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Lock a shape


Jim Smith

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I often use polygons is Schematic Design once the hard points are fixed to play with room locations. What I would like to be able to do is to Lock a Polygon's size & shape, but  allow one to freely move, rotate or mirror the shape without minor mistaken reshapes creeping into the mix. Perhaps one may already do this, by creating a series of symbols but I'd like to be able to do this on the fly.

Edited by Jim Smith
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9 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

Sorry bcd, I've not really used constraints so I don't know if this will work or not. It doesn't really seem to work for me but I'll do some trial & error to see if it works.

You just click the constrain dimension on a few diagonal ties just as you would place an unconstrained dimension object. One tie on a quadrilateral does the trick.

Screen Shot 2017-02-02 at 6.33.00 PM.png

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Right, I see it now. So it's not exactly what I'm looking for but it would work as one could still alter the item but one would at least get an alert that the shape had been altered. 

 

So my Wish List stands; I would like to be able to Right Click on an object and choose to Lock the shape, but allow it to be moved in the X, Y, Z until deleted or Unlocked.

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 Wish asks for something that always works. Here are a couple workarounds.

 

Disable Scaling in the Select Tool (1st mode)? Might help in some situations. But normally I work in the the 3rd mode, and would have to remember to reenable the scaling mode.

 

A better workaround, at least I do this: Develop a habit of using the Move By Points tool instead of dragging with the Select tool. I almost never drag objects to relocate them specifically to avoid rescale.  The click, click of Move By Points affects only location, and does it 2d or 3d via snaps or numeric, or just freehand.  Size/Shape of selection are unaffected. No need to even snap on the selected object. Click on any guide objects, snap points or in free space. Cmd click on another object deselects current selection and selects the clicked object without leaving the tool.  I set the tool prefs to Retain Original, 0 duplicates.

 

HTH

 

-B

Edited by Benson Shaw
fan of Move By Points
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You have the ability to lock the shape and still be able to move it. 

 

Take the object and GROUP it. Edit the group and Lock the object. Exit the group.

 

You now have a shape that can be moved but not resized.

 

If you grab exactly on the corners or the group it will act like it is resizing, but it will snap back. Shift slightly off from the corner and the cursor will change to the Move cursor and you will be all set to drag by a corner without resizing the object.

 

 

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@PatStanford - That's not working for me.  If I Group, Edit Group, Select & Lock the contained object, Exit Edit, then use the Select tool to move/rescale, the group acts just like the unlocked original object or any other object:

 

If group is not selected:

Cursor displays as a cross at geometry snap points, and white arrow elsewhere.  Click to drag as expected. That click also selects the group.

 

If group is selected: 

Cursor shows the rescale dbl arrow at edit handles (blue squares), the group rescales as expeceted and does not snap back.

Or, cursor is a cross at the handles, the group drags same as any other object. (move the dbl arrow away and back to get the cross per Pat's process)

Or cursor is a white arrow at geometry other than handles, the group drags same as other objects.

 

Is there some missing instruction? Mode? This would be great if I could get it to work.

 

-B

Edited by Benson Shaw
Selection
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