Why CarbonCopy only allow parallel sketches?

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paddle
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Why CarbonCopy only allow parallel sketches?

Post by paddle »

Why CarbonCopy only allow parallel sketches unless CTRL + ALT is pressed?

What is the point of this security?

It seems to add a layer of complexity for absolutely no reason. Beside I found out that non parallel could be selected by chance as my eyes wandered down to the status bar I could definitly have though that the tool doesn't work or doesn't support non parallel sketches.

If the user is trying to select a non parallel sketch, he's trying to select a non parallel sketch. So why should he press keys? It feels like a kid safety :D
openBrain
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Re: Why CarbonCopy only allow parallel sketches?

Post by openBrain »

To me it's fine as it is. It just tells you 'hey, be aware that sketch shape won't be as you see it right now'.
chrisb
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Re: Why CarbonCopy only allow parallel sketches?

Post by chrisb »

openBrain wrote: Wed Jan 26, 2022 11:44 am To me it's fine as it is. It just tells you 'hey, be aware that sketch shape won't be as you see it right now'.
Same for me. As using Carbon Copy is not a very frequent action, it's not really interrupting a smooth workflow if the modifiers have to be used.
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paddle
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Re: Why CarbonCopy only allow parallel sketches?

Post by paddle »

chrisb wrote: Wed Jan 26, 2022 12:04 pm
openBrain wrote: Wed Jan 26, 2022 11:44 am To me it's fine as it is. It just tells you 'hey, be aware that sketch shape won't be as you see it right now'.
Same for me. As using Carbon Copy is not a very frequent action, it's not really interrupting a smooth workflow if the modifiers have to be used.
Indeed it's not a frequent action. But still if you are not seeing the status bar message you just can't select it.

I have seen it now because I'm looking into it in a lot of details as I'm trying to implement ctrl-C ctrl-V copy paste of geometries.

I remember that in the past sometimes when I wanted to copy content from one sketch to the other I tried this tool, tried to use it, couldn't get it to work so I guessed I misunderstood it's use and just went for another method (copy paste the sketch and reorient it).

You both say it's fine for you, but that's exactly what it is. It's fine for users who already know. For the others?

There are other ways to tell the user 'hey, be aware that sketch shape won't be as you see it right now'.

- First and the best : nothing. The user use the tool, he gets the original shape which is not what he wanted. Then he Ctrl-Z and that's it.
Besides, in which case would you use carboncopy? The only reason that this warning would be usefull is that if the user wanted to get a projection of one sketch that kind of happen to be visible behind (and that is somehow not in a perpendicular plane (as it would mostly be the case with XY YZ ZX planes)). And that the user would be like 'Oh that weird projected shape right here would be perfect for me !'.
It feels like the only case would be when the user actually wants to get a projection of another sketch. In which case he would try the tool, see that he gets the original sketch and understand that it's not what he's looking for and ctrl-Z.

- Second : use a dialog that the user would actually see.

However maybe I'm missing the general usecase of this tool, which would explain why I don't get the idea of this warning.
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Re: Why CarbonCopy only allow parallel sketches?

Post by openBrain »

I use CarbonCopy mainly (only?) when I'm reverse engineering stock parts.
To me, the best solution would be to replace the status bar message by a SoLabel close to the cursor where we could give some details to user.
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Re: Why CarbonCopy only allow parallel sketches?

Post by kisolre »

When you see the changing cursor dont you perceive that as a tool STATUS change? Which might be accompanied with a message, displayed in the STATUS bar?
Haavard
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Re: Why CarbonCopy only allow parallel sketches?

Post by Haavard »

That would be nice. I recently used carboncopy to copy my master sketch to multiple bodies in assmebly4, and thought i was doing something wrong because i couldn't select the master sketch. Only after i search the sketcher wiki did i found out i needed to press Ctrl+Alt to select the sketch. Unnecessary difficult in my opinion, as long as there is no reason for stopping me doing so :)
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Re: Why CarbonCopy only allow parallel sketches?

Post by GeneFC »

Some of you might find the original history enlightening.

https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=21672

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Re: Why CarbonCopy only allow parallel sketches?

Post by adrianinsaval »

openBrain wrote: Wed Jan 26, 2022 12:47 pm To me, the best solution would be to replace the status bar message by a SoLabel close to the cursor where we could give some details to user.
Agreed, that would be nice!
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