Part design sketch plane correct order: XY, YZ, ZX

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jruiz
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Part design sketch plane correct order: XY, YZ, ZX

Post by jruiz »

Hi.
In my opinion, it is needed to modify one of the names of the planes (and its "orientation") one can select when making a sketch.
I think that instead of XY, XZ, YZ, the appropriate planes should be XY, YZ and ZX (in this order).
If i, j and k are unit vector along X, Y and Z axes respectively, vector algebra tell us that the following vector multiplications hold:
i x j = k, j x k = i and k x i = j
One of the effects of selecting XZ plane instead of the ZX is that the extrusions of the sketches on the former plane "grow" to the negative direction of the Y axis (by the way, i x k = - j ). Of course it can solved by inverting the extrusion sense, but it has not to be this way.

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chrisb
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Re: Part design sketch plane correct order: XY, YZ, ZX

Post by chrisb »

That sounds sensible, and I frequently wondered why I had to reverse some directions of attached sketches. This might clarify things. From a systematic view it would be a change from alphabetic order to cyclic order.

However, I am not sure if this is compatible with current models. I am a big friend of clear basics, but if this was changed internally we need a migration concept as well.
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Opus
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Re: Part design sketch plane correct order: XY, YZ, ZX

Post by Opus »

jruiz wrote: Mon Sep 10, 2018 1:46 am If i, j and k are unit vector along X, Y and Z axes respectively, vector algebra tell us that the following vector multiplications hold:
i x j = k, j x k = i and k x i = j
The common mnemonic is the right-hand rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-hand_rule.
chrisb wrote: Mon Sep 10, 2018 2:42 am However, I am not sure if this is compatible with current models.
Why? It's just a matter of user interface, isn't it?
Extrusion based on sketch built according to the XZ plan is right.
Last edited by Opus on Tue Sep 11, 2018 6:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Part design sketch plane correct order: XY, YZ, ZX

Post by DeepSOIC »

current names are consistent with the way sketch axes are mapped to body/model axes.
XY: H_axis = X, V_axis = Y
XZ: H_axis = X, V_axis = Z
YZ: H_axis = Y, V_axis = Z

Now if we change to ZX, the sketch would end up in a very unnatural orientation. Renaming them just for sake of math doesn't help, IMO.
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jruiz
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Re: Part design sketch plane correct order: XY, YZ, ZX

Post by jruiz »

chrisb wrote: Mon Sep 10, 2018 2:42 am ... we need a migration concept as well.
I agree...
But I think this way FreeCAD would gain (a little of) math robutness...
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Re: Part design sketch plane correct order: XY, YZ, ZX

Post by jruiz »

DeepSOIC wrote: Mon Sep 10, 2018 8:39 am current names are consistent with the way sketch axes are mapped to body/model axes.
XY: H_axis = X, V_axis = Y
XZ: H_axis = X, V_axis = Z
YZ: H_axis = Y, V_axis = Z

Now if we change to ZX, the sketch would end up in a very unnatural orientation. Renaming them just for sake of math doesn't help, IMO.
How about adding the third axis...?
XY: H_axis = X, V_axis = Y, Axis pointing to us Z
XZ: H_axis = X, V_axis = Z, Axis pointing to us -Y
YZ: H_axis = Y, V_axis = Z, Axis pointing to us X

XZ: H_axis = Z, V_axis = X, Axis pointing to us Y

But beyond the viewpoint of the sketches, the effect of extruding a sketch on XZ to -Y is inconsistent with the "other" extrusions modes and it seems to me inconvenient when designing.
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Re: Part design sketch plane correct order: XY, YZ, ZX

Post by DeepSOIC »

juiz wrote: Mon Sep 10, 2018 9:37 am -Y is incoinsistent with the "other" extrusions modes and it seems to me inconvenient when designing.
I agree, but your proposal replaces this minor inconvenience with a major inconvenience. We can switch XZ to (-X)Z to get rid of both inconveniences, at a cost of another minor inconvenience.
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Re: Part design sketch plane correct order: XY, YZ, ZX

Post by jruiz »

DeepSOIC wrote: Mon Sep 10, 2018 9:49 am ... your proposal replaces this minor inconvenience with a major inconvenience...
Are you referring to the work of recoding or to any other mayor inconvenience?
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Re: Part design sketch plane correct order: XY, YZ, ZX

Post by DeepSOIC »

DeepSOIC wrote: Mon Sep 10, 2018 8:39 am Now if we change to ZX, the sketch would end up in a very unnatural orientation.
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Re: Part design sketch plane correct order: XY, YZ, ZX

Post by jruiz »

DeepSOIC wrote: Mon Sep 10, 2018 10:12 am
DeepSOIC wrote: Mon Sep 10, 2018 8:39 am Now if we change to ZX, the sketch would end up in a very unnatural orientation.
Well... "very unnatural orientation"... It is question of opinions (in my opinion :) )
I have to put on a balance "unnatural orientation" and and "extruding to a negative axis orientation"...
It would be good to have the option of choosing which of these "schemes" one want to use.
Last edited by jruiz on Mon Sep 10, 2018 10:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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