Indeed, many options in Blender are focused only on normal and Z axis.
But the simple fact that 3D cursor is an orientation corresponding to 3 axis, now, should help for CAD work.
If alignment on Z axis can be already possible, just locking Z axis and adding a step to align X or Y axis of cursor to a target can radically improve its potential.
A major problem to define cursor rotation is that cursor wire is not coloured following color code for axis.
So, an overlay showing its orientation would be required for possible new tools to rotate it or align its orientation.
Currently the only way to know, what cursor orientation is while transforming it, is to enable a transform gizmo showing it.
Sure, but it is a separate design task.
For example, it is reasonable to set up center, then snap X and Y axis because it will set Z axis automatically.
Development is underway, and I am pleased to announce that yesterday, one of the long-proposed features was finally integrated into Blender. It is the ability to navigate while transforming (navigating during Move, Rotate, and Scale).
This feature can be enabled through an option located in the Keymap settings. This option had to be created because some modal modifier keys (such as using the mouse wheel to edit the influence of proportional editing) needed to be modified to avoid conflicts with the navigation shortcuts. Now, you have to press Alt in these cases.
In the description, you can find other links for more details.
Now it’s time to focus on another feature of Snapping & precision modeling improvements, with improvements in “Perform on a base point” and “Snap to Grid” being the most promising
One of the most awaited improvements… thank you very much @mano-wii
Now… waiting for snap base point.
Good job.
ps… Please consider working in snap bisect/knife on scene objects, not just in what is being edited… like 3ds ‘quick slice’ tool.
… and/or expose internal snap system to python api.
Hi, @mano-wii
Thank you for a new build. I’ve finally got some time to test it and I got a question about the way edge basepoint snap is performed.
Here is a video (sorry for the quality, my recorder is lagging for some reason, there are no visual lags during testing).
The problem is that (unlike unrestricted) axis-restricted basepoint snap doesnot follow the target when axis restriction is used during edge snapping. Can you please check/clarify it?
Are there still plans to include a CAD like snapping mode where the first operation is to pick the origin to transform with? That would really help with precision modelling, similar to what this addon does, but than with a modal within the existing transform tools.
I see, didn’t really understand the new feature then.
What I was asking, is could the Snap Base be a modal? So whenever you use a transform tool, you get to first set the basepoint for each operation. If you need precision transforms often, it saves a lot of pressing B for each operation, instead, you toggle the modal on/ off.
Not completely convinced the snapping base point implementation is right.
It kind of clashes with the “Snap with” snapping options. It’s the same thing, so they should all be grouped, but this one is under a hotkey, while the others aren’t.
Also, wouldn’t the “Blender Way” have something to do with the 3D cursor?
@mano-wii can you remind me again of the logic behind the “white target” gizmo that is now showed in the viewport when transforming with snap? It shows regardless of the basepoint.
I believe it is white when it is not finding a snap point and turns orange when a snap point is found.
In general it indicates what is currently the active snap point. In case of a base point it is under the mouse curser and in case of having base point turned off it depends on the snap and pivot settings.
For example, if you set “snap with” to “center” the white target will be in the center of the object you are trying to snap to something. set “snap with” to “closest” it depends on where you want to snap it and the white target will ajust its position accordingly.
I would prefer that nothing in blender required the use of the cursor. The software should be able to interpret multiple clicks without making one use the cursor to indicate where a basic action should happen.
The “white target” is the Snap Base itself.
It can be calculated automatically with the “Snap With” options, or set by the user with the B key.
Note that if the Snap Base and Snap Target (orange) are in the same position, overlapping each other, only the Snap Target will be drawn. This is for the drawing to be cleaner.
I’ve had a chance to test out 4.0 alpha build from today, and while on paper I wasn’t convinced of the utility of moving the view while transforming, in practice it’s amazing. It’s one of those things I didn’t know I needed. Mad props for making this work. I’m sold.
Then, basepoint transform. Let’s not mince words, it’s amazing. So straightforward. It feels… well, simply natural : grab Suzanne by the ear, move it over there. The legacy options (closest, median, etc.) already look antiquated in comparison.
Now I suppose it could be made even more straightforward by not requiring the hotkey (B). Perhaps it could go something like G → click on basepoint → click on target and voilà.
In any case that is such a QOL it needs to be said out loud. Thanks !
Maybe it would make sense to introduce a new active tool (maybe as a sub-tool of the “Translate” tool) that worked like this. That would work nicely with keymap option that enables the corresponding active tool instead of immediately starting the operator.
