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Topic: Animated cursor movement??  (Read 5465 times)

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  • Polygon
September 07, 2017, 10:14:00 am
Looking at latest test build(Sep-7-17), I am seeing strange(irritating) behaviour when calling Steamline tool from user button.

As example.
I have Streamline tool for simple "NMB: Subobject_Extrude_Normal*", I call the streamline tool from user button, when I do, the mouse cursor moves(animates) from user button location to selection location. Depending how far away the selection is from user buton can mean a delay of 1/2 seconds before tool active(before I can actually extrude).

Seriously?
Maybe we could have some smily faces floating about as well.

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I have been looking for option "Stop the time wasting cursor movement animations", but cannot find it.

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  • Polygon
September 07, 2017, 10:40:09 am
I've seen it happen while I was using a different tool. Can't remember which one though. Very strange.

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  • Polygon
September 07, 2017, 10:53:14 am
It happens if the streamline tool has nmb tool assigned.

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September 07, 2017, 11:06:57 am
It happens if the streamline tool has nmb tool assigned.

So why do we not get this when calling streamline tool via hotkey?

I do not understand the logic behind such an implimentation. It is a bad interuption to workflow.

If you insist on leaving such behaviour, then please add option:-  "Stop the time wasting cursor movement animations" (or name as you like).


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September 07, 2017, 11:48:15 am
When you activate the tool through hotkey, you have the cursor inside viewport.
If you activate the tool out side of viewport, when you move the cursor into viewport, as soon as the cursor enter the viewport the nmb tool will be activated while the cursor is on the edge of the viewport where is not a good place for tool operation. I can change it to jump the cursor to viewport center instead of animation.

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  • Polygon
September 07, 2017, 12:13:34 pm
When you activate the tool through hotkey, you have the cursor inside viewport.
Yes, but it could be anywhere in the viewport, even right next to a user button.
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If you activate the tool out side of viewport, when you move the cursor into viewport, as soon as the cursor enter the viewport the nmb tool will be activated while the cursor is on the edge of the viewport where is not a good place for tool operation.
But the exact same thing can be possible when using hotkey.
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I can change it to jump the cursor to viewport center instead of animation.
If you where performing (for example) an extrusion to cursor with half/full orient, then I could understand that possible need, but the same could be said when using hotkey.
When using user buttons for such function as "Extrude Normal", it does not matter where cursor is, moving the cursor to center of screen could only mean having to move the cursor back to click on another user button.

I look at some other 3d applications, Hexagon, Silo3d(new release) and Blender. I do not see such strange behaviour.




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September 07, 2017, 12:46:14 pm
I was introduced when woofy asked for a composite tool which is a combination of streamline tools and visual tools. When finished a visual tool operation by clicking a button, a nmb circularizing operation is followed.

What is the proper way to click a button to activate a streamline tool then use its nmb tool?

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  • Polygon
September 07, 2017, 01:57:32 pm
I was introduced when woofy asked for a composite tool which is a combination of streamline tools and visual tools. When finished a visual tool operation by clicking a button, a nmb circularizing operation is followed.
If calling "NMB Circularize"(via hotkey) the only interaction with cursor possition is if cursor is over part of selection(to help orientate circularize). To have that interaction/control, you cannot call the tool via a button to NMB action, regardless of if the mouse cursor is automatically moved to center of screen.
Automatically moveing cursor to center of screen(or not) will have no impact on how the circularize will function from a button call to NMB Circularize.

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What is the proper way to click a button to activate a streamline tool then use its nmb tool?
If cursor is needed for interaction with geometry before calling tool/function, then you do not add it to a NMB steamline tool called from user button. Majority of tool/functions do not require such interaction. So IMO, the user button can call a NMB streamline tool and have it activate immediately.

So what is the actual need for moving the cursor to center of screen for NMB circularize?


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September 07, 2017, 02:49:42 pm
This is the example.
In the beginning of a composite tool process, I have a polygon selected and the polygon subdivision tool is opened with its UI. I adjust the subdivision level, then click the tool's button to close the polygon subdivision tool. As soon as the tool is closed the composite tool proceeds to activate the circularize streamline tool. Since this tool has nmb tool assigned, the program move the cursor into viewport automatically in order to be able to perform the nmb operation properly. Now I only need to move the cursor to circularize the selection without pressing mouse button. Once circularize is achieved, I press Esc key to close the circularize tool and the composite tool brings up the extrusion tool which also has nmb tool assigned. Now I only need to move cursor to do extrusion without pressing mouse buttons. Finally I hit Esc key again and the whole composite tool operation finished.

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If you don't want the animation, you can remove the nmb tool. What is the reason you want to activate from a button a streamline tool which has nmb tool assigned. Nmb operation can not be performed outside of viewport.

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September 07, 2017, 04:28:51 pm
This is the example.
In the beginning of a composite tool process, I have a polygon selected and the polygon subdivision tool is opened with its UI. I adjust the subdivision level, then click the tool's button to close the polygon subdivision tool. As soon as the tool is closed the composite tool proceeds to activate the circularize streamline tool. Since this tool has nmb tool assigned, the program move the cursor into viewport automatically in order to be able to perform the nmb operation properly. Now I only need to move the cursor to circularize the selection without pressing mouse button. Once circularize is achieved, I press Esc key to close the circularize tool and the composite tool brings up the extrusion tool which also has nmb tool assigned. Now I only need to move cursor to do extrusion without pressing mouse buttons. Finally I hit Esc key again and the whole composite tool operation finished.

First of all, having to keep pressing the "ESC" key is not good workflow. Normally I see pressing the "ESC" key as exiting a problem, but of course, the problem here is not being able to exit a NMB streamline tool by any other consistant means.
The main problem I have with Nvil is its focus on hotkeys and I am trying to get away from that.

That composite tool, not a way I would work.
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Quote
If you don't want the animation, you can remove the nmb tool. What is the reason you want to activate from a button a streamline tool which has nmb tool assigned. Nmb operation can not be performed outside of viewport.
Workflow.
Why have a user button to, for example, "extrude to normal", click on it, then having to make another mouse click to "extrude to normal". It may not sound an issue when doing it once, but when working for several hours calling tools from user buttons, and keep having to click twice, once on button, once in viewport, it gets a bit tedious(not to mention the constant need to use esc key).

Anyway, I had a bit of a rant about the issues I am seeing when attempting to create a basic config in the bug section. But it looks like this new issue, which looks like it is here to stay, is not one I can work with.

« Last Edit: September 07, 2017, 04:33:17 pm by steve »