Move vertice along surface edge

[Dughor]

Something I realy miss...

1.
If I have a rectangular surface, and want to split it into two surfaces, this can only be done in the middle


Before
+-----------------+
| |
+-----------------+

After - when inserting vertices and splitting the surface
+--------+--------+
| | |
+--------+--------+


Now, if I need that cut at 2/3, I have to move the two middle vertices.
Thats no problem, if the angle of the surface is exactly 90° (as i can only move x/y/z)

But as soon as it has an other angle, I have to move a little in each direction. (x/y/z) Guessing, to keep both surfaces plan to each other.

Now, what I like to do:
Inser the two middle vertices, and move them along the surface edge.
Then split the surface at the new vertice-location

2.
Scrollbars in the TCE would be realy nice, to navigate on a zoomed view

3.
A function "snap vertice to surface/object" could be handy, meaning:
I have a fuselage. Now, I like to attach the wing to it. As the fuselage is rounded, I have to try and move every vertice of the wing as close to the fuselages' surface as possible.

Same problem, with engine-nacelle and top surface of a wing. Moving the nacelle-vertices into the wing (to have to hole), destroys the shape of the nacelle edge, as the wing has a profile.



Hope everything is understandable, as english is not my main language...

[Dughor]

I just forgot

4.

Is there a possiblility to rotate a part around an edge?

Imagine a two-motor plane. Main landing gear in engine-nacelles.
If I want to modell open gear doors:
- Build closed engine-nacell.
- Cut out the doors (so they match the nacelle-shape)
- Rotate then by x degree.

Rotation seems to be always around the centre-point of the object.
So in my example the gear doors won't fit anymore, and have to be moved to their old place.
It even gets worse, when the axis I need to rotate around is not exactly 90° to an axis, but x degrees to every axis (x,y,z)

Would be realy helpfull, to select two vertices. And choose: rotate part around selected axis by x degree

[Stiglr]

Hear, hear for the selectable/editable rotation point!!!!

As for the "insert vertices", what I do is complete the Insert Vertice operation, then, with my ortho view in Wireframe (w toggles it) use Move/Size. I grab the new vertice, and deselecting the ones on either side of it. While I do this, I can see all three vertices, and the line between the three before I deselect. A little wiggling around will quickly show you which line you're moving along. Then, after undoing the move, so you're sure not to misplace anything, it's pretty simple to move the new vertice along the line shared by the original three vertices: as long as you stay along that line, the line itself will not move.

Hope that makes some sense.

[LiveWire]

hmmm... a plugin that did the moving along edge thing would probly be easy to do.
but the rotating around edge probly wouldnt work.
considering you cant say what surface to rotate around what edge.

[Dughor]

I just wanted to rotate the whole part.

At the moment, you can onlyselect an object and rotate it around x or y or z axis by n°. I want to rotate ist around a "free-space-axis"
Its hard to explain...

Imagine:
- Vertice-select-mode.
- Select two vertices on the same ege/line
- Rotate part around this axis by n°.

It's nearly the same as
- Rotate part around x-axis by n°
- Rotate part around y-axis by n°
- Move part to the same place it has been before the rotate.
Hopefully you guessed the x and y rotation right, so the edge still fits...

[Auton]

I think the trick is to select the object, and have a set of coordinates for its rotational center. A third line of cordinate boxes on the left side palette, for example, which set the cordinates around which to rotate the currently marked item (possibly active only for whole objects or groups).

That would be a mighty keen feature.

[Dughor]

To set a rotation point could be helpful.

Select the two vertices - get centre point, and rotate the whole object around it...
But we could only rotate around x/y/z axis.

Meaning, I would still need to rotate the part n° around the x-axis, and then n° around the z-axis, if the edge is not exactly on the x/y/z-Axis.

But better than nothing :)

[Dughor]

No word from Andy?
Maybe its already in the new version?

C'mmon throw me a bone, please ;)

[Dughor]

I thought, I bump that up again?

Pretty please :)

[Dennis]

Came across this semi-old thread as I was searching the forums --- Dughor, if you still need this functionality, I have a TCL script here that does it:

http://bellsouthpwp.net/a/t/atomicd/ac3dplug/index.html

See the "Move Toward" plugin/script.

hth

Something I realy miss...

1.
If I have a rectangular surface, and want to split it into two surfaces, this can only be done in the middle


Before
+-----------------+
| |
+-----------------+

After - when inserting vertices and splitting the surface
+--------+--------+
| | |
+--------+--------+


Now, if I need that cut at 2/3, I have to move the two middle vertices.
Thats no problem, if the angle of the surface is exactly 90° (as i can only move x/y/z)

But as soon as it has an other angle, I have to move a little in each direction. (x/y/z) Guessing, to keep both surfaces plan to each other.

Now, what I like to do:
Inser the two middle vertices, and move them along the surface edge.
Then split the surface at the new vertice-location

[Dughor]

Thanks alot Dennis

I'm sitting at work atm. - But as soon as I'm back home I'll try it.
The description looks very promising.

May I point you to my question (http://www.ac3d.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1078) in the Developers-Box?
Maybe you could help?

This could be very handy, if you need to rotate a part, to another one, thats not exactly aligned to one of the three main axes.

[PerFnurt]

get centre point, and rotate the whole object around it...


You'd also have to specify in which axis-order the rotation should be done.

Example:
rotate(90,0,0) followed by rotate(0,90,0)
gives a different result than
rotate(0,90,0) followed by rotate(90,0,0)

Which variant should a rotate(90,90,0) correspond to?