new toolbar for tablet users

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lesolognot
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2017 10:42 am

new toolbar for tablet users

Post by lesolognot »

Hello everybody,
first of all, please excuse my poor english, my poor knowledge of Freecad and of programming, i'm just a newbee with a simple problem i think solvable by few lines of code....but i don't know how to!

I tryed to use Freecad on a windows 10 tablet (iwork11 from cube, with wacom digitizer), instalation is ok and the soft works well.
Touch sensitive screen allied with stylus make a good job working together, fingers to zoom, rotate and pan the model, stylus to draw sketches, select precisely anything etc...

The problem is that using it without any keyboard is just not useful. We, as users, frequently need some key, like escape, delete, shift etc... for exemple while drawing sketchs, escape to finish using a tool without closing the sketch, control to select multiple objects, del to delete...

I just would like a toolbar that could be placed a left of the screen (for a right handed user), with verticaly placed few (big) butons to replaces the few keys frequently needed. The escape and del keys would be simple to use with just a push action, but control, alt and shift have to be with a push to set push to unset, because with finger and electomagnetic digitizer, the second one deactivate the first one when used (don't know if i'm understained, but when the stylus is near the screen, the finger aren't detected anymore, so the left hand pressed button will be released when the stylus is detected)

Does anyone has an idea of how to do that? i have absolutly no programming skills

thanks for reading
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jnxd
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Re: new toolbar for tablet users

Post by jnxd »

lesolognot wrote: Does anyone has an idea of how to do that? i have absolutely no programming skills
If programming does not interest you, perhaps designing would? I cannot guarantee any code myself, but if you could provide some wireframes and/or mock-ups, some of the developers might be interested in implementing the features.
My latest (or last) project: B-spline Construction Project.
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r-frank
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Re: new toolbar for tablet users

Post by r-frank »

Hello.

I would think there there are three possibilities which seem to be able to fit your needs.

1) install a virtual keyboard (or maybe use the windows10 integrated one ?) - example
Maybe you will find a version which is customizable enogh for your situation

2) Try to use a macro recorder like for example Tinytask

3) I haven't looked recently into triplus PieMenu-Project maybe it is
already in a usable state for your situation.
[Last time i tried it it could only be activated by the tab-key, a bad choice on systems, where tab is used to switch between cells/entry fields ...]

Roland
Deutsche FreeCAD Tutorials auf Youtube
My GrabCAD FreeCAD-Projects
FreeCAD lessons for beginners in english

Native german speaker - so apologies for my english, no offense intended :)
lesolognot
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2017 10:42 am

Re: new toolbar for tablet users

Post by lesolognot »

Hi guys,

Thanks for your help

jnxd,
while waiting for some answer, I started drawing some button.
Don't know if it is useful, but here is my sketch in attachment.
Freecad button.zip
(50.63 KiB) Downloaded 112 times
r-frank,
Your first solution shloud work, but not with the standard windows virtual keyboard which has no 'special keys' (esc, shift and so on), but the major problem is that it takes too much space on a 10,6inch screen, plus it is not very ergonomic...
Your second solution seems better, but how to integer it to the Freecad interface, or force it to stay visible on top on Freecad window?
I don't understand how to implement your third solution, it seems usable, but not sure to have the needed skills...

My prefered and more ergonomic solution seems to be the special toolbar, if anyone can guide me in how to?

regards
greg
triplus
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Re: new toolbar for tablet users

Post by triplus »

Hi Greg!

Note that entering and exiting sketcher edit mode command is already available in FreeCAD (in Sketcher on toolbar). Command for deleting selected geometry (sketcher or 3D view) is available (Edit menu). All this commands can be added to custom (global) toolbar as you see it fit. The toolbar can be local or global. It can be positioned freely.

Continue mode for sketcher edit mode can be disabled but it doesn't have to be. As you can simply click on another command without exiting continue mode first. And in sketcher you don't use Ctrl key for multi-selection.

I feel that this already covers 90% of functionality you mentioned you would like to have. Using Ctrl key in 3D view for selection therefore is the only thing i can't provide straightforward solution ATM. But note that some commands like a set of BOA commands provide the ability to complete the operation without the requirement to use Ctrl key.

In short what i do feel is missing ATM is an option enabling the end user to create multi-selection in the 3D view without involving the Ctrl key. If that ever gets implemented i do feel all your suggestions should be addressed.
lesolognot
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Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2017 10:42 am

Re: new toolbar for tablet users

Post by lesolognot »

Hi triplus,
thanks for your advices,
i have placed the delete button on a new bar, it's a lot more efficient...
i'm ok with the fact that we can change tool without pressing escape, but after sketching how to loose the tool to start adding constrains? the only solution i found is to escape sketch to re enter without a tool selected.

excuse my beotian question, bit what is 'a set of BOA command '?

If you have a minute to explain this two point...

thanks
greg
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DeepSOIC
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Re: new toolbar for tablet users

Post by DeepSOIC »

lesolognot wrote:i'm ok with the fact that we can change tool without pressing escape, but after sketching how to loose the tool to start adding constrains? the only solution i found is to escape sketch to re enter without a tool selected.
You can go to preferences -> Display->Sketcher, and disable "Geometry creation continue mode". This will make it stop drawing in sketcher after you put one shape. This will work for everything but polyline.

For polyline, right-click should end the process of drawing. This might be more convenient than to use esc on screen keyboard, or leave-enter a sketch.

Also, if you are using v0.17, there is an option under Display->Colors to increase pick radius. This may help selecting stuff with fingers.
triplus
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Re: new toolbar for tablet users

Post by triplus »

lesolognot wrote:Hi triplus,
thanks for your advices,
You're welcome.
but after sketching how to loose the tool to start adding constrains? the only solution i found is to escape sketch to re enter without a tool selected.
I did a quick test in FreeCAD 0.17 at that time and there constraints have Continue mode. Therefore i could click on constraint directly. But now i did some further tests and likely as @DeepSOIC suggested you will want to turn off Continue mode on such hardware and such use case for now. To avoid mentioned issues altogether in all scenarios.
excuse my beotian question, bit what is 'a set of BOA command '?
Boolean operations available in Part workbench.
lesolognot
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2017 10:42 am

Re: new toolbar for tablet users

Post by lesolognot »

thanks both, with this setting it is more usable, still not perfect but works.

i will train more with that on 0,16 before going to 0,17.

regards
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