FC0.17 usage details

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raulshc
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 11:34 pm

FC0.17 usage details

Post by raulshc »

Hi to all, today I tested the FreeCAD version 0.17.10698 x64 in several systems working under windows. The new Part Design workbench is awesome, it is a bit more close to the parametric 3D programs used in bussiness and production. I comment some small details to improve the use, based in my initial test and my experience in other 3D programs.

*Inside a sketch, there are two forms for leave the sketcher, clicking Leave sketch and pushing ESC key when there isn't any active specific command. There should be only one, clicking Leave sketch. Why? because the designers often override commands during the drawing phase, also by repeatedly pressing the ESC key, quickly and unconsciously and so they usually leave the sketcher inadvertently. The ESC key should not do anything in the sketcher space if there is no active sketch command, and leave the sketcher using Leave Sketch button.

*In the tree view, it would be nice if axis systems, sketches, operations and others had in the context menu instructions as Hide/Show, Edit, ... to complement the program to which we aren't familiar with keyboard shortcuts. For example, for Hide/Show we use SPACE key in this program, but I forget it quickly when I'm a while without using the program. I have seen that sometimes Show / Hide appears in the contextual menu of the different elements in the tree view, but if you create a new part with a sketch and a pad, this does not appear, maybe it is some kind of bug.

*If you activate Enable Animation in preferences .. when you exit from sketcher to 3D space that behavior does not occur like when you enter sketcher space or you do Fit in 3D view. Either the behavior is broken or not implemented.

*The Spline tool is desired by the modern designer. Abdullah has done an amazing job and finally we have the tool available, in its form by control of poles and weights and periodic. I know there is code and functionality to integrate into the master and it will improve soon. It would be nice if the tool could also create splines using control points as in other 3D programs (I do not know if I can do it already, since I have not tried the tool in depth) and choose which one to use. For example, in aeronautics, to create airfoil profiles is imperative, since the profile is created by interpolating the spline using the control points generated by the calculation program. See http://www.airfoiltools.com/

*We need the Part Design hole feature. Simply, is neccesary for any mechanical design, for unions with bolts/screws and rivets. Eivindkvedalen is working on it and we hopeful will be ready for the release.

During these weeks I will do more tests and if you go more details I comment them here.

Greetings :)

OS: Windows 7
Word size of OS: 64-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.17.10698 (Git)
Build type: Release
Branch: master
Hash: ac2f9f8902b67143ea081fedc9ffed86fc1a1bd3
Python version: 2.7.8
Qt version: 4.8.7
Coin version: 4.0.0a
OCC version: 7.0.0
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saso
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Re: FC0.17 usage details

Post by saso »

raulshc wrote:*Inside a sketch, there are two forms for leave the sketcher, clicking Leave sketch and pushing ESC key when there isn't any active specific command. There should be only one, clicking Leave sketch. Why? because the designers often override commands during the drawing phase, also by repeatedly pressing the ESC key, quickly and unconsciously and so they usually leave the sketcher inadvertently. The ESC key should not do anything in the sketcher space if there is no active sketch command, and leave the sketcher using Leave Sketch button.
Yes, I am also one of those who likes to hit ESC a few more times then needed and always shoot myself in the foot by closing the sketch doing it :) It could be done as an option in the setting, for those users that might prefer the current behavior.
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saso
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Re: FC0.17 usage details

Post by saso »

Also, how about a checkbox in the "Edit controls" that would sort of lock the view in to a 2D mode (eg, disable rotate). Personally I most of the time use the Blender mouse mode, but prefer the CAD mouse mode in sketch (and I believe I am not the only one), this could help to reduce a few mouse clicks and work a bit faster... What do others think about this and would it be possible to do it? :roll:
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bejant
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Re: FC0.17 usage details

Post by bejant »

raulshc wrote:If you activate Enable Animation in preferences .. when you exit from sketcher to 3D space that behavior does not occur like when you enter sketcher space or you do Fit in 3D view. Either the behavior is broken or not implemented.
Enable Animation is for allowing / disallowing
Tools > View Turntable
and the mouse equivalent.

IIRC in 0.17 (when I used it last) closing Sketcher causes the 3D view to return to where it was at before Sketcher was opened.
raulshc wrote:*The Spline tool is desired by the modern designer. Abdullah has done an amazing job and finally we have the tool available, in its form by control of poles and weights and periodic. I know there is code and functionality to integrate into the master and it will improve soon. It would be nice if the tool could also create splines using control points as in other 3D programs (I do not know if I can do it already, since I have not tried the tool in depth)
+1 on the many improvements Abdullah has made to Sketcher. Did you see this:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=21753
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DeepSOIC
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Re: FC0.17 usage details

Post by DeepSOIC »

raulshc wrote:If you activate Enable Animation in preferences .. when you exit from sketcher to 3D space that behavior does not occur like when you enter sketcher space or you do Fit in 3D view. Either the behavior is broken or not implemented.
This behavior is not implemented. This is an interesting story, in that when entering sketch, changing view is driven by C++ code, where proper support for animation exists. When leaving sketch, the change of camera is driven by python code. I tried to achieve animation there, with limited success. I got some animation, but it was broken enough to do more harm than good, and I eventually abandoned it.

You can disable the restoring of camera when leaving sketch in sketcher preferences. Even though I introduced this feature, I found it annoying enough for myself so I have it disabled in my FC.
raulshc
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Re: FC0.17 usage details

Post by raulshc »

DeepSOIC wrote:This behavior is not implemented. This is an interesting story, in that when entering sketch, changing view is driven by C++ code, where proper support for animation exists. When leaving sketch, the change of camera is driven by python code.
Using the Fits the selected element.. (V,S) button (ViewSelection command on the console) happens the same, the animation of the camera is not implemented, however it is implemented in Fit Screen (ViewFit command in the console). Clearly, it must be implemented in both, I will open a ticket in Mantis.
DeepSOIC wrote:You can disable the restoring of camera when leaving sketch in sketcher preferences. Even though I introduced this feature, I found it annoying enough for myself so I have it disabled in my FC.
Thanks for the information DeepSOIC ;) , I did not know that option in the preferences of the scketcher. This is the default behavior in SolidWorks, more comfortable for users of this program. The previous behavior is like CATIA, more comfortable for the users who use it.
Bejant wrote:+1 on the many improvements Abdullah has made to Sketcher. Did you see this:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=21753
The monster is growing up :mrgreen:
saso wrote:Yes, I am also one of those who likes to hit ESC a few more times then needed and always shoot myself in the foot by closing the sketch doing it :) It could be done as an option in the setting, for those users that might prefer the current behavior.
It's very common to repeatedly press the ESC key, we should have an option implemented with this in the sketcher preferences as with Restore the camera when leaving sketch in sketcher.
saso wrote:Also, how about a checkbox in the "Edit controls" that would sort of lock the view in to a 2D mode (eg, disable rotate). Personally I most of the time use the Blender mouse mode, but prefer the CAD mouse mode in sketch (and I believe I am not the only one), this could help to reduce a few mouse clicks and work a bit faster... What do others think about this and would it be possible to do it? :roll:
+1. I think this property itself is in SolidWorks, it is useful in many situations. Advanced users often do not use it because they often need to rotate their view during sketch editing and then return using Normal to View ... Like before, we should have an option implemented with this in the sketcher preferences

Kind regards!
raulshc
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Re: FC0.17 usage details

Post by raulshc »

Examples of point 2:
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In the Part Design Workbench the visibility options don't appear, but in the Part Workbench they do appear. Operations such as copy can be conflicting in the new PartDesign because they break the sequence of operations. Even so, they can be copied to other bodies or as an isolated solid, using CTRL+C.

*More bugs, if one enables the Hidden Lines view (V, 6) it shows what looks like the polygon mesh (vertex, edges and faces) that calculates the OCC kernel, without rendering. I tested on windows 7 x32-x64 and windows 10 x64 versions.
3.PNG
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Can someone confirm the bug?

*The Sketcher symbol isn't displayed in the preferences editor. This happens in 0.17.10802 x32 version under windows 7 32bit.
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OS: Windows 7/10
Word size of OS: 64-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.17.10698 (Git)
Build type: Release
Branch: master
Hash: ac2f9f8902b67143ea081fedc9ffed86fc1a1bd3
Python version: 2.7.8
Qt version: 4.8.7
Coin version: 4.0.0a
OCC version: 7.0.0

OS: Windows 7
Word size of OS: 32-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 32-bit
Version: 0.17.10802 (Git)
Build type: Release
Branch: master
Hash: 10ce910c03347a90712327a7cc7be2bcdee13afc
Python version: 2.7.8
Qt version: 4.8.7
Coin version: 4.0.0a
OCC version: 7.0.0
raulshc
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 11:34 pm

Re: FC0.17 usage details

Post by raulshc »

Another detail, it would also be necessary and useful to have a normal viewing tool, which is essentially the same as we have in Sketcher (view sketch perperdicular to sketch plane), but usable for any 3D flat face. We have equivalents in other 3D programs:
CATIA
http://catiadoc.free.fr/online/basug_C2/basugbt1207.htm
http://mycaddtutorials.blogspot.com.es/ ... ia-v5.html

SolidWorks
http://help.solidworks.com/2013/English ... mal_to.htm

For me it is essential and in modules like Arch it can be very advantageous to have it available. The button that controls this command should go in View toolbar, next to Fit Selection. I made an icon suggestion, based on the Extrude icon of the Part Workbench :D
4.PNG
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What is your opinion?
cox
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Re: FC0.17 usage details

Post by cox »

raulshc wrote: What is your opinion?
Could this be called "View face from normal", it might work on curved faces as well.

Would also be nice in arch and eventually Assembly to have the reverse direction "View from face normal" ?
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DeepSOIC
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Re: FC0.17 usage details

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