Sketch auto constraint cycle shortcut?

[andre]

Just as there is a shortcut key "M" to cycle through the different types of lines when doing a Polyline sketch, is there a way to cycle through various constraint types when you are doing an auto constraint whilst in the midst of drawing a sketch?

[logari81]

There isn't but it is a good idea. In general I don't like auto-constraints very much and we have to tide up their current implementation in FreeCAD quite a bit.

[quick61]

I'm thinking that this is one of those things that looks better on paper than it would in real life. Keyboarding through the list might be OK if it's the first or second choice, But what if its the next to the last and you key past it? You have now spent more time than it would take to add 2 or 3 constraints the "old way".

Adding keyboard shortcuts for Arc, Circle, Point and Polyline would be a better use of the devs time than being able to key through the constraint list, IMO.

Though having the constraints on the mouse right click selection of a line/circle/arc... ...Hummm

Mark

[andre]

Hmm.. you may be right. I've done some sketches where I only want one type of constraint (Point to Arc). At least having some option to allow a user to select which constraint to apply on a constant basis could be useful to speed this up.

For example, I want to sketch a six-face nut. I usually start with a circle with a known radius, then poly line six lines. If I use auto-constraint, it applies tangent constraints which screw it up. I usually turn off Auto, and go back six times to apply Point-To-Curve constraint (fix point onto object).

Would be nice to somehow automate this... aside from developing a macro for every single use case which would amount to tons of macros.

[bejant]

I want to sketch a six-face nut. I usually start with a circle with a known radius, then poly line six lines

I'm thinking a Create a Regular Polygon function would be nice to have in Sketcher, similar to the one in the Draft workbench. Maybe select the center, enter number of sides, enter the radius length, and tell FreeCAD whether the polygon is inscribed or circumscribed about the radius (distance across flats vs. distance across points)?

If I use auto-constraint, it applies tangent constraints which screw it up.

For me I like to keep the Auto Constraints on. I like that the cursor indicates when the Point on a Line, Vertical / Horizontal, and / or Tangent constraints will be automatically applied. I just Sketcher a circle, toggle it to Construction (blue), Polyline to freehand somewhat of a hexagon, set all sides equal, and sometimes Constrain one side of the hex to Vertical, Horizontal, or once in a great while to an Angle off one of the Axes. I thought there already was a ticket for creating Polygons in Sketcher but I can't find it.

and go back six times to apply Point-To-Curve constraint (fix point onto object).

Yes, and if the hex is circumscribed about the circle we'd have to use the Tangent constraint. Sometimes I wish this and some other Sketcher tools would stay "active" after Enter is pressed, as do the Trim and Fillet tools, and Esc ends the tool.

I thought one of the dev's had started a thread some time ago that was kind of an informal wishlist for Sketcher but I can't find that either...

But what if its the next to the last and you key past it? You have now spent more time than it would take to add 2 or 3 constraints the "old way".

That was my initial thought too. I just opened up FreeCAd and I see about 15 constraint tools. Not sure I'd want to toggle through 14 of them, or 29 of them if I needed the Angular Constraint (the last one on my screen) but overshot it.