Absolute Rotate [plug-in] (Updated: 2014/Aug/06)

[micheus]

It can sound strange add this option, but I think that this kind of rotation was missing. We can do a lot of operation with all rotation option already existent except define an axis for measure the angle between two vectors (edges).

It was something I already needed in the past and recently I was asked by Arg Arg about this kind of operation. So I decided to implement it and see if it is what other people would look for. Also, I'm sharing it here in order we can have the bugs found and fixed soon.


Thanks to Arg Arg and Fonte Boa for your ideas and comments in the "backstage".

Files for download are here. You can use the File->Install Plugin option to install the wpc_absolute_rotate.tar file.
The wings_vec.beam file you found in the download page needs to replace the original one as explained here (but, it's not the same file - it fixes that bug plus enable change vector orientation).

[Fonte Boa]

Not so intuitive as Absolute Move, but it is working fine.

[micheus]

Thanks for test it Fonte.
It can not be so intuitive, but I think there is no way to make it different.
Since the user understand the way it works it becomes easy. It also make possible make some alignments that would be complex to do with the current tools.

Here is a video showing one particularity existing at this command - sometimes wings give us an opposed orientation (to see the comments watch it on YouTube):
and here is a image showing the before, used axis and after:


I will work on that issue, but it require a small change to a core module. So, - until there - a workaround would be use that wrong orientation and after the operation has been finished use the same rotation axis and run a regular rotate [RMB] applying 180°.

Some times, selecting the vertices instead of the edge give us the right orientation (that is not a rule, due the way wings defines the orientation vector for this kind of operation).

[Fonte Boa]

Micheus, you wrote "Updated: 2014/May/27".
It is another release or just the initial one?

[micheus]

Micheus, you wrote "Updated: 2014/May/27".
It is another release or just the initial one?

No, I just added it for future reference by the users - in case of any update be needed.

In truth, I would like to enable a second option where we can select two rotation axis (one for the reference and other for the target vectors). This would make possible to do a more complex rotation between two objects (the first rotation will align the two rotation axis and the second one will do what we have now).

[Nova]

This is fantastic!

[Arg Arg]

[VladD]

Micheus, you wrote "Updated: 2014/May/27".
It is another release or just the initial one?

No, I just added it for future reference by the users - in case of any update be needed.

In truth, I would like to enable a second option where we can select two rotation axis (one for the reference and other for the target vectors). This would make possible to do a more complex rotation between two objects (the first rotation will align the two rotation axis and the second one will do what we have now).

It might unnecessarily complicate things, IMHO. To select the right vector, it's really not that hard for us, users, to pick two vertices instead of an edge, which will be enough 80% of the time. Is it worth adding another selection step just to babysit the user? I doubt that the average newbie will use this function anyway.

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Ah, I kinda missed that you used the term "option". If that's what it is, like the occasional numberred options that some other commands have, like the relative/absolute one for slide, then okay. shrugs.
Absolute Rotate is quite useful, btw. Thanks

[micheus]

VladD, thanks for you comments. I also have doubts about add a variation of the first command (for MMB) and yeah, I think to implement a RMB with a dialog as we can find for the other Absolute commands (array option with duplicate is in the to-do-list).

Anyway, as it was in progress I would like to share it here and ask for any feedback.
The MMB do in one step what we would have to do in two steps with the LMB option.

I also need help with the name/description for the information line.

Here is a sample what parameters it needs and what it produce:
Thanks to Arg Arg by the picture.


You can use the File->Install Plugin option to install it: wpc_absolute_rotate.tar

[puzzledpaul]

Looking at the above graphics, one suggestion I'd make for anyone creating tuts etc is to polarise* the objects in some way, so that the viewer can immediately see which elements are being aligned.
For objects like cylinders, just extruding a single (side) face is often enough ... this also (imo) makes the op seem more 'realistic', as I wonder why - in AA's gaphics - anyone would want to rotate a (plain, unmodified) cylinder thro some angle to end up with what they started with

... but, then again, I'm just an awkward ... (insert suitable description of your choice )

pp

* also making appropriate edges hard and therefore a different colour can easily aid differentiation of appropriate elements,as can colouring (individual) faces (as per M's eg) - imo.

having immediately identifiable visual references also tends to help reduce the text needed to identify stuff ... bringing us back to the old adage about pics being worth some number of words (maybe changed thro' inflation?)