Monitoring and editing the coordinates of dwire points

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simsiem
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Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2016 7:19 am

Monitoring and editing the coordinates of dwire points

Post by simsiem »

I just switched to 0.17 to use the Arch pipe tools. And I quickly loved them. I am very productive in creating various kinds of pipes. Very cool. Thanks all.

I found editing dwires complicated in 0.16. But I did not use them much. So it was no problem. Now, most pipes have a dwire as their base. And I want to verify or edit them oftenly. I know and use the Draft Edit tool. But it does not solve all of my use cases.

Now I find myself often in the Python console writing something like Gui.Selection.getSelection()[0].Points to check the correctness of the points (for example, the z value). For two-point lines, this is easy with the properties panel. But for dwire, I only found the console.

And to change just certain values (e.g. just the y coordinate of one point), I find myself create construction lines to make the right point snapable and then use Draft Edit. But this is unnecessarily complicated and I would not do it this way with a normal two-point line.

How are you using dwires in the Draft and Arch workbenches? Is there a way to get an editable list of dwire points, e.g. from the properties?

Thanks, Simon
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yorik
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Re: Monitoring and editing the coordinates of dwire points

Post by yorik »

simsiem wrote:Is there a way to get an editable list of dwire points, e.g. from the properties?
Not yet, there are still several property types (mainly those that are list-based), that don't appear in the properties list. Basically what we call a property editor needs to be coded for them, which is the line that appears in the properties window, plus all the functionality needed to edit it.

I agree that would be nice to have, although I don't have a very clear idea of how the editor for lists of vectors should be/look like... Another that is still missing is one for lists of linked objects.
ikua
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Re: Monitoring and editing the coordinates of dwire points

Post by ikua »

I have the same Problem as simsiem.

Piping is a very iterative process and therefore need a lot of changes. It would be therefore a great improvment, if it would be possible to edit wires (move whole lines/segments, possibility to prolong a dwire,possibility to remove lines ..)

I was working before with sektchup and with the above tools it worked really well.

An other suggestion which came to my mind:

If you making a straight line which consist of 3 points (beginn, middle, end) the middle point could be use for positioning a flange or Pipe connection. So flanges could be set easily with dwire.
ikua
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Re: Monitoring and editing the coordinates of dwire points

Post by ikua »

I was playing around with Freecad to migrate from sketchup to it. We are using 3d Drawaing mainly for piping.

With the help of the forum I am quite close to a satisfying solution
- Define Pipe axis with dwire
-Make pipes with the Pipetool of the Arch WB (Freecad 0.17)
-I created a makro to write length an pipe dimensions to a spreadsheet
-Align Fitting to the pipe with Assembly 2 WB (Axial constraint) so i can manipulate the pipe Axis (d-wire) and recompute afterwards the constraints

First test were really promising. There is only one essential tool missing. As Piping often changes during the planing process, you have often to move the pipe axis. Until new with the edit tool of the draft workbench you can only move on vertices.

Do you see there a possibility, that you can mark two vertices (one axis/or line) and move them together!

I think with that possibility a first basic BIM syststem for piping is quite close.
If there would be a possibility i would after the Implimation try to make an tutorial, so the workflow would be available for more people, cause i think many civil engineers are searching for a solution like that (especially small companies). That could expand the comunity a lot, espeacialy since sketchup closed there Warehouse, and a lot of people are searching for a other free community.

greets
ikua
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Kunda1
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Re: Monitoring and editing the coordinates of dwire points

Post by Kunda1 »

Have you seen ? the Flamingo Workbench? https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?t=21532
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ikua
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Re: Monitoring and editing the coordinates of dwire points

Post by ikua »

@Kunda1

Thank you for the hint. I was playing before also around with that. Beside of the advantages it find it sometimes a bit complicated and counterintuitive. Also if i change the base dwire, I could not find a solution the changes to the pipeline, that is why i prefer the approach of the arch pipe.

For me one major concern is to move whole line (or multiple lines) of the pipe axis.

I will give you an example:
You are planing the piping of a basement. After some planing you find out you have to lower all pipes which are on the ceiling 10 cm. If i have 4 pipes with some elbows that is a pain in the ... cause have to move all vertices one by one. Here it would be a great solution, to move them all at one, in the best case also with the mouse on the screen and not only by typing coordinates.
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microelly2
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Re: Monitoring and editing the coordinates of dwire points

Post by microelly2 »

I have a Drft Bspline Editor in my Nurbs WB,
where you can change the points

phpBB [video]



Menu Nurbs -> Edit Bspline
ikua
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Re: Monitoring and editing the coordinates of dwire points

Post by ikua »

Looks great. Will have a look at it if it applies to my problem (got new wokelaod now) but i think it is the thing which simsim (the first poster) was looking for.
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