.

The numeric keypad will still change views when you are not entering data into the floating data bar.

Edited by mike m oz
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I don't understand Mike.

If I start a line,

enter a number

(Not ! by the Num Block - as I prefer)

the number is added automatically into the lentgh field, yes.

But if I click,

that number gets ignored and it uses the cursor value.

Did I misunderstood something ?

But I would like to have View Change suspended as long as

the Length Field is active.

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dble tap Enter twice to complete without clicking.

-B

And this is exactly what I think is tedious.

Why do I need to Enter two times ?

First Enter to bring the bubble that VW can show me that it took my

my numerical input for serious - but maybe questions my direction

that I have given by my cursor before ?

Enter for the second time to show VW that I was serious with my angle.

And why not just complete by a mouse click.

I see it like this.

I start something by setting an Origin by a click.

If I move my Cursor to show an intended direction,

Either more to X or Y direction,

(Or at an Angle Lock, then Polar of course)

that Axis (or Delta Length) Input field has to be active.

As soon as I Enter a value,

the Origin has to jump there, indicating by either a

Red Point or a perpendicular Red line on the help line,

not a bubble, and lock that Axis.

When I then move my cursor perpendicular to the old Axis,

automatically jump the the input field of the other Axis,

If I don't do any further numerical inputs beside the first one,

clicking ANYWHERE means still that previous assigned Red Origin

is the point I want to accept.

Edited by zoomer
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The 'bubble' step is to allow you to also enter an angle if you want ( it is a representation circle in 2D/ sphere in 3D of all possible angles at that fixed distance.

So click to start drawing the line,

Type the length of the line you want

Enter to fix the distance, the angle is still free to be determined

Enter once again to fix the angle and end the action, or click the mouse to do this.

If you don't want it this way try the preference setting click drag instead of click drag click in the Vectorworks Prefs, this way you will get rid of the second enter or click ie

So click to start drawing the line,

Type the length of the line you want

Enter to fix the distance, the angle is still free to be determined

Release the mouse button

Edited by Vincent C
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The 'bubble' step is to allow you to also enter an angle if you want ( it is a representation circle in 2D/ sphere in 3D of all possible angles at that fixed distance.

So click to start drawing the line,

Type the length of the line you want

Enter to fix the distance, the angle is still free to be determined

Enter once again to fix the angle and end the action, or click the mouse to do this.

If you don't want it this way try the preference setting click drag instead of click drag click in the Vectorworks Prefs, this way you will get rid of the second enter or click ie

So click to start drawing the line,

Type the length of the line you want

Enter to fix the distance, the angle is still free to be determined

Release the mouse button

Yes but in 99% of the time the Angle is either horizontal or vertical,

sometimes maybe one of the set Angle Locks,

and if you really want a special angle,

you type LENTGH + TAB + ANGLE anyway,

And still have to ENTER twice ....

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Yes,

it has a lot to do with what you are used.

I was used the other XXX Application so far, where that was normal.

I think I am open enough to try new ways and including those to my

workflow when they are superior or even at least similar.

I intensively explored VW for a 3/4 year now, but still have to say that

the other way was much faster and more reliable.

Doesn't have to work the same way at all in VW.

But I see some potential to improve that workflow.

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For any new user wanting the number keypad to type instantly into the length field you can set the option under the little gear icon top right of vectorworks and check allow numeric keypad entry for instant data bar activation, this is one of the first things I had to find to speed things up. This helps by allowing you to type straight into the first data field with the numeric keypad so you can draw quicker, Click the line tool for example select start point, type in length in numerical keypad and then choose your angle, then click to end.

549908175_Screenshot2021-12-06at11_12_23.thumb.png.b929fc0f49d8406420649aeb19e7386a.png

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3 hours ago, TSG-Sim said:

wanting the number keypad to type instantly into the length field you can set the option under the little gear icon top right of vectorworks and check allow numeric keypad entry for instant data bar activation

 

 

Yes, but unfortunately for me it gets deactivated again after every one or other VW start.

May be because of my migrated Workspace ....

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