Guides - Advice & Suggestions

Just thought I'd back-track a little and go over an old topic from the polycount forums.
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1392543&postcount=1097 <- Related Post.
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74005&page=44 <- Whole thread
I've been meaning to revisit this function in NVil for an age now.

So the only functions I could find related to Guides from doing a search are:

• Edge Shortcut Tools - Create Guide Line Objects
• Edge Shortcut Tools - Create Object Guide Lines
• Rendering Options - Show Guide Lines
• Object Shortcut Tools - Select All Guide Line Objects
• Common Modelling Shortcut Tools - Delete Guide Lines
• Common Modelling Shortcut Tools - Hide Guide Lines
• Common Modelling Shortcut Tools - Unhide Guide Lines

I hope I'm understanding how this works.  It's been an age since it was suggested and I think I missed giving feedback on this.

You select an edge to create the guideline?
I cannot for the life of me figure out how to snap to these guides.
Here is my feedback for this tool.

• It would be much more preferable if you could create guide line based on 2 points. (it seems that maybe the anchor points could constrain to the sub-object selection or extents of the selected object bounding box. 
• Guideline needs two anchor points that we can select and move and snap
• Can we select Guidelines individually?  If not we should be able to do so and enter the sub-object levels; vertex(anchor points), edge
• Smart Snap Points
• Intersecting Guidelines should create smart snap points that objects or sub-objects can snap to.
• Smart Snap point should also include the halfway point (or specified percentage) between the anchor points or any other intersecting points.

Again having a look at how bonzai3D has implemented Guidelines is a good idea.
https://youtu.be/nO_795VX09Y?t=5m54s

thanks

It would be much more preferable if you could create guide line based on 2 points.

Streamline basic tools > Generic tools > Mixed tools > "Create Guide Line Objects"

Guideline needs two anchor points that we can select and move and snap

Select "Guide Line Object", use its manipulator for first snap point, use "Rotation snap Selection" to align second snap point.

Can we select Guidelines individually?

"Guide Line Objects" yes. "Object guide Lines" no

Note. "Object Guide lines" when created are attached to the object(edge) they are created from and will move with the object. "Guide Line Objects" are actual objects and can be selected/moved/rotated as with normal objects.

Intersecting Guidelines should create smart snap points that objects or sub-objects can snap to.

They do, use "Vertex snap" for intersections.
You can use "Edge" snap to snap to Guide line.

Thanks for response steve.

Streamline basic tools > Generic tools > Mixed tools > "Create Guide Line Objects"

This still seems to be based on a single edge selection; is this right?  If you look at the Bonzai3D video this is a much more intuitive and preferable method for creating guide lines.  I feel that this tool was maybe neglected by me during it's inception.  I apologise.

Select "Guide Line Object", use its manipulator for first snap point, use "Rotation snap Selection" to align second snap point.

This works well but if you watch the Bonzai3D video it all seems a little clearer to use.  I actually see no need for Guide Line Objects tbh.

"Guide Line Objects" yes. "Object guide Lines" no

This is funny   Do you realise how confusing the semantics of this subject are?  I'm a pretty experienced NVil user so I can only imagine how impenetrable this is to a new user.  Perhaps it needs to be tidied up a bit.

They do, use "Vertex snap" for intersections.
You can use "Edge" snap to snap to Guide line.

Ah yes thanks for this.  I'm sure I tried these options before which showed no snapping results.  Just tried it again and works as intended.

This still seems to be based on a single edge selection; is this right?

No, it is created from 2 snap points.

Select "Guide Line Object", use its manipulator for first snap point, use "Rotation snap Selection" to align second snap point.

This works well but if you watch the Bonzai3D video it all seems a little clearer to use.

I watch the vid twice, but did not see a guide line moved/aligned after it was created.

  I actually see no need for Guide Line Objects tbh.

Do you mean "no need for "Object guide lines"?(guide lines attached to objects)

"Guide Line Objects" yes. "Object guide Lines" no

This is funny   Do you realise how confusing the semantics of this subject are?

Yes, but what fun it is. 

No, it is created from 2 snap points.

Ok you might need to explain the steps to use this tool.  I cannot select two vertices and activate this tool to create a guide line.  Only by selecting an edge.  Also there is not much in the way of documentation on this tool.

I watch the vid twice, but did not see a guide line moved/aligned after it was created.

Oh sorry, I was really talking about the ease with which he places down the guide lines.  Clicking and dragging two points which snapping intelligently to points, halfway points, perpendicular lines, 45 degree lines etc.  This is turning into more of a feature request than a help request now.

The main feature request is to have 2 'anchor points' on the guide line.  By having these two points you can quickly determine the halfway point which can be useful for a number of things.  Of course the guidelines can extend to infinity beyond these two anchor points which keeps the main principle of this tool. Perhaps snap points that echo the distance between the anchor points could also stretch to infinity.  There's a lot of 'intelligent' snap points and virtual guidelines that could stem from any guidelines that you place down similar to the snapping functions in Bonzai3D.  I feel this is something that could be explored in NVil more.

Do you mean "no need for "Object guide lines"?(guide lines attached to objects)

haha yes of course, thanks for reading between the lines.  I wrote my last post in a hurry while at work.  *see previous post about semantics*

No, it is created from 2 snap points.

Ok you might need to explain the steps to use this tool.  I cannot select two vertices and activate this tool to create a guide line.  Only by selecting an edge.  Also there is not much in the way of documentation on this tool.

Sorry, I should of been more clear.

Enable the streamline "Create Guide Line Object" tool, then click on 2 snap points. (It works similar to the creation of the permanent guide_lines shown in the vid you linked to.)

Enable the streamline "Create Guide Line Object" tool, then click on 2 snap points. (It works similar to the creation of the permanent guide_lines shown in the vid you linked to.)

hmm, then maybe it is buggy at the moment because when I invoke the streamline "Create Guide Line Object" tool no snap points appear, regardless of any snapping settings I have.

I have never seen any issues with that tool, and I do use it frequently.

p.s. I'm glad someone finds this tool useful

which of these options do you use when exposing the 'Create Guide Line Object'?

Hi ghib,

which of these options do you use when exposing the 'Create Guide Line Object'?

The "Generic (all modes)" option.

If you are still having problems, I would suggest e-mailing your config files to IStonia, with an explanation of the problem.

Yes this is the same option I used to create the tool.  I think I may have found a bug; will contact Istonia.

cheers for your help.