limitations
Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 7:55 pm
I’m coming across a number of areas where I think the Cadintosh interface could be improved:-
Quick Layer
It would be convenient to also be able to scroll up and down the layers one line at a time and also jump up and down by 100. Being able to enter the offset is also useful and still required, but sometimes you just want to click up and down. A couple of additional buttons should do it.
Layer Filters
This is driving me nuts. If I need to change the layers of a filter, currently I have to show the layers I want, then try to save it to the name I want, by typing it all in. Then find it won’t let me because that name already exists, so I have to back out and delete the original filter, try and save the current group again and have to again type in the same name as before because I forgot to copy it to the clipboard before backing out the last time. Then the same for the next one you want to change, until eventually you remember to delete the old layer first, but you cannot copy its name so you end up having to type every name, every time.
Seems to me that when we save a filter, we need to be able to view all existing ones, be able to pick one to replace, just like a std File Save dialog box, or enter a new name. Also, it would be extremely useful to be able to view the layers of a filter and be able to edit them directly, so really easy to edit a filter to modify the list of layers it includes. It should be just a few simple clicks to e.g. add or delete a layer to or from an existing filter. Currently the potentially excellent Layer Filters feature is a nightmare to use and that really restricts its value.
Adding Text
Most of the time I want to just add a label, somewhere, anywhere. Absolute precision is simply not important. But before I can add any text label I HAVE to enter the co-ordinates of where it needs to go and usually I don’t know and don’t care. Just anywhere on screen and I’ll position it once I can see the label and how it fits into the drawing. I think we should be able to simply click on the drawing, type the text and have the label created there.
Variables
It would be so neat to be able to define a value as a variable and then be able to use the variable(s) later in e.g. calculations used in text labels. In particular I’d like to be able to ‘name' a defined and filled area and use that as a variable in a calculation to e.g. add several named areas and display the total area in a text label. Change the size of the area and the total would re-draw to reflect that change. Cadintosh already performs mathematical calculations in many places, all we need is to be able to associate a name with a value from an object and use those names in the mathematical calculations.
Areas
Having defined a complex area I so often need to modify it slightly. But currently I have to basically start from scratch again which can be very time consuming with complex areas. It would be very useful to be able to modify the defining outline of the area. I realise this could be tricky as the actual outline used to define the area need no longer exist, but there must be a way to be able to modify an area in this way to avoid having to always start again for even the most minor mods.
A question about areas. When you click on the area, the information panel shows the size of the enclosed area, but is this dependent on the thickness of the lines used to define the area? Is the area considered to be contained within the defining lines, or are the boundaries point to point according to the intersections of the lines and independent of the lines’ thickness?
Hopefully Thorsten can comment.
Ken G i l l e t t
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Quick Layer
It would be convenient to also be able to scroll up and down the layers one line at a time and also jump up and down by 100. Being able to enter the offset is also useful and still required, but sometimes you just want to click up and down. A couple of additional buttons should do it.
Layer Filters
This is driving me nuts. If I need to change the layers of a filter, currently I have to show the layers I want, then try to save it to the name I want, by typing it all in. Then find it won’t let me because that name already exists, so I have to back out and delete the original filter, try and save the current group again and have to again type in the same name as before because I forgot to copy it to the clipboard before backing out the last time. Then the same for the next one you want to change, until eventually you remember to delete the old layer first, but you cannot copy its name so you end up having to type every name, every time.
Seems to me that when we save a filter, we need to be able to view all existing ones, be able to pick one to replace, just like a std File Save dialog box, or enter a new name. Also, it would be extremely useful to be able to view the layers of a filter and be able to edit them directly, so really easy to edit a filter to modify the list of layers it includes. It should be just a few simple clicks to e.g. add or delete a layer to or from an existing filter. Currently the potentially excellent Layer Filters feature is a nightmare to use and that really restricts its value.
Adding Text
Most of the time I want to just add a label, somewhere, anywhere. Absolute precision is simply not important. But before I can add any text label I HAVE to enter the co-ordinates of where it needs to go and usually I don’t know and don’t care. Just anywhere on screen and I’ll position it once I can see the label and how it fits into the drawing. I think we should be able to simply click on the drawing, type the text and have the label created there.
Variables
It would be so neat to be able to define a value as a variable and then be able to use the variable(s) later in e.g. calculations used in text labels. In particular I’d like to be able to ‘name' a defined and filled area and use that as a variable in a calculation to e.g. add several named areas and display the total area in a text label. Change the size of the area and the total would re-draw to reflect that change. Cadintosh already performs mathematical calculations in many places, all we need is to be able to associate a name with a value from an object and use those names in the mathematical calculations.
Areas
Having defined a complex area I so often need to modify it slightly. But currently I have to basically start from scratch again which can be very time consuming with complex areas. It would be very useful to be able to modify the defining outline of the area. I realise this could be tricky as the actual outline used to define the area need no longer exist, but there must be a way to be able to modify an area in this way to avoid having to always start again for even the most minor mods.
A question about areas. When you click on the area, the information panel shows the size of the enclosed area, but is this dependent on the thickness of the lines used to define the area? Is the area considered to be contained within the defining lines, or are the boundaries point to point according to the intersections of the lines and independent of the lines’ thickness?
Hopefully Thorsten can comment.
Ken G i l l e t t
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/