Ticket #4221 - [Feature request][TechDraw][Detail view] Ability to drag/drop the circle/square defining the detail view

[dxp.dev]

Hi,

OS: macOS Mojave (10.14)
Word size of OS: 64-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.19.18775 (Git)
Build type: Release
Branch: master
Hash: 9e93e621f9d5332114d29ea316f27aa6698eb70b
Python version: 3.7.3
Qt version: 5.12.5
Coin version: 4.0.0a
OCC version: 7.3.0
Locale: French/Switzerland (fr_CH)


Actually:
When adding a detail view of a part in Techdraw WB (https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/TechDraw_NewDetail), we have to guess the coordinates of the circle/square defining the detail view to display as another element on the sheet by adjusting the values of the x,y,z anchor properties manually.

Proposed:
I think that adding the possibility to drag and drop the circle/square and defining its radius/dimension the same way we can drag and drop a circle/square in Sketcher WB as well as drag and drop the radius/dimension by dragging the circle/point of the square would be better.

Advantages:

• Faster

• More precision

• More user-friendly

[chrisb]

I like that idea.

[wandererfan]

I think that adding the possibility to drag and drop the circle/square and defining its radius/dimension the same way we can drag and drop a circle/square in Sketcher WB as well as drag and drop the radius/dimension by dragging the circle/point of the square would be better.

Great idea. Please make a feature request on mantis so it doesn't get forgotten.

[RatonLaveur]

Oh my...i have never paid attention to the bothersome placement of detailed view circles because i always assumed "it will be done when it's done, no way this hasn't been thought of yet". That's actually funny.

[dxp.dev]

Please make a feature request on mantis so it doesn't get forgotten.

Ticket opened : https://www.freecadweb.org/tracker/view.php?id=4221

[chrisb]

Just for the record: there is a [bug] tag where you have to enter only the number:

Code: Select all

[bug]4221[/bug]

which yields issue #4221. And the bug tag can be entered using the button above the edit field.

[ahrendsen]

Not just a bump, but that's a big reason why I'm posting. I've also felt the need for an easier way to place the detail view.

I have a fair bit of programming knowledge, but zero experience with application development. Okay, not zero, I did take an iOS developing class once. For those with experience, do you think this is something that a newbie could tackle, or is it more involved than it seems?

While people are still working on the feature I have a couple of useful tips for the people that are persevering and punching in the number to wildly search for the right spot for their detail view.

1. First, note that when adjusting the values, one can refresh (Press F5) the view and the detail will be updated to the values typed into the field box.
2. Begin by adjusting the radius until the edge of the circle is located approximately where the center of the detail view should be located on the x-axis.
3. Adjust the placement of the x coordinate so the circle is now centered on the x-axis where the detail should be placed.
4. Now adjust the radius until the edge of the circle is located approximately where the center of the detail view should be located on the y-axis.
5. Adjust the placement of the y coordinate so the circle is now centered where it should be on the diagram.
6. Change the radius to the appropriate value.

[wandererfan]

Not just a bump, but that's a big reason why I'm posting.

soon.

dragHighlight.gif (318.23 KiB) Viewed 1609 times

[JellyPalm]

Hiya,

I am a BIG fan of this new Drag-and-Drop-Detail functionality in FC0.19

HOWEVER, there is one slight improvement that I would like to suggest:

Currently the Viewport and Anchor (of the Detail created) inherits the the default scale of the page.

Can I suggest that instead:

(A) The Viewport and Anchor inherits the default scale of the view from which it is being created, and
(B) There is the ability to additionally alter the scale of the viewport (in addition to altering the Radius of the Anchor) in the new FC0.19 Edit-Detail window prior to creating it on the page.

Reasons being:

(A) It aids the workflow.
Once a detail is created the designer will almost inevitably have to crossover to the properties panel to locate and change the scale of the created Viewport.
Often this crossover happens several times as the interaction between scales and size is visible on the page.
Better that this is able to be done at the time the detail is being created.

(B) Idiot-Proofing.
If the default page scale has been left at 1.00, but individual views have been scaled down (due to sub-optimal operator work practises ) then the Viewport is a good size (on an A4 page), but the Anchor is TINY. However if the Radius of the Anchor is then increased in the NewDetail Task-window, then the Viewport is HUGE and obscures all other drawing entities.
Meaning again having to cross over to the properties panel to make the neccessary post-creation adjustments, but with the added irksome disadvantage of not being able to see your underlying page.

Obviously best design practise dictates that the underlying page should set the scale, but sometimes this is not appropriate/doesnt happen and this leads to the problems outlined here.
The suggested mod would deal with this and idiot-proof the user experience a little bit.

(C) Context-driven feature creation.
It is more intuitive to have the relatively few context-relevant parameters for the detail available at detail creation, rather than having some in the NewDetail window, some in Properties/Detail some in Properties/Data etc...and having to know where all these bits are.
(Properties Panel is OK, but better to set the main properties on the fly if possible, IMHO).


Other than that - all Good.


(attached file is of Page Scale 1 / View Scale 1 / Anchor Radius 100 - re (B), above)

Cheers,

[wandererfan]

(A) The Viewport and Anchor inherits the default scale of the view from which it is being created,

I would have bet money that the Detail inherited the Scale from the Base view, but I see now that it doesn't. It should.

(B) There is the ability to additionally alter the scale of the viewport (in addition to altering the Radius of the Anchor) in the new FC0.19 Edit-Detail window prior to creating it on the page.

I think this is in the latest dialog

detailDialog.png (20.74 KiB) Viewed 1455 times

the Viewport is HUGE and obscures all other drawing entities.

I know about this one, but the fix is a big change and I've been putting it off until the next version. Maybe I will have to rethink that. There is a workaround using clip groups.