[ Feature Request ] : Sketcher adding Midpoint constraint/snap

[Piero69]

while sketching entities i feel useful a "midpoint constraint/snap", it would speed up the work

what do you think?

@paddle @chrisb @adrianinsaval

[chrisb]

I think it has been discussed before, including some input from Abdullah about feasability of this idea.
Currently use symmetry instead.

[NewJoker]

I think it has been discussed before

Yeah, many times. Also quite recently: https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=73286

This is one of the most anticipated tools in the Sketcher.

[drmacro]

It amazes me I've been able to live without it for nearly a decade...

[obelisk79]

It amazes me I've been able to live without it for nearly a decade...

Sure, while not really necessary, as symmetry is in my opinion a much more versatile tool, the proposed wouldn't inherently be bad either. Personally I don't care about having, or not having it.

[drmacro]

It amazes me I've been able to live without it for nearly a decade...

Sure, while not really necessary, as symmetry is in my opinion a much more versatile tool, the proposed wouldn't inherently be bad either. Personally I don't care about having, or not having it.

If it is available, I'm sure it will get used.

As you say, what's available now is more versatile if understood and absorbed into ones workflow.

Many of these kinds of "need for speed" laments come from wanting to get to the "fully constrained" state as fast as possible. This should not be the goal of constraining, but, it takes some time (and experience with Sketcher) to think through constraint themes with intent, rather than blind convergence on "fully constrained".

[chrisb]

How exactly should this midpoint constraint work? What would be the difference to symmetry?

[Piero69]

How exactly should this midpoint constraint work? What would be the difference to symmetry?

in Solidworks for exmple it works as an "automatic symmetry" when sketching. the point in which you attach the new entitiy is autamatically placed in the middle of the reference entitiy. you save the step to apply a following symmetry constraint

[chrisb]

in Solidworks for exmple it works as an "automatic symmetry" when sketching. the point in which you attach the new entitiy is autamatically placed in the middle of the reference entitiy. you save the step to apply a following symmetry constraint

So it's not really a new type of constraint. That seems much easier to implement, because it doesn't need any change to the solver.

[paddle]

My opinion here is that what we need is 'snapping' in general for sketcher geometry tools.
Currently we have 'auto-constraint' which creates the constraint. Snapping override the cursor position to precisely the position we want.
Anyway I had develop 'snapping' in my branch on tool settings but this is pending as the rest of tool settings branch.

I havn't done mid point snapping yet though. But yes the idea is to snap to the middle of the line + create a symmetric autoconstraint.