Add Weld Tool - thoughts and suggestions

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JellyPalm
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Add Weld Tool - thoughts and suggestions

Post by JellyPalm »

Hiya,

I have been using the Add Weld Information tool a little bit, lately.
Its a pretty cool tool, I am a fan :D R-E-S-P-E-C-T

I see from discussion it is a newish addition, and I also saw that someone was soliciting feedback - so here is my wish list for 2021.
I would do it myself – but as you can see I struggle just to get LibreDraw to display…, let alone try to code for it.

Hypothetical Weld Dialogue
Hypothetical Weld Dialogue
Add Weld 2.0.PNG (77.1 KiB) Viewed 3211 times

Collected Thoughts:

Mouse-over Info:
Currently, the mouse-over cursor in the Add Weld Dialogue displays a "text here" suggestion when hovering over the data fields.
I like that, but I think it is already obvious that this is for text entry.
Instead I thought they could be used to add some required-detail info (and a pic??) to make the mouse-over snappier and more informative.
In my experience, it is very easy to forget where all those obscure dimension details go)

(That is the pink mouse-over boxes BTW)


Weld finish Info:
The data required above the weld symbol in complex welds is clearer if it is on more than one line above the weld, so I added another field for this, top & bottom).
(Alternately a multi-line entry method like in the Annotation/default-text[...] field in the Properties Combo would be OK, if they could be designed to justify from the Symbol upwards)


Visual Checkboxes:
I think that Checkbox ‘icons’ in addition to text (Field Weld, All round, etc.) help to quickly show the buttons purpose and also helpfully telegraph its final represent on the Annotation line. (perhaps someone with more graphic-design skills however)


ISO, Other Side indication:
ISO uses an extra dash line on the reference portion of the leader line to indicate the placement of the off-side weld. These can be on either side of the main leader line.
(I think it is to help ISO detailers to draw AWS (upside-down) style, but using ISO (right-side up) tools)

ISO style Depiction of Other Side of weld
ISO style Depiction of Other Side of weld
offsideISO.PNG (9.75 KiB) Viewed 3211 times
[/attachment]


I don’t know if this would need to be added at the create-Leader-Line stage, or whether it is able to be added in the Add-Weld-Info stage (perhaps a check-box, like the Field Weld graphic-which is cooler).
So I made my hypothetical Dialogue to assume the latter.

The checkbox icon helps distinguishes between ISO and AWS offsetting styles.


ISO, Offset welds Indicator:
ISO also has a unique idea about offset welds. Their convention requires a Z shape running through the leader line and spanning both weld symbols.

Here it is for comparative purposes
ISO style Depiction of Staggered Weld
ISO style Depiction of Staggered Weld
intermittent ISO.PNG (91.05 KiB) Viewed 3211 times
I added a Check-box to the hypothetical Dialogue to enable this, this-assuming that this could be coded for in the same way as for the All Around and Field Weld check-buttons.
Extra fields to add a “Z” SVG symbol could do the same job

(For illustrative purposes , I added both options to the hypothetical Dialogue)


DELETE button:
I notice that the current DELETE button gets confused if you FLIP the symbols around.
It repetedly deletes & then replaces the deleted files in all sorts of combinations on the tool, meaning you have to delete the whole Weld from the tree to continue.
Don't know if that is just me?!
But, as an alternative (and possibly with less code complexity) I thought a little half-tone X / DELETE-checkmark in the add-SVG field might encourage it to behave better in future.


SVG Explorer Display:
Currently in my version, SVG thumbnails are displayed in a fixed column, which stays the same width no matter the size of the explorer window.
But if the file names are quite long (as they can be) then there are fewer thumbnails per row– so the symbols display haphazardly in the explorer which looks uncool, and slows choosing.
SVG s display haphazardly
SVG s display haphazardly
random SVGs.PNG (26.59 KiB) Viewed 3211 times
Is there some way to force the display of thumbnails to be regular (&/or to expand into the explorer when it is stretched)?
(on the other hand the symbols are visually distinct in the Explorer so perhaps short numerical file names is enuff to keep them orderly ...?)


Sticky ‘Last Directory’:
I also notice that the Explorer does not remember the last directory selected when choosing SVG symbols from the current Dialogue.
The default directory in Tech Draw Preferences, is being selected with EXTREME prejudice.

It would be nice if there was some way to get the explorer to remember the last directory used to select a symbol in each page, so that, if for some reason I am choosing GOST symbols on this detail view, then I don’t have to constantly re-search for the GOST source directory.

Other thoughts

Obviously there are other conventions apart from AWS and ISO, eg GOST.
I think they could probably be added with a few more specific tweaks like those above without making the tool too complex.

Other than these random musings – I am very happy with the tool, which makes my drawings look very cool, and I commend the coderers and SVG designers for their efforts.

Cheers,
Attachments
ISO Weld Dimensions in a single Graphic
ISO Weld Dimensions in a single Graphic
all Dims ISO weld.PNG (205.71 KiB) Viewed 3211 times
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wandererfan
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Re: Add Weld Tool - thoughts and suggestions

Post by wandererfan »

JellyPalm wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:21 am I see from discussion it is a newish addition, and I also saw that someone was soliciting feedback - so here is my wish list for 2021.
Thanks for the detailed input. I have welded, but am most definitely not a welder. Also I had ready access to AWS specs, but not ISO, so I'm not surprised that we are not fully compliant there.

I've made a ticket for this so it doesn't get lost in the wash - issue #4386
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Kunda1
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Re: Add Weld Tool - thoughts and suggestions

Post by Kunda1 »

@JellyPalm can you take a step further and open a Feature Request ticket for each Feature instead of just one ticket to unite them all?
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JellyPalm
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Re: Add Weld Tool - thoughts and suggestions

Post by JellyPalm »

Kunda1 wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 4:57 pm @JellyPalm can you take a step further and open a Feature Request ticket for each Feature instead of just one ticket to unite them all?
Hiya,

Cheers to Wandererfan and Kundai for your consideration.

I am humbled that you would think those suggestions are worthwhile.

I have to say I am a bit overwhelmed by this whole “ticket” thing.

I had a look at the Mantis page, and I am afraid I am going to respectfully decline comrade Kundais’ suggestion: You really don’t want me poking around there – it would be like my attempt to navigate GitHub-it’s beyond me. I would waste other-peoples bandwidth tootling around aimlessly and then probably just break things.
Additionally, I feel that it is a bit presumptuous of a non-coding-entity like myself to be setting up ambitious projects and work for other people to do.

If more experienced people think anything I contribute on the discussion forum or help forum is worthwhile, I am happy for them to elevate them into other relevant areas (at this stage). They will be more well-versed in what is valuable, where to put it, and how, than a beginner dabbler like myself.

I am not totally work-shy however. If there is a need to create modest graphics or do, words-on-page stuff, I am happy to contribute.
I don't know how you farm these tasks out, but feel free to add me to (or post me) the relevant jobs list.



Cheers,
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Kunda1
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Re: Add Weld Tool - thoughts and suggestions

Post by Kunda1 »

JellyPalm wrote: Sat Jun 27, 2020 2:16 am I have to say I am a bit overwhelmed by this whole “ticket” thing.
I hear you but it's seriously not a big issue. Hear me out.
If you saw what wandererfan wrote in issue #4386 you'll see it can be pretty straight forward.

Register to the tracker, open a new ticket, put in the version of FreeCAD you're using. Title something like: TechDraw Feature: <single feature you mentioned above>
Copy paste the details of one of the feature in to the ticket body.
submit it.

You may not understand yet but the tracker is very important to FreeCAD evolution. What we don't solve/fix immediately in the forum, we need to open a ticket for and track the progress of. It is worth the 2 minutes of opening a ticket (once you've been given the green light). Some industrious dev may come along sooner than later to implement the feature.

Please consider this. ;)

Edit: Whatever you break (which is not really much of anything) on the bugtracker, I got your back ;)
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uwestoehr
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Re: Add Weld Tool - thoughts and suggestions

Post by uwestoehr »

There was a commit that fixes dome weld symbol issues:
https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/pull/5477

It will be part of FreeCAD 0.19.4.
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Kunda1
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Re: Add Weld Tool - thoughts and suggestions

Post by Kunda1 »

JellyPalm wrote:
wandererfan wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 1:57 pm I've made a ticket for this so it doesn't get lost in the wash - issue #4386
Bump
Please respond regarding the status of issue #6313
What is left to do?
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wandererfan
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Re: Add Weld Tool - thoughts and suggestions

Post by wandererfan »

Kunda1 wrote: Sun Apr 03, 2022 1:24 pm Please respond regarding the status of issue #6313
What is left to do?
Most of it. AFAIK, none of the standards related stuff has been looked at, nor the tool tip stuff. This is something for the v021 devel cycle.
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Kunda1
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Re: Add Weld Tool - thoughts and suggestions

Post by Kunda1 »

JellyPalm wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:21 amping
@JellyPalm do you mind updating or creating a new ticket showing what is left to do from your Feature request?
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maker
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Re: Add Weld Tool - thoughts and suggestions

Post by maker »

Hi all,

I'd like to inquire if this thread is still open and continued.

I ask this, because last posts are quite a longer time ago and thread history is somewhat opaque for me.

To clarify I'd a look into the current state of the weld tool in the FC weekly build and sorry to say, find a lot of work still to be done.

Someone who could put me on the track there?

Cheers
M
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