[Feature Request] Part Design - Vertically/Horizontally equidistant constraint

[leoheck]

This is an Idea for a new feature.

We have this awesome Symmetrical constraint. This is a great tool but it requires that the features align vertically and/or horizontally. So, I am thinking that we could have 2 new kind of symmetrical constraints for Vertical and Horizontal symmetries.

For instance, the Horizontal symmetry applies the same length on each side but it does not force the points to be in the same vertical place. The same happens for the Vertical symmetry that constraints the distance in the vertical movement and ignores the horizontal position of the points.


OS: Ubuntu 21.04 (ubuntu:GNOME/ubuntu)
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.20.
Build type: Release
Branch: unknown
Hash: 77b198048a63f1e9ca15eef64c8042d599a14cf3
Python version: 3.9.5
Qt version: 5.15.2
Coin version: 4.0.0
OCC version: 7.5.2
Locale: English/United States (en_US)

[chrisb]

I don't understand. That's how symmetry works now. It doesn't align things vertically nor horizontally. In the example the point in the middle uses symmetry:

[leoheck]

hmm, I am thinking something like this. In this case, I would like to have these 2 features equidistant to the vertical axis.

I can achieve that with 2 construction lines and an Equal constraint since we have this vertical axis high in the middle. And maybe one more construction line if we don't have this vertical line in the middle. But having such a feature would help keeping the Sketches clean.

[chrisb]

hmm, I am thinking something like this. In this case, I would like to have these 2 features equidistant to the vertical axis.

Add a point on y-axis, add symmetry:

[leoheck]

Hmm, I did not know that, nice.

Then, don't you think that would be good to be able to click in the vertical line to active the same thing since the line has this vertical constraint?

[chrisb]

Then, don't you think that would be good to be able to click in the vertical line to active the same thing since the line has this vertical constraint?

No.

[chrisb]

Moved the topic.
(You have created quite some feature request among all your posts and should know that they go to the Open discussion forum.)

[GeneFC]

Then, don't you think that would be good to be able to click in the vertical line to active the same thing since the line has this vertical constraint?

I asked for exactly that operation to give symmetrical distances from the axis. It was politely explained that I was insane, so I dropped the idea.

Gene

[drmacro]

Then, don't you think that would be good to be able to click in the vertical line to active the same thing since the line has this vertical constraint?

I asked for exactly that operation to give symmetrical distances from the axis. It was politely explained that I was insane, so I dropped the idea.

Gene

Hmm...I'm not sure what is being asked for IS symmetry. By definition symmetry is the same on either side of the "line of symmetry". So, for a line (L1) to be symmetric around another line (L2). The only time the condition can be met is when L1 is perpendicular to L2.

Now L1 being symmetric around a point (P1) is different, because the line of symmetry is perpendicular to L1. In this case the line L1 can have it's vertexes in any orientation, the vector between the vertexes (L1) can be equal distance around P1, but L1 is perpendicular to the line of symmetry.

My point is, I think what is being described is a equal distance constraint with selection of the distance being horizontal/vertical/both.

[obelisk79]

I'm going to have to agree that I don't see the benefit or even fully understand the specific problem you're attempting to address.

FreeCAD truly is like a giant swiss-army knife of tools. Almost to the point of excess, thankfully they are relatively compartmentalized through the workbench system. As I already stated I'm not 100% sure I fully understand what problem you're trying to solve here, it sounds like perhaps you're looking more for a convenience feature? The sketcher is already incredibly feature rich, I'm not sure it would benefit from more 'stuff' in this instance.