05 PDT Design; Operations
The Menu for Operations:
This section of the menu deals with Operations and works with inputs from the Variables box.
This button is used to place the Cursor, Pivot Point, New Vertex, etc. to Absolute (Global Coordinates). You can see a full list of available options in the table on Page 3 of this Wiki for both Edit and Object modes.
Uses: X, Y & Z inputs from the Variables section as Absolute Values.
Selection: No selections are required, other than to manipulate geometry, or objects.
Example 1: Place Cursor at XYZ = 1,4,3 - Select Cursor Operation, set X to 1, Y to 4, Z to 3 - Cursor is moved to these coordinates.
Example 2: Move Selected Object to 6,4,6 - Select Move Operation, set X to 6, Y to 4, Z to 6 - Selected Object is moved to these coordinates.
This button is used to place the Cursor, Pivot Point, New Vertex, etc. to Delta (Incremental Coordinates). You can see a full list of available options in the table on Page 3 of this Wiki for both Edit and Object modes. Here the Working Plane setting is important, because, if set to View, the interpretation of the Delta inputs, consisting of 3-axis coordinates, is in the view's local axes, otherwise they are considered to be along the global axes.
Uses: X, Y & Z inputs from the Variables section as Absolute Values.
Selection: In Edit Mode an Active vertex is required, this must be selected with the mouse, for many operations, others may be selected to manipulate geometry. In Object mode the same applies, but instead of active vertex, an active object.
Example 1: Place Cursor at 1,0,1 away from Selected Vertex, Set Cursor Operation, set X to 1, Y to 0, Z to 1 - Cursor is placed at this offset from selected vertex.
Example 2: Place New Vertex at 1,0,1 away from Selected Vertex, Set New Vertex Operation, set X to 1, Y to 0, Z to 1 - A New Vertex is placed at this offset from the selected vertex.
This button is used to place the Cursor, Pivot Point, New Vertex, etc. to Directional (Polar Coordinates). You can see a full list of available options in the table on Page 3 of this Wiki for both Edit and Object modes. Here the Working Plane setting is critical to the interpretation of the Directional Inputs, consisting of a Distance and an Angle, assumed to be in the view's local axes if in view mode, or along the axes defined by the view setting; X & Y in the case of Top, etc.
Uses: Direction & Angle inputs and Flip Angle checkbox.
Checking Flip Angle check box will cause angle to flip 180 degrees.
Selection: In Edit Mode an Active vertex is required, this must be selected with the mouse, for many operations, others may be selected to manipulate geometry. In Object mode the same applies, but instead of active vertex, an active object.
Example 1: Place Cursor 1.6 units at -46.25 degrees from selected vertex in Front view. Set Plane to Front(X-Z), set Cursor Operation, set Distance to 1.6, set Angle to -46.25 - Cursor is placed at this offset relative to XZ plane.
Example 2: Move an Object(s) 2 units at 35.6 degrees in the Top View Pane. Set Plane to Top(X-Y), set Move Operation, set Distance to 2, set Angle to 35.6 - Selected Object(s) are moved at this offset relative to XY plane.
Here a new vertex has been placed 1 unit in X and 1 unit in Z away from the selected vertex at the corner of the mesh, using the Delta Button, the new vertex is shown as Active.
This button is used to place the Cursor, Pivot Point, New Vertex, etc. to a Percentage value between two locations. You can see a full list of available options in the table on Page 3 of this Wiki for both Edit and Object modes. The Working Plane option is ignored as the two locations are considered in 3D space.
Uses: Percent input & Flip % checkbox.
Selection: Either two vertices, or two objects, can be bulk selected.
Example 1: Place Cursor at 45% of the separation between two vertices - Select Cursor Operation, set Percent to 45 - Cursor is moved to 45% of the distance from the first vertex in your blend file, use Flip % to measure from the other vertex.
Example 2: Move Active Object to 25% of separation between itself and one other object - Select Move Operation, set Percent to 25 - Selected Object is moved to 25% of the distance between the two objects starting from the active object, use Flip % to measure from the other object.
This button is used to place the Cursor, Pivot Point, New Vertex, etc. to a point where one location would intersect normally with two other locations. You can see a full list of available options in the table on Page 3 of this Wiki for both Edit and Object modes. The Working Plane option is ignored as the two locations are considered in 3D space.
Uses: All/Active checkbox.
Selection: Either three vertices including one Active vertex, or three objects including one Active object.
Checking All/Active checkbox will cause all selected vertices, or objects to be affected in any of the geometry manipulators, otherwise only active vertex, or object is affected.
Example 1: Place Cursor at Normal intersection of 1 vertex with two others - Select Cursor Operation, select two vertices representing a line, select third (active) vertex.
Example 2: Move Active Object at Normal intersection of Active Object with two others - Select Move Operation, select two objects representing a line, select third (active) object.
Cursor placed at Normal Intersection.
This button is used to place the Cursor, Pivot Point, New Vertex, etc. to a point where one location would intersect normally with two other locations. You can see a full list of available options in the table on Page 3 of this Wiki for both Edit and Object modes. The Working Plane option is ignored as the three locations are considered in 3D space. Sets the Distance input to the radius of the arc described by the three locations
Uses: All/Active checkbox.
Selection: Either three vertices, or three objects, can be bulk selected.
Checking All/Active checkbox will cause all selected vertices, or objects to be affected in any of the geometry manipulators, otherwise only active vertex, or object is affected.
Example 1: Place Cursor at the Centre of an Arc drawn through three vertices - Select Cursor Operation, select three vertices.
Example 2: Move Active Object to the Centre of an Arc drawn through three vertices - Select Move Operation, select three objects, Active object is moved to Arc Centre.
Cursor Placed at Arc Centre of Selected Vertices.
This button is used to place the Cursor, Pivot Point, New Vertex, etc. to a point where two imaginary, or real, lines would intersect, as defined by four vertices, two edges, or four objects. You can see a full list of available options in the table on Page 3 of this Wiki for both Edit and Object modes. Here the Working Plane setting is critical to the calculation of the intersection.
Uses: All/Active checkbox & Order when in Object Mode.
Selection: Either four vertices, two edges, or four objects, vertices must be selected individually in Edit Mode, with the first two representing the first intersection line and the second two the second intersection line if vertices are used.
Checking All/Active checkbox will cause the two selected vertices, or objects, closest to the intersection to be affected in any of the geometry manipulators, otherwise only active vertex, or object is affected. if two Edges are selected, All/Active has no effect and both edges would be cleaned to the intersection in a Move operation for example.
If the objects, or vertices are not co-planar to the Working Plane, the intersection is calculated co-planar to the active feature. For a tapered face at an odd angle to a global plane, Blender tools can be used to orient the view so it is co-planar to your screen, then set Working plane to View.
In Object mode, the Order selector is used to determine which objects represent which intersection line, this has no effect in Edit mode. This is a selector so for example Order 1,2,3,4 with four objects named Bolt1, Bolt2 Bolt3, Bolt4 would first put these in alphabetic order then use Bolt1 & Bolt2 for the first line, then Bolt3 and Bolt 4 for the second line. The order of the line's objects is not important, so 2,1,4,3 would have the same effect and is therefore not listed.
Example 1: Place Cursor at the Intersection of two edges in the front view - Select Cursor Operation, set Working Plane to Front, select two edges.
Example 2: Move Active Object to the Intersection of imaginary lines drawn through four objects in the Top view - Select Move Operation, set Working Plane to Top, select four objects, set Order, Active object is moved to Intersection.
Cursor Placed at intersection of Two Edges.
Intersection four Vertices, showing Before on the left and After on the Right, only Active Vertex has been moved.